World Environment Day: Transitioning to eco-friendly value chains

How often do you wonder about Environment Crises? Getting out in nature on World Environment Day doesn’t have to be a big event. Going out for a walkathon or plantation drive seems to be a great idea but taking in the sights and sounds of your surroundings for a much-needed call for action seems more viable at the moment. The crisis demands a call for action to fight for nature, after all, we have ‘Only One Earth’. Transitioning value chains to create a sustainable ecosystem has proven to be a great idea. Value Chains are basically a number of activities and processes carried out in an orderly manner to create a product. Introducing the concept of sustainability into the value chains has been helping producers to opt for a more sustenance and environment-friendly approach. We need to come together, learn, unlearn and build empathy for our Earth, which has provided resources. This can only be achieved by being on the same wavelength, to play its part, various organisation like the Industree Foundation’s POWER (Producer owned women enterprises) initiative have been consciously promoting sustainable living and highlighting the dire need for the paradigm shift toward sustainability in harmony with nature through collective efforts toward cleaner, greener and sustainable livelihood. The natural fibre value chain produces lifestyle and home accessories made from natural fibres, such as Banana, Bamboo, Non-Timber Forest Products, and has seen a surge in consumer consumption globally. The market for sustainable and eco-friendly goods is growing. Global customers are interested in the purchase of ethically made products which are good for the planet and come from a transparent value chain. It is socially and economically empowering for the rural artisans in the farm and off-farm sector to aggregate them into natural fiber based self owned value chain enterprises, and connect them to global supply chains to become wealth creators, increasing resilience to life’s crises and improved standard of living for the next generation. When it comes to standing up for the environment, women have left no stone unturned since the revolutionary Chipko movement to be vocal and participatory in being a change and bringing the change collectively in community building and allyship, further leading to ethical manufacturing, local production and sustenance. By accessing natural value chains, social skills are also alive by allowing women to grow through regular employment opportunities and various social/ gender empowerment training, and setting up enterprises that are owned by women producers where they not only earn regular income but also share profits. We have just one earth that provides us with resources for sustenance. A sustainable world is one where we mindfully consume the Earth’s resources without depleting the planet and its resources. Working in natural value chains has a great potential to herald in supply chains of the future, that have positive social and environmental footprints. It also enables artisans, and communities to equitably engage with global and local markets through producer-owned enterprises, thus becoming wealth creators for themselves, resulting in resilience to life crises and helping society meet its sustainable development goals. There is a need for a way forward to contribute toward Environment Conservation and Sustainability, leading the fight against environmental degradation and climate change by implying their knowledge, understanding and empathy to come up with effective solutions. To support this ,we need to shift our focus on making women, communities, society an essential part of decision making at all levels by emphasising providing them with essential training and skills and encouraging them further to take up leadership roles. This Environment Day let’s come together and put our collective efforts into reversing climate change and protecting ‘Only One Earth’. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.