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Fair Trade Successes in Rural India: From Cycles of Drought to Cycles of Reuse

There was no water filtration plant in Barmer, Rajasthan when the Austin-based Fair Trade business Handmade Expressions started in 2005, with the goal of improving the economic livelihoods and social standing of artisan communities in rural India. In fact, there was and still is very little water at all there.

Rich art traditions run deep in Rajasthan, unlike the wells, and access to capital for infrastructure and technology improvements is limited. Geographically isolated and characterized by a harsh, arid climate, many people in Rajasthan struggle to make more than $1 a day. But from the start, Manish Gupta, the founder of Handmade Expressions, was interested in doing more than simply getting local people to sell him their products at a better price—for him and the local NGOs he has partnered with, Fair Trade has always been about holistic development.

The traditional block-print fabric bags the artisans in Barmer began to produce for Handmade Expressions quickly became one of their best-selling items. However, hand block-printing requires an immense volume of water to dye and print the fabric. This issue of resource management in the face of environmental and economic adversity is one that many underprivileged communities face—use water to support an income generating project at the expense of other survival needs, or suffer economic hardship?

Instead of leaving this question alone, Handmade Expressions has sought to make it obsolete by paying attention to local practices and needs, and putting the increased income made possible by Fair Trade to task.

This year, in partnership with a local NGO called SETU, the Society for Empowerment & Trade Uplift of Artisans, Handmade Expressions sponsored and helped install a water treatment plant in Barmer that allows for the recapture and reuse of the water used in block-printing and dyeing. The plant, inaugurated August 28^th, has the capacity to filter 2,000 liters of water each hour and each batch of water can be filtered and reused 15 times!

In addition, what is truly rewarding about this news is learning that Global Exchange has been able to have a direct impact on the success of Fair Trade and sustainable development in Rajasthan through our ongoing support of Handmade Expressions. Over the years, we have ordered hundreds of those very same block-print bags to give out to new members as our way of saying thank you. How inspiring then, for us at the Fair Trade stores to see the real changes we are supporting, and for our grassroots supporters to be able to look at the bag they got maybe even years ago, when they first became a member, and know they’ve been a part of such a successful movement for social and economic justice. It takes time and a lot of effort, but the accomplishments prove to us why we want to continue our work around Fair Trade—we all benefit and get to grow together, in solidarity.

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Join Global Exchange for $35/year and we’ll send you a gorgeous customized Global Exchange tote bag from Handmade Expressions women’s cooperative in India, a No-Nonsense Guide to Democracy, Globalization or International Development and a bag of Equal Exchange chocolates!

Lata ji sharing her experience working with Fair Trade artisans in rural Rajasthan, India.

When Lata Kachhawan first went to visit the communities in rural  Rajasthan over twenty years ago, she had to walk or go by camel. There were no roads, no electricity, just miles of sand dunes to walk over. And when she finally got to the village, the few women she saw walking to the well ran away from her, scared about what an outsider might be doing there.

Today, the organization SURE (Society to Uplift  Rural Economy) works with over 600 villages in rural Rajasthan in the far northeastern region of India at the border with Pakistan. There are roads, buses, water catchment tanks, and  some solar lanterns–not every village has electricity yet–and there are women who are not afraid to talk to newcomers. As Lata ji shared with us last Tuesday night at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco, SURE has worked incredibly hard over the last two decades to support long-term sustainable development in Rajasthan, of which Fair Trade has played an important part.

SURE first started working with women refugees from Pakistan who fled to Rajasthan to escape the violence and persecution of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 . The area where SURE works is very arid and drought-prone, with scarce local water resources. Historically marked by a lack of communication and transportation infrastructure, making a living in rural Rajasthan is difficult to say the least.

