A group of women embroiderers from Nazaré Paulista earn extra income by producing articles that portray the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest and understand more about topics such as entrepreneurship and environmental protection.

Sewing our future

Bags, T-shirts and accessories embroidered with the “face” of the Atlantic Forest. Making items like this has guaranteed a group of 10 women a supplement to their monthly family income. The “Sewing the Future” project has shown that it is possible to combine business, conservation and sustainability, since the initiative is aligned with the principles of Fair Trade, a movement that proposes expanding access to the market for small, economically disadvantaged producers.

The articles produced depict Brazilian fauna and flora. The idea is that they stimulate environmental involvement among those who consume them and those who produce them, because while the project group goes through training workshops, they also receive information about conservation and experience practical actions related to the topic.

The models are created by volunteer designers who work in the fashion sector, such as Sarita dal Pozzo and Ana Maria Laet. Thanks to the collaboration of the designers, the products have been very successful, even gaining acceptance on the international market. The group is currently involved in a training process to improve its production, organizational and management processes so that it can operate independently.

The IPÊ store is one of the sales channels for these products.