How communities in Peru and Niger are tapping into local knowledge for sustainable solutions.
The Awajun people have lived in the Amazon rainforest for thousands of years but their way of life and environment is under threat from deforestation and unsustainable farming. Now Awajun women farmers have begun mixing old traditions with new technology to make a material which offers an alternative to leather made from animals. The women are working with a fashion company which helps turn the sap from the local Shiringa tree into a rubber-like fabric used in clothes and shoes.
We also find out how one native plant which grows in the desert regions of Niger has been rediscovered by locals. Hansa was previously seen as a food only eaten in desperation but a social enterprise has changed its image. It has now become popular in local cookery and has been found to be both nutritious and sustainable.
Plus, we hear from a member of the Western Apache community in the US who tells us how learning about her native foods has helped both her and her community eat more nutritiously.
Presenter: Myra Anubi
Niger reporter: Sasha Gankin
Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Andrew Mills
(Photo: of the Awajun tribe in Peru looking up at a Shiringa tree, Collective Fashion Justice)