But when SURE decided to work with local villages to address poverty there, they knew there already existed an incredible wealth amidst the people–their deep knowledge of handmade textiles and applique work. The challenge was to take what was traditionally done for the family–for decoration, gifts, and especially for daughters’ dowries–and transform that skill into an income-generating business. So SURE began its livelihood program, designed to help artisans (mostly women) learn how to improve the quality of their work, negotiate better prices for products, plan out their work schedule, and through a micro-finance program, manage profits, losses, and savings. SURE also brought artisans together with designers to learn how to make new products for the international market; as Lata ji explained, “Before, they didn’t know bedsheets, or pillow  covers, none of that.” SURE also has worked to teach artisans how to simplify their traditionally intricate designs so that they are able to use their labor time more effectively.

The Austin-based Fair Trade company Handmade Expressions was started by an immigrant from Rajasthan himself, and works closely with SURE artisans to produce designs customers will like. And as a Fair Trade business with a vision to change the world, Handmade Expressions wants to pay more for high quality products which support rural livelihoods. They have even helped provide villages with solar lanterns, making it easier for artisans to have more flexible work schedules, as well as give their children the ability to study in the evenings. Alison Hanson, the Production Coordinator and Sustainability Advisor from Handmade Expressions traveling with Lata ji, told us that part of the current challenge for small Fair Trade businesses like Handmade Expressions is that larger non-Fair Trade companies often come into villages, copy their company’s designs, and place huge orders at a lower overall cost, undercutting Fair Trade prices.

This Fair Trade 'Tree of Life' applique made from organic cotton takes about a week to make.

Lata ji explained that the role of SURE, beyond capacity building and skills training, is to be a facilitator, connecting artisans to Fair Trade businesses like Handmade Expressions and other organizations who see the value of the handmade production and want to support it at a fair price. One of the long-standing challenges for artisan producers in the region has been exactly that. The applique work done for wall hangings, pillow covers, and other textiles can take from 3 days to a whole week to finish; without the support of the Fair Trade market and the business and confidence training provided by SURE, women were making 3 to 5 rupees per piece–about 5 cents. Today, the price  is over ten times as much or higher, and families can earn a much better living. Still, the 2000 to 2500 rupees a month artisans are making now remains right under $2 a day.

Nevertheless, the self-sustaining livelihood program has meant more than increased income and solar lanterns. It has meant increased democratic participation at a local level. As the women artisans have learned to value their skills and their voices, they have begun to speak up and speak out. The small artisan groups present in local villages, about 15-20 women, have evolve into “pressure groups” for improved local governance. Lata ji shared with us that when the women have shown up to local government meetings to advocate for rights and services, the officials ask them, “Why are you here? This is not your SURE meeting.” But the women know better than to get discouraged–they know the government should work for them so they stay and, Lata ji told us with a sly smile, “they argue.”

The holistic approach to sustainable economic and social development is not an easy one, and definitely not about quick fixes. This is true of both the Fair Trade movement in general as well as within the scope of SURE’s work. Just as Lata ji emphasized at her talk yesterday, learning takes time and change is a slow process–the key is to sustain. Visit the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores to check out a variety of the beautiful applique wall hangings and purses handmade by the artisans of SURE.

The meet and greet with Lata ji was part of a 10 day artisan tour sponsored by Handmade Expressions and Fair Trade Towns USA. Lata ji’s visit to Global Exchange was just one stop during her trip on the way to the Fair Trade Federation Conference in Seattle, WA on May 22, 2012.

The Global Exchange Fair Trade store in San Francisco loved hosting Lata ji from SURE, Alison from Handmade Expressions, and Courtney from Fair Trade Towns!

Global Exchange Fair Trade stores in San Francisco, Berkeley, and the D.C. area will be having a special promotion on Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13 to make your Mother’s Day shopping easy.  You get a FREE set of 6 cotton threaded bangles to match any selected scarf purchase of $20 or more. (Offer available while supplies last.)

To take advantage of our special Mother’s Day promotion–just mention “Mom’s Rule!”

Mayan weaver making San Antonio scarves

One example of the unique scarves available in our stores are the ones made in the village of San Antonio; located on the cliffs above Lake Antigua, Guatemala, where Mayan women weavers Marta Lopez, Nicolasa Sicay Sicajan and Florisanta Diaz Sicajan work with their community in the production of these colorful, 100% cotton scarves.

