Our team at Minga, along with other grassroot organizations, work with communities in Intag, Ecuador to offer ethical, environmentally-conscious jobs that compete against the country’s mining industry.

  

 

Copper mining first came to Ecuador in the late 1990s. The beautiful mountains home to our artisan partners are also home to rich minerals, heavily sought after by foreign mining companies. For years these companies have been exploiting the surrounding land against the locals’ wishes and country’s laws.

The mining means many things for this region and its inhabitants: Deforestation, water contamination, endangered species and the manipulation of locals. DECOIN, a grassroots organization in Intag fighting against the mining companies, states that, “Every year, Ecuador loses another 2.3 percent of its forests - it has the highest deforestation rate in South America.”

As this ongoing search for new mines continues, local towns are being forced out losing their land, homes and ways of income. If the mining continues, this could be at stake for our artisan partners, the "Floras de Choco".

Buy a bag today to help provide an ethical and environmentally-conscious job to these artisans. Your purchase promotes a sustainable alternative economy and allows locals to live in peace.