GOING GREEN. SWITCH-Asia Thematic Regional Roundtable & Networking Event. All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA)

Transcription

1 GOING GREEN SWITCH-Asia Thematic Regional Roundtable & Networking Event March 2015 Presentation By All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA)

2 THE ALL INDIA ARTISANS AND CRFATWORKERS WELFARE ASSOCIATION (AIACA): The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) is a non-governmental membership-based body working for the welfare of artisans in the handloom and handicraft sectors. AIACA is registered under the Societies Registration Act ( January, 2004) AIACA s key initiatives Policy Advocacy Entrepreneurship Support Craftmark certification for Indian hand made craft processes Our strength Total # of Craftmark Members: 80+ Artisan network of over 20,000 artisans across 20 states of India Total # of Craft processes documented : 88 We are supported by: International funders, Govt. of India

3 Themes- SWITCH-Asia Thematic Regional Roundtable & Networking Event Sustainable supply chains Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable garment and textile sector in Asia Industry best practices with a potential for replication in Asia

4 The Project- Going Green To build sustainable businesses of textile artisans and improve their working conditions through efficient eco- friendly processes, access to resources and increased demand for green products. Geographical areas: Varanasi and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) Jaipur, Churu, Kota, Udaipur (Rajasthan) Timeframe: Partners: Traidcraft Exchange (UK) All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) 6 local partner NGOs Target beneficiaries: 12, 500 Weavers/ Artisans 250 SMEs 6 Federations Target Handicraft processes: Block Printing (Bagru and Sanganer) Tie and Dye (Churu) Kota Doriya weaving (Kota) Recycled products (Udaipur) Weaving (Varanasi) Chikankari (Lucknow)

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6 Project Activities and Outcomes Forming, strengthening ad mentoring artisan based collectives, SMEs and Federations Enhanced ability/ capacity of textile SMEs and artisans to act collectively for enterprise development and policy advocacy Policy research and advocacy Enabling environment created through strong institutional and regulatory frameworks to support and promote sustainable consumption and production

7 Project Activities and Outcomes Sensitizing artisans/ SMEs on occupational health and safety issues(with a focus on women) Improved health of textile artisans Testing and demonstrating 4 low- cost eco- friendly processes/ technologies for textile SMEs/ artisans Increased use of environment friendly technologies

8 Project Activities and Outcomes Capacitating textile SMEs and artisans to access resources (including finance and technology) Developing and marketing an ecofriendly line of green textile products through Craftmark Green Increased production and sale of eco friendly products in domestic and international markets

9 Challenges of the Textile Sector in India Fragmented with large numbers of individual artisans who are both economically and socially vulnerable Declining skills, lack of markets, devaluation of hand crafted products, and lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities in the modern world. Lack of access to credit and infrastructure facilities, inadequate availability of quality raw material at reasonable prices, lack of direct access to market, absence of brand image, less penetration in domestic market High levels of poverty and poor access to basic services such as health, water, housing and sanitation Competition from cheap foreign raw materials and power looms Excessive water use and pollution, and this is expected to increase as demand for textile products grow Degradation and depletion of natural resources Use of toxic chemicals/processes leading to pollution and health problems for artisans Insufficient policies/incentives/ resources for environment friendly practices or their effective implementation

10 Opportunities of the Textile Sector in India The Handicraft and Handloom sector in India are a Rs. 24,300 crore industry contributing Rs. 10,000 crore to India s export earnings annually. The handloom sector is a major employment generating sector. As per the latest (3rd) Handloom Census of , there are 2.38 million handlooms in the country, providing employment to 4.33 million handloom weavers and ancillary workers. In the absence of a comprehensive handicrafts census, it is estimated that the sector employed 6.9 million craftspersons in , the figure having risen from 6.6 million in India being such a rich country of handicrafts and handlooms, it s share in the global handicraft market is extremely small, less than 2% These craftspeople or artisans are the backbone of the non-farm rural economy.

11 CHIKANKARI, LUCKNOW

12 Traditional embroidery Mostly done on fabric like, cotton, georgette, chiffon, crepe, silk and kota doria etc. Process: Block printing (traditionally used a wooden block) / tracing Embroidery on the pattern printed on the fabric using cotton or silk thread Washing and finishing

13 BLOCK PRINTING, RAJASTHAN

14 Traditional Hand block printing Traditionally used vegetable dyes Process: Block preparation through carving designs Washing, bleaching (with acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide) and drying of fabric Printing Fixing of colours Finishing

15 KOTA DORIYA WEAVING, KOTA

16 Unique hand-woven fabric (characteristic square check pattern Differential weave of one cotton and one silk yarn is used Pit looms are used Process: Dyeing Warping Sizing (only for cotton yarn) Loom preparation Weaving

17 Baandhni, Churu

18 Traditional technique of tie and dye Process: Washing Tying a fabric with a thread at several points to produce variety of patterns Dyeing Starching

19 WEAVING, VARANASI

20 Varanasi is one of the richest handloom weaving craft centers of India Made of silk warp and silk weft, on plain/satin ground base, brocaded with extra weft patterns in different layouts Pit looms are used Process: Reeling Dyeing Pattern making (graph making, card punching ) Weaving

21 RECYCLED PRODUCTS, UDAIPUR

22 Organizing Weavers/ Artisans Clusters Weavers/ Artisans Collectives SMEs Federations Varanasi Lucknow Jaipur Churu Udaipur Kota Community Mobilization Organizing the beneficiaries into Collectives Capacity Building on Financial Literacy and Organization Development Awareness raising on and facilitating access to government entitlements/ schemes/ financial resources Identifying Policy issues and gaps through grass root consultations and continuing advocacy with the govt.

