The Bestseller Fund’s organic cotton project in Madurai is about the process of making the organic cotton into an organic final product and uplifting the cotton farmers, spinners, and weavers in Tamil Nadu by organizing federations.This will boost the agricultural profession and benefit both the producers and consumers of organic cotton. Alongside the organic cotton farmer federation, a federation of spinning and weaving is organized.
Uplifts of Farmers – Spinners - Weavers
Covenant Centre for Development (CCD) is a voluntary agency working for the uplift of farmers and farm laborers in the dry land of the southern plains of the Tamil Nadu state in India. CCD will be responsible for organizing cotton growers, Organic Cotton Growers Federation (OCGF). A registered farmers owned Cotton Growers Federation (CGF) will be established with a minimum of 300 farmers after 3 years, producing Fair Trade Certified cotton with proper structures and institutional mechanisms in place for self sustenance. 15 master farmers will be fully trained in organic and fair trade cotton growing techniques.
Organizing the Spinners and Weavers
Another aim is to strengthen the spinners and weavers involved in processing the organic cotton by establishing the Organic Spinning and Weaving Federation (OSWF) leading to fully organically and fairly produced fabric.
Big Benefits and a Healthier Working Environment
Benefits of establishing of the federations will be the equalization of the wages of men and woman, as this is one of the demands for getting the federation’s Fair Trade Certification. The farmers’ dependency on money lenders for agricultural purposes will also be reduced, and they will spend less on interest payments. Another result is a healthier working environment without pesticides and toxins.