Sericulture as a solid way of employment. Countries with large traditional silk sericulture are: China, India, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Brazil. In total there are over 25 countries that still produce silk as a real part of their economy. (source). In India, silk sericulture is practiced in over sixty thousand villages. Just in the state of Karnataka alone, more than nineteen thousand villages raise silkworms for the silk industry. This business provides employment to roughly 6 million people in these rural areas of India. It is calculated that the silk production from the cultivation of mulberry trees to the weaving process on just one acre of land, creates as many as 1000 days of employment.
In most other silk-producing countries the situation is similar: sericulture creates low-stake (minimal investments) employment in rural areas that are otherwise not endowed with many employment opportunities. A high percentage of the people working in sericulture identify as female, providing opportunities for women to be key players in the decision-making process.
In Madagascar a silk project has been set up to protect the rainforest, other countries like Rwanda also explore silk as a possible export crop that can stimulate local economy.
We prefer unbleached, hand woven, fair-trade silk. Thanks to our connections in the textile industry we source our silk from ethical and reliable suppliers around the world.
