Monday, 27 July 2009GIFT programme brings international talent to connect rural communities and organic cotton marketsThe Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) is currently facilitating the 11th Global Young Leaders Programme (YLP) in rural Shanxi, China from 24th July to 1st August, addressing the challenges of bringing organic cotton to markets both in China and abroad.
Over the weekend, twenty participants arrived in Yongji City, in southwest Shanxi province to work with local farmer members of the Pohan Farmers Association, one of the first farmers associations registered in China. Their challenge is in working with the farmers to propose an effective way to access the domestic and international organic cotton markets.
Head of the Shanxi Farmers Association, Ms. Zheng Bin expressed her expectations of the YLP outcome saying, “I have a dream of expanding the scale of organic cotton production, but the business skills and knowledge of the market environment are completely out of my scope. This is where I would hope the talents (of the YLP) can bring new value to this small and ordinary village in Yongji.”
In the coming week of the programme, the participants have a mission to deliver a business plan which opens sales channels for the organic cotton that local farmers of Yongji have spent the last 10 years to develop. Organic cotton has a bright future because of the health benefits to farmers and end users from avoiding the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers.
Details of the final outcome and the business planning process will be featured in the forthcoming round-up and photo story.
URL:
