Since 2016, we have been working on a silk production project on various organic farms in Yilong, in the north-east of China. Clothing brand Waschbär and yarn manufacturer OTEX source their goods from this region. We got involved in the project with the aim of improving soil fertility.
After a site visit and feasibility analysis, it became clear to the project partners and to us that silk production would be a good way to reduce emissions in their own supply chain. As a result, we successfully launched a public-private partnership project in collaboration with the development bank DEG. Soil & More Impacts assumed responsibility for its coordination. The DEG project ran between 2017 and ends in 2021. Soil & More has been supporting Otex on site since 2016 continuously until at least 2024.
By using model farms, the aim is to demonstrate and raise awareness of sustainable yet profitable production practices. In doing so, Waschbär, OTEX and DEG aim to build trust in Chinese organic goods – both locally and internationally.
The concurrent aim is to demonstrate that carbon sequestration can be improved through sustainable agriculture. Watch the video to see an update on the project so far.
Waschbär: Organic silk project in China: With trees and compost for climate protection (German)