The women’s children run in and out of the open-air workshop, located in the center of their small town.  Wide windows open to grand views of the silver lake surrounded by volcanoes, where the indigenous Kakchiqueles people have practiced their traditional weaving for generations.

To make the scarves, first the women work together to spin and sort the cotton threads into careful color selections using a large handmade standing wheel.  With the help of the wooden wheel, the women can prepare thread for seventy scarves per rotation! Then they weave the prepared threads on majestic wooden foot looms (traditionally the work of men) into colorful scarves.

Each scarf takes about one hour to make once the thread reaches the loom. Since they are well-known in the area for their quality of weaving, the women are busy filling not only international orders but also local demand for specialty huipiles (the elaborate indigenous dress).

Cotton thread bangle bracelets from India--perfect for Mother's Day!

Also in celebration of Mother’s Day, Global Exchange brings you a beautiful selection of colorful thread bangle bracelets.  In the small village of Rajasthan, India, the craft of thread jewelry-making thrives.  One family, recognized for their thread craft, has carried on the tradition for more than 1,000 years. This extended family does the work of past generations, meticulously wrapping cotton and silk threads into necklaces, earrings, and bangles. Chai is poured as family members work in the comfort of each other’s homes. The women in the family make most of the business decisions, and the income from the family’s work supports a growing network of extended relatives and friends. The family takes great pride in their craft and being able to do what they have done best for centuries.

Global Exchange’s brightly colored cotton bangle bracelets keep alive this long family history of thread craftsmanship. In seasonal warm oranges, electric blues and a full spectrum of other colors, the soft cotton bangles are an easy, fun way to accessorize. Pair them with any of our wonderful scarves to take advantage of our special Mother’s Day promotion–just mention “Mom’s Rule!”

And have a Happy Mother’s Day!

A family owned workshop in Cairo, Egypt produces glass vases, bowls, and votive candle holders from 100% recycled glass products. By sorting discarded glass bottles by color and melting and molding new shapes, this small fair trade company creates beautiful, functional, and environmentally friendly products.

Just in time for spring, we have new recycled magazine gifts from Vietnam! Made out of long strips of magazine that are first soaked in glue and then coiled by hand, a lively spiral pattern adorns boxes, frames, and bowls in all sizes. This project not only keeps paper out of landfills, it also provides employment for over 300 artists in South Vietnam, aiming to promote self-reliance among disadvantaged people through education and training. A percentage of profits are used to fund various social work projects in communities, dealing with social issues, clean water projects, vocational training equipment purchases, subsidized teacher wages and a scholarship fund for the artisans’ children.

While recycling keeps waste out of landfills, sustainably harvested goods – made out of natural materials – keeps materials like plastic and paper from ever being made in the first place. Fair trade celebrates products coming from nature, and what better way to celebrate Earth Day than with Mother Nature’s own gifts.

A women’s co-operative on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua is taking advantage of an abundant local raw material – pine needles – to make beautiful, environmentally friendly, baskets. Starting in 1993 with a group of twelve women, it now employs over thirty women who make their living from weaving baskets. The sale of these baskets help to build a sustainable community in an extremely impoverished part of Nicaragua. These decorative baskets are a great example of a free renewable resource that can be crafted into a piece of art!

Ahimsa, or “cruelty-free” silk is wild silk that is cultivated on forest trees. The silk is spun after the silk worm has become a moth and flown out of the cocoon, which is often not the case for mass-produced silk. It is typical for silk farmers to kill silkworms by tossing cocoons into boiling water or hot ovens before they transform into moths, so that the silk cocoons will not be damaged. Ahimsa silk thread is spun from broken cocoons, which gives a slightly different texture than undamaged silk cocoons, but does not kill any living beings in the process.

Fair Trade Federation member Sevya is using ahimsa silk for their line of fair trade silk scarves (which you can see at San Francisco’s Global Exchange Store!). Sevya is not only helping to sustain the forests and ancient cultures that live in harmony with nature, but also sustaining the lives of those producing the scarves. Sevya works with non-profits in Jharkhand, India to develop training programs for low-caste and tribal women to use foot pedal and power operated spinning and reeling machines, self-help groups where the women save money weekly in a common pool, and micro-credit operations for the cultivators, spinners, and weavers.

