INDAP and Tiendas Paris sign agreement to revive the artisanal craft of wool in Chile

• As a result of this initiative, 15,500 high-quality merino wool skeins, in their natural state and dyed with biodegradable dyes, will be available in the market through the 40 Tiendas Paris stores across Chile.

Santiago, April 23, 2015.- "Volver a Tejer" (Reknit) is the name of an innovative Corporate Social Responsibility project developed by INDAP and Paris during the months of January and February in different areas of Chile. The project aims to rescue the traditional craft of wool artisans.

Through the training provided by INDAP to 215 artisans, 120 of them belonging to five associations from the regions of Biobío, Los Ríos, Los Lagos, and Magallanes received guidance in the techniques of spinning and dyeing wool, preserving a tradition that has been passed down through generations and is now being highlighted through this public-private partnership.

The women participating in the project received 1.7 tons of merino wool purchased from the lanera Standard Wool in Punta Arenas, which is not available in Chile due to its high demand by international brands. They transformed this wool into 15,500 skeins that can be acquired in the 40 Tiendas Paris stores throughout the country.

"We bring materials and craftsmanship from the depths of our roots to all of Chile. We want people to appreciate the value of knitting, natural products, and handmade items. We invite them to reknit, to reconnect with this tradition, using materials that were the result of tremendous training by women who seek to rescue our heritage and make it known. Our role is to ensure that their work is recognized by all."

Juan Diego Valdés, Marketing Manager of Tiendas Paris.

Most of these communities only knew how to perform one part of the process, and thanks to the on-site training provided by INDAP through the ONA Foundation, they were able to deepen their knowledge of spinning and natural dyeing techniques. During January and February, they worked with wooden spinning wheels, skein winders, swifts, weights, and other tools provided by Paris, which are essential for this traditional technique.

Octavio Sotomayor, National Director of INDAP, highlighted the benefits of this project in reducing the inequalities faced by rural and indigenous women in the agriculture sector while also valuing their work.

"Thanks to this agreement, they will be able to showcase their activities, professionalize themselves, and improve the value chain of their products, now with skeins as the final product. It is also a recognition of a noble and traditional work that has been maintained with great effort for generations, and we should be proud of it as a country."

For Magaly Millao Vargas, from the Hilanderas de Tenaún Association in Chiloé, this project has dignified their work and their role as women.

"We are very proud and grateful because the training has been very helpful. The rescue of our ancestors' work is being recognized, and now our work will be showcased in stores in a beautiful way. It's amazing, a dream come true."

The products resulting from this project will be sold at Tiendas Paris in a pack priced at CLP 14,990, which includes 3 skeins of 100 grams of wool, instructions for various products that can be knitted with them, and a pair of handmade wooden knitting needles crafted by artisan Daniel Perán from El Alerce, Puerto Montt.