from the andes to madison avenue, guanaco and vicuña fibre … · 2017-03-03 · from the andes to...
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From the Andes to Madison Avenue,
guanaco and vicuña fibre trade & local livelihoods
Dr. Gabriela Lichtenstein
INAPL/CONICET
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• Vicuñas and guanacos are among the few native large herbivores that inhabit deserts and high plateau grasslands in SA.
• They have been used by local inhabitants for 10,000 years +
• Suffered a severe decline following Spanish Conquest and the introduction of firearms and horses
• In the case of vicuñas this was mainly due to their fine fibre whereas in the case of guanacos, they were replaced by sheep.
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Guanacos and vicuñas have one of the
finest and rarest animal fibers that supplies
the most exclusive European markets.
Bring together both extremes of the social
scale: the fibre is produced by low-income
communities, while the manufactured
goods are consumed by the wealthiest
elites.
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• Fibre is produced by extremely
low-income Andean communities
• Generation of added value has
historically not promoted by
national governments
• Although goods made from
vicuña fibre are sold at exorbitant
prices, local people do not obtain
significant economic benefits
• The market is small, closed and
controlled by long established
oligopolies
• Most of benefits are being
captured by traders and
international textile companies,
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What are the barriers that limit a more equitable
distribution of benefits along the commodity
chain? • Unfulfilled basic needs & disempowerment
• A deficient legal framework (e.g. uncertainty about usufruct rights)
• Lack sufficient governmental support in terms of financing, pro-poor policies and capacity building
• Lack of proper community representation at international fora (e.g. Vicuña Convention or CITES)
• National regulatory barriers that impede exports.
• Limited accountable national or regional institutions in charge of commercialization
• Remotedeness, large distances, isolation
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What are the barriers that limit a more equitable
distribution of benefits?
• Lack of information about prices paid to other producers or
countries places producers in a poor negotiating position
• Lack of international commercialization skills
• Limited generation of added value at regional level
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Challenges ahead
• Moving from “trade as usual” to fair trade schemes that increase the producer´s share of total retail value;
• Strengthening producer associations and creation of social enterprises;
• Capacity building for commercial engagement;
• Improving information exchange (e.g. prices, potential buyers) between countries and among producers
• Promoting the generation of added value at national and regional levels;
• Developing a market for handicrafts using legal fibre;
• Securing tenure over land and usufruct rights over vicuñas;
• Empowering local communities and improving political capabilities;
• Creating networks of partners with NGOs, universities, research centres, and donors;
• Developing policies that tackle market failures, improve market access and ensure that markets work for local communities (instead of the communities working for the market)
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Aim To improve the socio-
economic situation of a
cooperative of
pastoralists via the
development of the
commodity chain for
guanaco fiber
To generate jobs in the
rural area to avoid out-
migration
Salinillas
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• Built a Mill in a remote area, imported and adapted
machinery to process fine fibres; trained Cooperative
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Lessons learned
• The importance of a favourable policy environment. The project could not have been implemented without the support of the national government and all the public institutions that are aligned in promoting inclusive pro-poor policies.
• The importance of creating networks, alliances and support groups in the implementation of projects.
• Social processes in order to create robust, accountable and democratic institutions are longer than projects
• The wealth of interdisciplinary outlooks
• To be open minded and creative to enable resilience
• Small is beautiful
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