The Forest Foundation, Inc.

The Foundation’s President and Board member, Marc Dreyfors, who traveled to Colombia in 2002 and 2003, will be visiting several new producers in addition to the Canaflecha artisans in northern Colombia (See http://www.forestsoftheworld.com/Forests/Colombia/). As an alternative development strategy, crafts can generate greater economic multipliers by value adding natural fibers, supporting cultural identity, women in development and numerous other benefits. Currently the US spends over $1 billion annually providing military assistance to the Colombian government. “Crafts is a better development strategy,” states Mr. Dreyfors. ATA will cover travel food and lodging, but The Foundation will have to find support for its time and hopes to raise $2,000 to help with its work in Colombia.

Mr. Dreyfors plans to visit iraca (or toquilla) fiber hat producers in Narino as well as the Mochilla wool bag producers in Santa Marta. Travel in the country can be difficult and safety an issue. Sadly, the undercurrents of the US drug war and the impacts of unsustainable development are readily apparent. Over two million people have been displaced in Colombia, of which the majority are women and children desperately seeking income, with some turning to crafts. This is very sad, for Colombia is very beautiful and diverse in both geography and cultures.

Colombia sits at the top of South America between major eco-regions: the Amazon basin, the Pacific lowland and Andean tropics and the Central American corridor. The Andes mountains splits into two “cordilleras” creating a high, central valley that tapers to sea level in the north. As you pass from the lowland hot and humid tropics up and over those 10-15,000 foot snow covered mountains, climate cools and the plant species change. The people living in these regions depend on the plant communities unique to those regions, developing techniques for cultivation and use of their materials that identify them specifically with those areas. Colombia is a mega-diverse in natural fibers, having as many palm species as Brazil, a country four times as big! Many cultures of these Andean nations are “palm cultures,” everything they make and use for day-to-day living is made from different species and parts of palms. Many cultures are dependent on the diversity of plants for use in everyday life. Conserving these ecosystems is critical to the development of sustainable livelihoods for theses countries.

As a development tool, crafts make a huge impact. No other industry has the effect on poverty alleviation, self-sufficiency, women’s empowerment and the multiplier impact than crafts. So many people are affected when raw materials are cultivated, sold, value-added by the hard-work of artisans and sold again. From the natural fibers raised with care to the natural dyes used to color them to the equipment purchased to increase quality and production capacity, a dollar spent in craft development “packs a punch.” That is why the Craft fair was an achievement in itself. We can only hope that our country will realize the hypocrisy of our drug war and invest in development and trade that makes a difference.

For more information on how you can support The Forest Foundation, please contact us at (919)957-1505 or e-mail info@theforestfoundation.org.