Lily Cole limited-edition jewellery collection for Sky Rainforest Rescue
Maria Andreia has been working with the Sky Rainforest Rescue funded rubber production units for the past two years in her remote community of Parque das Ciganas, deep in the rainforest of Acre state, Brazil. When her association was asked to create the rubber needed for Lily Cole’s exclusive wild rubber jewellery range, she was keen to get involved.
The mother-of-two first heard about a new way to process latex in 2010. She thought that it sounded like a better way of producing Amazon rubber simply because the end product is worth more than the rubber they produced before. The method that WWF and Sky are supporting was also more appealing because the smell of producing this form of latex was less pungent than the previous process!
Since becoming a member of the scheme she has seen a rise in family income and living conditions. Rubber tapper husband Edinaldo was forced to travel to find work as a labourer – often toiling in the intense heat all day. Now, as well as tapping in the forest, he’s able to work on the rubber processing too which is better for family life.
Andreia, 27, said: “By becoming part of the new rubber processes we are able to buy more food for the children and supplies such as coffee and milk and even cookies on some days. My husband used to get sick because he was working for other farmers in the sun all day. Now we have more income from the wild rubber so he can stay here and work with us.”
Together with Edinaldo and other members of the Parque das Ciganas Producers' Association, Andreia helped produce the wild rubber in Lily Cole’s new jewellery range. Not only has that helped Lily Cole to raise the profile of the Amazon rainforest back at home. But by expanding their repertoire of rubber processes, Andreia believes that her community can also increase the number of products they can make and sell.
By learning the new rubber processing technique Andreia’s hopeful for a future in which she can design and sell her own wild rubber jewellery. Even though she’s only just starting to learn how to process the rubber, Andreia’s talent is already evident in some of the pieces she has started to design.
Andreia added: “I want to live in the rainforest for the rest of my life and I want my children to be able to do the same which is why it is so important that we can make a living from it. The conservation of the Amazon is very important and I want people all over the world to know about this.”
The Wild Rubber Collection by Lily Cole is now on sale at stylistpick.com.
