Future of Handicraft: Responsible Consumption and Production

Sustainability Goal (SDG) 12

Indian Artisans have been using natural materials from their surroundings and skilfully converting them into utility products for centuries. Be it the kulhad for tea or grass baskets for storage they use minimum resources to craft these. Many handmade products are crafted using traditional techniques that require minimal energy consumption, contributing to lower carbon emissions compared to mass-produced goods.

The quest for sustainability must look at the traditional ways and means of production and consumption. Even though state-of-art manufacturing processes enable quick turnaround accelerating consumption Indian craft practices have sustained over centuries. The phenomenal way the crafts have existed so close to nature with least amount of pressure on their natural ecosystems, that we need to imbibe and understand them.

In all the large gatherings and cohorts on sustainable future, I am yet to see artisans being invited to share how their way of life, their processes and how they live in harmony with their environment. A knowledge system that must be understood for a way forward.

Our sustainability dashboard needs to learn from the day in the life of an artisan to understand what minimal impact and stress they are causing to the surroundings and how can large organizations and communities learn from them.