Now you will learn everything about the wonderfull story of this project !

A 6 months journey. 4 months with Indian Cotton Producers.
Astonishing discoveries.
A whole world !

Come and discover cotton, learn everything about this plant that dresses us, and unveil...the dark side of the label!

Back in May 2006, Montreal witnessed the birth of a coordinating committee gathering a dozen of groups and businesses interested in fair trade cotton. The main focus was to share the costs of the study and to render its accessibility among members. In the light of this study, each member validates whether or not they want to offer fair trade cotton, with concise information on processes, costs, and more.

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Equicoton Study: Publicly released part

The study was realized from June 2006 to December of the same year by synAIRgis. It included field trips in India among a dozen of producers, processors, exporters and various related groups.

As you shall see, cotton harvesting is complex, requiring strong knowledge and skills, financial means, and strength to support various cotton hazardous factors. Still, cotton harvesting remains for millions of small producers an economic corner stone in emerging countries.

The study accounts for the environmental impact of such production, and possible damages on the welcoming ecosystems. Not surprisingly, the amount of pesticides and fertilizers used in the production, not including genetically modified specimens, make cotton harvesting the most polluting culture known.

Thereafter, you shall understand through a macro economic analyses of the world market the reasons behind the price crisis, and that this crisis has deepened over the past two years. How is the price fixed? Who are the main players? These are some questions this study attempt to address.

Many published articles portrayed numerous cases of suicide among peasants living from cotton harvest in India, linked to prices and genetically modified cotton plants. On this matter, the study dedicated a whole section on living conditions and struggle of Indian and African producers.

Finally, the study describes two alternatives to regular cotton: bio and fair trade. These two alternatives are shown to be real lifesavers for many small producers.

Reality in India or Africa, the current world debate surrounding GMOs (genetically modified organisms), environmental and pollution issues, traditional agrarian methods in opposition to industrialisation; many of those affect millions’ of life, may it be locally or internationally.

Renaissance, Equiterre, Equita d’Oxfam-Québec, La Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins, TransFair Canada, les Petites Mains, NKI Inc. (New K. Industry), OÖM Ethikwear, Fair Trade Clothing Coop, Titan Textiles, Lilidom, Kibosh, Fondation Monique Fitzback et La Société de Recherche sur le Cancer.

For more Information : www.synairgis.com

Many of these groups became members of fibrEthik afterwards.

The public part of this study was made financially possible by Caisse d’économie Solidaire Desjardins and synAIRgis.

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Equicoton Study: Restricted to members part
The second part identifies and highlights fair trade branches:

Yarn and clothes manufacturers, knitters, weavers certified Fair Trade in India;

• Their role;
• Production and export capacity;
• Producers and cotton fields Pictures
• Testimonies on their reality

This part is owned by synAIRgis and its use is restricted to members of the coordinating committee Equicoton.

For more information about Equicoton, click on the link below: www.synairgis.com

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synAIRgis is an advising and consulting expert in the management of environmental and sustainable development spheres:

> Expertise and advising in eco-constructions, residential or commercial;

> Expertise and advising in fair trade and ethic products;

> Expertise and advising in business management.

For more information, visitwww.synairgis.com