We encourage you to deepen your commitment to the Fair Trade principle of environmental stewardship by consuming wisely. Think about the different resources used in creating all the things around us, and whether or not you can lessen your carbon footprint with your purchases. Celebrate this Earth Day by supporting the Fair Trade movement, and stop by a Global Exchange Fair Trade Store near you for recycled, natural, and sustainable handicrafts from around the world!

Our selection of 100% cotton scarves hand made in India are perfect for layering this season.

The Sari Scarf. Made from reused cotton saris, these colorful scarves are reversible and features traditional Kantha stitching, a technique from North India. Fair Trade Federation Member Asha Imports works with a non-profit in Calcutta that trains and employs families living in slum districts to make this incredible recycled product. The manufacturing of these long 86″x8″ Sari Scarves provides a living wage for over 50 men and women in one of India’s poorest districts.

The Ayurvedic Organic Scarf. Ayur meaning “longevity” and veda meaning “knowledge,” ayurveda is a system of medicine native to India’s southern state of Kerala. The traditional medicine uses only herbal and dietary remedies, as did the production of these scarves! Dyed with organic herbs and medicinal plant extracts, the these 100% organic cotton scarves emphasize ecological and sustainable development. The Ayurvedic Scarves, produced by the Handloom Weavers Development Society in Kerala, even come with a small sachet of Ayurvedic herbs!

The Mud Block Print Cotton Voile Scarf. The five-generation old family block printing business producing these colorful scarves has been widely recognized for their quality and design. The family business employs an equal number of men and women in the community to continue the ancient technique of mud block printing. Naturally dyed with indigo, pomegranate, palm sugar, and other minerals, the scarves are 100% cotton voile; voile is a light weight woven fabric that comes from the French term meaning veil.

Celebrate fall with Fair Trade scarves at all Global Exchange store locations in San Francisco, Berkeley, Portland, D.C., and Virginia and check out our entire collection of cotton, silk, and wool scarves!

A selection of Global Exchange 100% cotton table linens originate from Southeast Rajasthan, India, where an income-generating program has enabled women to make four times the average wage of the area. The program began in response to the Ranthambhore National Park,  which was created to enable tigers to live and move freely in their habitat. However, the establishment of the park displaced villagers, who were resettled in areas without access to wood, water, and traditional farming lands.

The Dastkar Ranthambhore Income Generating program was created in 1989 so that displaced villagers did not lose their livelihoods. Today, 360 women from four villages are part of the Dastkar Project, which is completely self-sustaining through the sales of their craftwork. The women even have developed a unique own microloan system, in which they act as their own bank, providing loans to each other.

You can support this incredible project with every tablecloth-napkin purchase at your local Global Exchange store. The tablecloths, which are block-printed with natural dyes, are available in two sizes – 60″ x 60″ and 60″ x 90.” Purchase a tablecloth and four napkins, and we’ll throw in four more napkins, for free. Offer lasts through November 25, 2010.

Want more ideas to help Fair Trade your Harvest Table?

Sustainable teakwood cutting boards from Guatemala for preparing and serving your Fair Trade foods.

Hand-painted dishware from Tunisia.

Vetiver placemats from Bali.

One way to reduce your carbon footprint is as simple as switching from paper to cloth napkins. Choosing cloth napkins reduces waste, saves trees, and adds color and beauty to your dinner table!

Come visit your local Global Exchange store this fall and check out our 100% cotton block print tablecloths and napkins. When you buy one set (one tablecloth and four napkins), we’ll throw in four additional napkins for FREE!

Handmade in India, our Fair Trade table linens are created with the ancient technique of “block printing.” The time-consuming process begins with a piece of teak wood, which is intricately carved by a block maker into elaborate designs. The block is dipped into natural dyes of indigo, pomegranate, palm sugar, and other minerals, and pressed firmly onto stretched fabric. Many designs and colors are layered onto the fabric, until the final piece is complete.
Go green this season by switching to cloth napkins!

