Eco-friendly Textiles and Crafts for Sustainable Development

by Nupur Bahl, Project Manager - Switch Asia.
“Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the environmental and ethical issues and this is opening up new market segments all over the world”, said experts while speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Promoting eco-friendly textiles and crafts” at the India International Centre today. The panel discussion is part of the Switch Asia Project supported bythe European Union and implemented in India by Traidcraft -UK, in partnership with the All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA), Delhi and Consortium of Textile Exporters (COTEX), Jaipur.

The event marked the launch of two baseline studies on the current environmental impact of selected textile and craft production processes and market potential for eco-friendly products in India. The studies point out that, in the minds of consumers, eco-friendliness is not just limited to environmental concerns but also social concerns like fair wages and safe working conditions.

The first study looks at standards for eco-friendly products and their market potential within India and the second study looks at the environment, health and safety issues in five selected craft clusters spread across the country. The study provides recommendations on steps that could be taken to make production processes less harmful to the health of artisans and to the ecology. The study found that chronic toxicity caused by some of these processes could cause serious damage to the respiratory system, eye sight and nervous system of the workers.
In her keynote address, Laila Tyabji, stated that the Indian textile and craft production processes have been passed on from one generation to the next, but many of these traditions are breaking down due to changing market preferences and natural resource degradation leading to a loss of livelihoods in the crafts sector. To arrest this trend, experts said that producers and entrepreneurs need to become more sensitive to the production processes used and the working conditions of workers. The need for putting more emphasis on the disposability of the product as an indicator of eco-friendliness was suggested by Rajan Gandhi of Society for Action Group.

Renowned environmental researcher and activist, Dunu Roy, pointed out that the current emphasis is on curative ways of tackling the health and safety hazards in the textiles and crafts sector whereas there is an urgent need to adopt a preventive approach by getting rid of any harmful chemicals and other potentially harmful factors in the production process itself.
The finding of the study will be widely disseminated among producer communities across the country. The draft reports of the studies have been put up for feedback/comments on the AIACA website and can be accessed at http://aiacaonline.org/health.html

For more information, contact:
Nupur Bahl,
Project Manager - Switch Asia Project
Email: n.bahl@aiacaonline.org
All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA)
18- East of Kailash Community Centre, (3rd Floor), New Delhi - 110065
Ph # 91-11-26416492 / 93 / 94, Ext- 117

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