1st products made by using local straws

** report 4-2010

The artisans from Santa Luzia, within the project “Cultura em Foco", supported by the IADB, IPTI, SEBRAE-SE and BaneseCard, have produced their first products – venetian blinds.

From the inventory done in the first phase of the project we came up to the definition that we should start working with natural fibers. The local artisans used to use those fibers to produce hats, bags, with very low value. After interviewing several designers and making an analysis of potential markets we defined the first 3 lines of products to be produced by using natural fibers: venetian blinds; luminaries, place mats. All those products have a very high value by combining design with local material and savoir faire. Those products present also the advantage of taking less material from the nature but getting much more income, fitting the sustainable handling request of the project.

In the figures below you see some examples of the venetian blinds made by different local straws and some examples of blinds with their handles. Later you can see the 1^st prototype of a luminary produced by the local artisans using the fiber named “Junco”.