Neuquén. Argentina

A stakeholder community that is working to build a sustainable future through responsible consumption, sustainable development, organic farming and fair trade.

Please describe what you do:
Interrupcion is a community of people and organizations working to build a sustainable future through responsible consumption, sustainable development and fair trade. Based on these three pillars we developed a method that we called as “the path to sustainable development”. This method consists of four steps: sustainable, fair trade, organic and alternative. Interruption’s sustainable  is intended to give committed, responsible producers access to high-value markets before meeting certification criteria. Often, the cost of meeting certification criteria makes compliance impossible without important market access, positive trade relations and development assistance before certification. interrupcion* sustainable is an alternative to this certification catch-22 and an integral first-step along the Fair Trade* Sustainable Development Path.

interrupcion* fair trade signifies that producers and interrupcion* have fulfilled their mutual commitment to achieving full Fair Trade Certification and producers have begun receiving Social Premiums from sales of certified Fair Trade products. Producers and interrupcion* are working together to invest in the producing community and improve the environmentally sustainability of production.
interrupcion* organic signifies that producers have achieved both Organic and Fair Trade Certification and are receiving a higher-market premium for their product. In some cases, the benefits of Fair Trade have been invested in eliminating / replacing non-organic agrochemicals for achieving Organic certification. Social Premium funds continue being invested with interrupcion* collaboration and work has begun to implement “Beyond Fair Trade” projects that go beyond Fair Trade and Organic criteria.
Interrupcion* alternativo represents an exceptional level of social and environmental sustainability and dedication. We believe that Fair Trade and Organic certification are important steps in the journey towards a sustainable future and that committed producers going beyond these criteria deserve recognition for their vision and efforts. Producers at this level will have worked with interrupcion* to successfully implement at least 5 Beyond Fair Trade projects.

 

I can say, the more expensive, the more vulgar.
Today, luxury is associated with unique values

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Everything. The constant contact with producers in their path to sustainability. Everyday challenges and a never ending satisfaction. To meet the producers, getting involved with their problems and design Solutions is very gratifying. To see how the purchase of a certified fair trade product has an impact over the quality of life of the employees is incredible.

What is your inspiration?
To know that it is possible to make a social improvement through the mechanisms that we already know. People want to BE with the others. In the end of the day, it is most worthy how much I made for the other than how much I made in money. Today I can convincingly say that a better World is possible and we are building it.

How would you define luxury today? (or) What is, to you, the essence of luxury today?
“Luxury is vulgarity” says an argentinean song. Today luxury is not a good coat or a restaurant. I think that the idea of price and luxury has been dis-mythified. Today the price is not equivalent to something luxurious. I can say, the more expensive, the more vulgar.
Today luxury is associated with unique values.

 

Eco-awareness is growing as is social consciousness and the need to be responsible towards our world and its people. What part do you play in this global mission?
Is the core of our work. To understand that there is only one way to make things correctly: Sustainable.

When and how did your project originate? 
We were born in Buenos Aires in 2000 as a Group of students from different majors and colleges, who had a common goal: to transform into action our idea of “what´s good for oneself is good for everyone”. First we made a couple of art festivals understanding it as a tool to social transformation. With time, we moved from the Art World into the Business World.

What continues to be your vision for this project? 
To create a World where we start BEING with the other. To recreate a community consciousness, which is the common union.

How are your creativity and passion an important part of this project?
It is the Engine of our work. Without creativity and real passion, changes cannot be carried out.

If you were to choose a colour and an adjective to describe it, what would they be?
Orange, revolutionary

What is the message you wish to pass on? 
That having a better World is possible

Name a person or place that has inspired you with their progressive vision.
A lot of people inspired us, Juan Domingo Peron, John F Kennedy, Gandhi, Martin Luther King.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am and is filed under flavors, social. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.