Arava Export Growers is one of Israel’s largest agricultural exporters, specializing in fresh produce such as dates, peppers, and grapes. The company operates from the occupied Jordan Valley, where settlement farms rely on expropriated Palestinian land and water resources. Arava markets heavily to Europe, North America, and the Gulf, making its products a visible part of the global trade in settlement agriculture.
Arava Export Growers' expansion into occupied territory positions it as a direct agent of Israel’s settlement enterprise. Its packing houses in Jordan Valley settlements facilitate the exploitation of stolen Palestinian land and water resources, including through partnerships with settlement-based shareholders like Jordan River Herbs.
The company’s state-subsidized exemption for exporters from occupied territories highlights institutional support for settlement economies that embeds Arava in a system of economic apartheid.
Worker testimonies and investigative reporting reveal alarming labor abuses across similar settlement farms: unsafe working conditions (no protective gear, injury risk from spiky date palms), illness without wages, coerced paperwork stripping worker rights, and exploited child labor in extreme cases. Arava’s operational model leverages this exploitative environment to deliver produce globally while shielding itself from direct scrutiny.
Boycotting Arava Export Growers carries a High Impact because it directly targets an actor entrenched in the occupation economy and participating in financial, geographic, and labor-based suppression of Palestinian rights. Appearing in major supply chains internationally, Arava is a prime target for consumer-led divestment and justice initiatives.
Buy local produce. And to find alternatives to Israeli dates in Canada, choose dates explicitly labeled as Palestinian, such as those from brands like Palestine Just Trade, Lara, Nabet, and Jericho Delights.
You can also look for dates from other countries like Orchid Dates from California or trusted Palestinian brands such as Zaytoun, Yaffa, and Canaan Palestine.
When selecting dates, avoid those labeled "Produce of Israel." Barcode 729 indicates a GS1 Israel product license, but barcodes are not a reliable guarantee of origin.