Over the past 10 years, India’s rapid growth aka Progress has offered
hope of a better life for many, but not everyone, especially India’s living
treasures, it’s rural Artisans and Craftspeople, who now are crying out for
their government’s intervention to help save their traditional cultures and
trades from dying out in the faceoff against massive industrialization. Blatant
profiteering by fellow country folk and other corporate nationals plays like a
good over evil battle with global outsourcing
and mergers at the epicenter combined with a real lack of any national
environmental concern or guidance. Some of the real issues at the forefront of
the planet’s Spiritual Motherland highlight multiple tiers of hazard and
hardship and perhaps are best symbolized by the pesticide ingesting suicides of
over 200,000 destitute cotton farmers whose crop
failure can often be traced to the planting of expensive genetically modified
breeds of cotton in tandem with the chemicals required to maintain them. Slowly
farmers are waking up from the placebo effect initiated by false prophets of
toxic farming. The movement back to less expensive, lower-risk organic farming
methods offers a bona fide solution for the entire cotton-growing crisis in
India but without a sea change in world demand, agriculture policy and
practices, thousands of Indian farmers and artisans are destined for a downward
spiral.
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| July 2012 Preparing THE ORGANIC FIELD for sowing - photo by Kshitish Das/Odisha |
Our re:Evolution began during the summer monsoon of 2012 on 4 acres
of land with the planting of non GMO cotton variety Organic seeds in
coordination with tribal farmers and a local weavers society in the most
neglected region of India. AtelierOM commits wholeheartedly to support this transition toward
certification as “Organic” and will encourage a radial expansion of farming
to consumer projects across borders with the intention to grow and market superior
and sustainable regional textiles that ultimately benefit partners and
their communities.
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| Odisha Tribal Farmers - photo by Kshitish Das |
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| villagers preparing Organic Variety seeds for sowing photo by Kshitish Das |
All of these efforts built upon the foundation of FAIR TRADE - equal opportunity, benefits and compulsory standards for every worker and artisan alike.
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| two by two sowing seeds - photo by Kshitish Das |
With a “Slow Fashion” revolution,
it is our goal to become one of the most ethical and environmentally concerned
vertical sources for Indian materials and products made collaboratively with
traditional Artisans, young local Designers and Village Farmers.Due diligence
is our mantra - with every supplier initiated into an inner circle of our
collective as an eco conscious partners.
