Blankets, purses and sandals made out of the Pará rubber tree sap will be on display and available for sale during the Craftsmanship, Tropical Flowers and Forest Cloth Fair, to be held from December 20th to 22nd in Porto Velho (capital city of the state of Rondônia, in northern Brazil).
The event is promoted by a pool of partners, including the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) in the state of Rondônia.
The pieces are produced by a group of sap collectors and their families, in the regions of Machadinho do Oeste and the Anari Valley, in the interior of the state.
"The pieces are the result of the ongoing advisory work of specialists from other states, mostly from São Paulo, which results in product improvement, especially regarding purses," explains Carla Velozo Tourinho, advisor at Sebrae and the coordinator of the Forest Cloth Sustainability Project.
The variety of products made from extraction activity is becoming more diversified with the passing of time. This has led the Forest Cloth Project to exhibit, promote and even commercialize its products in fairs and events inside and outside the state of Rondônia.
This is a new alternative for rubber farmers in Rondônia. The product was one of the main economic products early last century, during the rubber boom in Brazil.
