History of Mulberries

Video produced by Fair Trade Connection.

Mulberries was established in 1993. Its origin lies in the history of the Phontong Handicraft Cooperative (PHC) in Vientiane and its director, Mrs Kommaly Chanthavong.

Mulberries is a social enterprise that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao people in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. They achieve this goal by encouraging the traditional community arts of silkworm rearing, reeling, weaving, and natural dyeing. The company provides training, tools and a market for village people who wish to work towards a brighter future. Today, Mulberries works with more than 2,000 villagers in five provinces, specialising in the production of naturally-dyed, handmade Lao silk.

Strengthening Communities

Mulberries works to strengthen communities by developing and refining the rich cultural resources that Lao villagers already possess. The production of traditional silk is a labour intensive project which can involve many people in many different aspects of the community. From the growing of mulberry trees to the creation of natural dyes, hand-crafted silk production utilises local labour, local knowledge, and local resources. This, in turn, encourages village self-sufficiency and productivity.

Mulberries works to ensure that resources remain for the future generations in Laos. The company is active in promoting environmental awareness in the villages where they work.

They encourage sustainable alternatives to opium production and harmful slash and burn agriculture by stressing the economic rewards of growing mulberry trees with organic fertilizers. They also show the villagers how wastage in the silk production process can be eliminated by creating dependency cycles between various community activities, such as livestock rearing and fisheries. Mulberries stresses the importance of the beautiful traditional natural dyes, which are more environmentally friendly than commercially available dyes.