23 Policy Issues Generating an enabling environment: Systematic socio economic mapping of the craft workers and need for convergence Institutional and regulatory framework as well as strategic alliances Enabling access to information, services and schemes through awareness generation and effective implementation of government mechanisms Strengthening the craft based enterprises Concept of creative and cultural industries- enterprise development and business incubation Infrastructure and technology development for efficiency and environmental sustainability Addressing occupational health and safety Apprenticeship and skill development for continuation and conservation Design and marketing impacting economic and social well being Bridging craft sector and its growth with the rest of the economy and society Innovation and improving productivity Branding and Certification Environmental sustainability, occupational safety Regional development and overall well being

24 Policy Consultations Handloom and Handicraft proposed to be incorporated under the MGNREGA, under skilled category (100 days job guarantee) Uttar Pradesh Handicraft Promotion Policy to be developed to address specific threats Wages paid should be equal to that of the skilled category Provision of direct procurement by all the government departments from handloom, handicrafts and cottage industries Regulating cost of Raw materials for the smaller weavers and artisans Skill enhancement especially with a focus on women and girls Joint Commissioner, Industries Deputy Commissioner, Industry Regional Director, Handicrafts, Govt. of India Asst. Director, Handicrafts, Govt of India GM, District Industries Centre EPCH Director, Khadi Industries Commission Textiles Committee Handloom Textiles Rathyatra, Varanasi Weavers/ artisans National Awardees Establishment of mega clusters Linkage with tourism

25 Media Coverage

26 Researching on low cost environment friendly technology focusing home based weavers/ artisans and small units Impact of the selected craft processes on environment as well as health and safety of the producers Identifying the scopes and ways to reduce environmental impact from the dyeing, printing, washing/ cleaning and bleaching processes associated with the selected craft processes Short, Medium and Long term action plans for environment friendly technological models and solutions including: alternative lighting; alternative energy infrastructure development environment friendly pre- loom and post- loom operations increased use of sustainable raw materials use of natural dyeing practices cost efficient micro-level effluent treatment measures/techniques secondary effluent treatment plants recycling of waste fabric, re-cycling of used products, etc Identifying ways to reduce occupational hazards use of health and safety gears by artisans Develop the benchmark for the environmental standards for Craftmark Green Develop an easy to use Manual and a toolkit for the low cost technology solutions

27 Craftmark Green- Certification for Green craft processes and products AIACA already runs a Craftmark certification program which is certifying genuine handmade crarft processes. Craftmark Green will certify environment friendly craft production processes The Certification mark will work towards increasing consumer awareness and demand for these eco-friendly hand made products both in domestic as well as international markets.

28 Authenticating India s handlooms and handicrafts for a global audience

29 Craftmark follows the definition set by UNESCO Artisanal products are those produced by artisans, either completely by hand, or with the help of hand tools or even mechanical means, as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product. These are produced without restriction in terms of quantity and using raw materials from sustainable resources. The special nature of artisanal products derives from their distinctive features, which can be utilitarian, aesthetic, artistic, creative, culturally attached, decorative, functional, traditional, religiously and socially symbolic and significant. (Definition adopted by the UNESCO/ITC Symposium "Crafts and the international market: trade and customs codification" - Manila, 6-8 October 1997)

30 Craftmark Certification Process Application Verification Assessment Monitoring Certification Approval Compliance Verification is done by in-house Craftmark team The entire process from raw material to finished product is physically verified and documented Verified on predefined templates that record information on raw material, tools used, etc

31 Craftmark Green Draft Definition Craftmark Green is a handmade product from India. The raw materials used are natural. The product is made primarily by hand using simple tools. There is efficient use of water in the production process. The water and air residue are as per permissible limits. There are clear guidelines on disposal of the product after use and the artisans are provided good working conditions. They are paid the minimum wages set by the government and no child labor is used for making of this product.

32 Parameters for Verification Handmade Product Made in India Natural Raw Materials Natural Dyes Water Residue Air Residue Packaging Disposal Guidelines Minimum Wages Good Working Conditions and Well Being of Artisan No Child Labor

33 Green Product Development Sensitization Workshop on Organic Cotton and Natural Dyes for Tie and Dye Cluster Orientation on use of organic cotton and natural dyes for 60 artisans/ SMEs Hands on training on using natural dyes for 20 artisans/ SMEs The trainer organization has developed pigments and recipes that can be used in getting the same color in every subsequent batch. Exposure & Training on how scrap fabric and waste paper can be used to make beautiful accessories for Udaipur Cluster Products: Fabric Scrap Beads that can be made into necklace strings etc. Brooches Greeting Cards Tic Tac Clips Book Marks Hair Scrunches Bangles

34 Sharing the journey

35 Engaging Udaipur Women s Cluster to make beautiful accessories with scrap fabric

36 Increased Production and Sale of Eco-friendly Textile Products Branding and Promotion Market Linkages- National, International, e- commerce Adding value to handmade green craft processes and production Professionalizing traditional skills to create sustainable craft business enterprises International Linkages and Collaborations

37 Milestones for Year II Collectivizing all the target beneficiaries (12,500) into SHGs, Cooperatives, Federations, etc. Capacitating about 500 Community Resource Persons in financial literacy and governance for strengthening collectives Addressing occupational health hazards in all 6 clusters and identifying specific ways to reduce them Identifying and planning 4 low cost eco friendly technological solutions to be implemented within the project Establishing Craftmark Green standards and implementation model with laboratory partners for verification (NITRA) Developing at least 2-3 green product lines Policy advocacy for improved access to resources (financial and technological)- a continuous process Linkage and collaboration with industry and green technology experts for sharing learning and best practices

38 Thank You