Co-operative members spread the word about organic farming. Copyright M.Manoj/Oxfam
Oxfam
In southern India, cotton workers ’livelihoods are under threat. Drought forces poor farmers to borrow money for expensive pesticides and fertilisers. High prices and power-looms jeopardise the incomes of handloom weavers. And women in garment factories experience appalling working conditions. The Trust is working with Oxfam and people in the cotton supply chain to change this situation, helping them to become more empowered and take control of their lives.
Project aims
- Encourage cotton farmers to take up organic farming through training sessions and local campaigns. This will help them to escape the ‘chemical treadmill’ – the name given to the cycle of debt that poor farmers often find themselves in, due to the prohibitive costs of expensive pesticides and the health risks of handling them.
- Support the creation of a farmers’ trading company, to give farmers better access to markets where they can sell their goods.
The project aims to provide appropriate solutions to
- Support a handloom trading company and weavers’ community groups, so that weavers have the opportunity to buy and sell at a fair price.
- Work with female garment workers’ organisations to help women workers understand their rights and negotiate more effectively with employers and other authorities.
- Ensure that women have a greater say in decision-making throughout our work, and make sure that gender concerns are fully addressed in the project.