acrobat JSPD 8 - The Centre for Sustainable Design

Figure 2: Comparsion among new and old products
the low product quality and
diversity; inefficiencies in the
manufacturing processes; lack of
technical training; lack of
support from official institutions;
lack of organisation and training
opportunities; and lack of
financial resources. The search
for cheaper prices for raw
materials has favoured the use
of illegally harvested timber
because of its lower price. These
conditions are also reflected in
the products which tend to be
of poor quality and are very
similar in shape and style.
In the region, the author – in
co-ordination with a local NGO
called GIRA A.C. and with the
active participation of local artisans
– started a project aimed at
exploring alternatives to sustainable
development by suggesting
ways that allowed local entrepreneurs
to earn adequate
livelihoods through the sustainable
management and use of
local natural resources. During
its implementation ‘eco-production’
was developed as an
integrated and interdisciplinary
manufacturing and planning
approach. ‘Eco-production’ can
provide alternatives to the entire
wood production cycle, including
the sustainable management
and supply of forest resources,
improvements in the small
enterprises production processes
and a search for alternative
market opportunities.
As part of the SPD training
several products were developed,
Figure 1 shows a chair that was
developed by artisans of Casas
Blancas, a small village in the
Purépecha region devoted to the
production of chairs. The chair
was produced as a response to
the critical economic and
JANUARY 1999 · THE JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN
ANALYSIS
Taking into
consideration
that the
products (old
and new) are
almost entirely
made out
of timber
originated from
sustainably
managed
forests, the
amount of
timber used is a
good indicator
of their
environmental
impact at the
production
level.
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