Saturday Aug 7, 11am-4pm

Join us at the Global Exchange San Francisco and Berkeley stores to celebrate Fair Trade fashion!

Come enjoy a free Fair Trade iced tea while we feature our colorful, comfortable and affordable line of Fair Trade women’s clothing and accessories.

• 100% cotton, colorful dresses hand block printed in India
• Beautifully embroidered light cotton blouses also from India
• Everyone’s favorite line of simple, soft cotton dresses and fitted shirts in a wide selection of this seasons colors. Handmade in Bali
• Silk and cotton scarves from around the world.  Perfect for summer evenings or to add a dash of color to your outfit.

All of our Fair Trade clothing and accessories are handmade by women’s cooperatives and artisan groups. Livable wages, good working conditions, no assembly line factory production – that’s what you’re getting when you shop Global Exchange.

Global Exchange Fair Trade San Francisco Store
4018 24th Street (near Noe)
San Francisco CA 94114 (map)
415.648.8068

Global Exchange Fair Trade Berkeley Store
2840 College Ave (Between Russell St. and Stuart St.)
Berkeley, CA 94705 (map)
510.548.0370

Recently, myself, along with Jocelyn Boreta, the Global Exchange San Francisco Store Manager, were invited by Craftmark with financial help by Aid to Artisans to visit India and see firsthand how new and existing fair trade groups are transforming the workplace culture in rural India. Craftmark is an initiative by the All India Artisans and Workers Association (AIACA) which helps to promote genuine Indian handmade crafts, develop sector-wide minimum standards and norms for labeling a product as a handmade product, and increase consumer awareness of distinct handicraft traditions.

Our 17-day trip to India was filled with inspirational moments. We visited several different types of groups from small family businesses that have been making mud block prints for five generations, to a family that has been making threaded jewelry for over 1000 years, to a slum project making recycled newspaper bags, to an NGO that is working with 360 men & women displaced by the creation of a tiger reserve.

All of the groups we visited were inspirational in their own way but the one that was working with green energy alternatives and supporting them with Fair Trade practices really caught our attention. Avani, which took an overnight train and a 7-hour car ride through the Himalayas to reach, could be considered the role model for how NGOs can become sustainable entities. They also prove that supporting Fair Trade can move mountains. Through their Fair Trade craft program, Avani is working to revive, preserve and promote traditional weaving craft and to incorporate contemporary input for market exposure and income generation. With an all-local team of weavers, working out of their homes and Avani community centers in over 90 communities, they have successfully created a sustainable village-based enterprise managed by the community. In 23 extremely remote villages, Avani has provided solar panels for electricity and have educated the villagers on installation and maintenance.

Avani also works to promote rain water harvesting for drinking water and grey-water systems for irrigation and domestic use. The Avani center collects 2,700,000 litres of roof run off rainwater and recycles 100% of their water through grey-water filtration systems. In a region where water shortage is a huge problem this practice is revolutionary.

Sales of Avani’s fair trade products have been life-changing to the remote, rural villages where they operate and have allowed their green projects to be completely sustainable. The women weavers produce hand-spun fabrics from all-natural organic fibers including wool, mulberry, eri, munga, pashmina, angora, linen and a variety of non-violent locally cultivated silks. The result is a huge selection of scarves, stoles, blankets, and clothing. Their range of organic color, texture and design is amazing. One can feel the organic process and grass-root level commitment to excellence in each textile.

The Avani center is a vibrant, thriving work and living space where families raise each others children, share home-grown meals, work for shared income, educate visitors and spend nights drumming, singing and dancing together. As Avani grows, this vibrancy is systematically being spread through the organization of self sustaining village centers throughout this region of the Himalaya.

Avani is just one of many great stories of fair trade groups making a difference in the communities where they exist. But they can’t be successful if they can’t market their products. We feel without our support and consumer’s support, these communities cannot continue to grow and move towards self-sustainability.

Dana Geffner is the Fair Trade Wholesale and Online Store Program Director for Global Exchange