FABRIC: ERI (PEACE) SILK
Regions: Assam, India
Fabric Name:
Eri Peace (Ahimsa) silk
Species/Origin:
Samia ricini (Wm. Jones 1791) & Samia canningi (Hutton 1859)
Who made our fabric:
7 WEAVES | Gawuhati, Assam, India
Natural history and ecology:
7WEAVES produces hand-spun, hand woven Eri silk fabric in partnership with local traditional forest communities in Assam’s Loharghat Forest Range, part of the Indo-Burmese ecological region. They never use monoculture but instead use a practice called mosaic planting where they intersperse fodder for the worms with natural dye plants and traditional crops and forests on tribal land--preserving native plant species.
What makes this so special:
From worm to weave, their production is carried out by forest community members in centers on their own land or in their own homes, without the use of industrial processes. They provide guaranteed, salaried work for artisans year round and distribute 50 per cent of their profits annually to their workers.
Can a piece of cloth conserve biodiversity, empower indigenous communities, and bring economic freedom?
Natural Dyes in this fabric…
COMMON NAME: Indigo
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Strobilanthes cusia, Indigofera sumatrana, Indigofera arreda
PART USED: Leaves
POTENTIAL MEDICINAL USES:
a promising drug candidate for multiple diseases including certain types of leukemia, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis
“We create opportunities for forest communities to integrate into the world economy, preserving forest ecosystems through traditional knowledge whilst sustainably using natural resources and conserving the balance of nature.”
— Rituraj Dewan / 7 Weaves
Rituraj Dewan
Meet Rituraj Dewan, leading business development, eco-system restoration, community connections, and synergies with all stakeholders, he is one of the co-founders of 7Weaves. He has worked with the pharmacology industry and designed market entry strategies for innovative healthcare products across various regions, with over 17 years of experience working with Social Health Care companies worldwide. 7Weaves produces hand-spun, hand-woven Eri silk fabric in partnership with indigenous forest communities in Assam’s Loharghat Forest Range, part of the Indo-Burmese ecological region. It is a small social experiment creating economic opportunities based on the traditional cultural knowledge of forest-dependent families in Assam, home to some of the world’s most beautiful wild silks and natural dyes. Every piece of cloth produced helps restore the rich biodiversity of the area. As more and more plants are identified for their economic value and sustainable use, conservation becomes integrated as an important part of the local people’s livelihoods. Through this model, we are on a mission to show that production can benefit not just those making it, but the environment they live in and in turn the health of the planet.