This project will rescue native colored cotton from GMO contamination while training traditional farmers in Oaxaca in agro-ecolgical farming practices. Farmers will increase current production of ecological cotton by 300%. The fiber produced via a cooperative, farmer-run business will support the traditional textile work and livelihoods of over 1300 textile artisans in the state. This thread will create thousands of yards of fair trade, naturally dyed, hand woven fabric and finished textiles.
Mexico is the site of origin of the species Gossypium hirsutum. Unfortunately wild and native populations have been contaminated with GMOs, which are harmful to insects thus affecting the surrounding environment and also debilitating the plants' resilience in the face of climate change. We are concerned about the environment, the native and wild cotton resilience and ourselves; we don't want to lose our heritage seeds to the corporation who owns the biotechnology involved in the contamination.
In response, we built a greenhouse to protect plants that test negative for GMOs, which are producing clean seeds. These are planted in our fields. By reducing GMO contamination in farmers' plots where cotton is grown, we will be able to invite more farmers to join in agro-ecological training and increase cotton production in order to meet local artisan demand. We will start a cotton fiber and seed by-product business, which will sustain the farmer trainings and clean seed program indefinitely.
During the next three years, we will create an opportunity for guaranteed income for 45 farmers; increasing by 300% the current income from cotton sales of all farmers. We will increase the area of land under agro-ecological management by at least 200%, and increase anual production of cotton available to hand spinners in Oaxaca by 300%. Income for 600 current and 1200 new artisans will increase by 200%. All this while conserving native cotton, protecting the environment and preserving culture.
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