ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA -- The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) and the University of Minnesota Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM) worked together with the Rainforest Alliance TREES program and Smartwood to ensure that palms from the forests of Mexico and Guatemala were harvested sustainably.

Partnerships with wholesaler Continental Floral Greens and distributor Greenwing have enabled Eco-Palms to be distributed throughout the United States for Palm Sunday. In addition, partnerships with faith-based organizations such as Lutheran World Relief (LWR), United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUSA) have helped expand awareness of the Eco-Palms program.

Each year, Americans purchase as much as $4.5 million worth of palms—mostly for church celebrations and events like Palm Sunday. Through conventional harvesting, very little of the profits from sales reaches the palm harvesters in Latin America and their communities.

Through Eco-Palms, however, harvesters are paid a fair price for quality palms. The premiums they receive go back into their communities to help send children to school or support community projects. What’s more, Eco-Palms are harvested in a way that protects the environment and the health of the palm.

Palm Sunday is April 13. Place your order for Eco-Palms by March 21, 2014. Visit http://www.ecopalms.org