CTA sponsors planting of 500 trees in Palestine

Central Trade and Auto Company (CTA), the exclusive dealer for Toyota, Lexus, and Hino vehicles in the Kingdom, recently provided sponsorship for an initiative to plant 500 trees in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The trees - which vary from olive, palm, and fruit trees – will be planted as part of the annual Million Trees program organized by the Arab Group for Protection of Nature. The program was launched by the group in 2008 in order to replace trees uprooted by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is the second occasion that CTA has chosen to sponsor this initiative.

The program - launched under the slogan,“They cut down a tree, we plant 10 instead” – endeavors to provide a sustainable source of income for approximately 800 Palestinian families. Due to the efforts of the program, it is expected that 3,000 acres of formerly abandoned land will be returned to productive cultivation.   

“As a socially responsible corporation, we do not feel that our role in Jordan and the region is limited to automobile sales,” commented Nadim Haddad, Marketing Manager at CTA. “We have made the effort to support local and regional development initiatives, and we view the Million Trees program as an excellent initiative worthy of our sponsorship. This program creates an enabling environment for Palestinian farmers to recover from past conflicts and begin building a positive future through their own hard work and dedication. Benefits in terms of job creation and lower unemployment will undoubtedly improve the situation in these areas. We also cannot forget the benefits to the environment and the prevention of soil erosion that comes with planting trees.”

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) was established as a member-based, non-profit organization in April, 2003. The group is composed of motivated individuals concerned with the protection of the environment and the natural resources in Arab countries, whether they have been threatened or destroyed by natural disasters or from wars and foreign occupation. The organization’s aim is to reinforce the capacity of Arab communities to sustain their natural resources by organizing regular tree-planting campaigns and encouraging positive change in conflict areas.