History of Mulberry Patch

Sunday 05th of September 2010

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History

Written by D.St.John

Tuesday, 03 March 2009 15:10

Historically, SILK has formed the sustainable basis of the grassroots economy of the People's Republic of China for over 5,000 years. Silk, the Queen of Textiles, has fascinated mankind for centuries, spreading its influence globally along the Old silk Road, which Barbados joined 300 plus years ago. This tactile textile which has financed wars and influenced peace, provides a baseline for an international high standard of living, is regarded as an escellent alternative to agro-sustainability and provides jobs and quality lifestyle enhancements.

In Barbados, the philanthropist Dr. Joshua Steele introduced sericulture as an early agrodiversity and exported vegetable silk to England in the late 1700's. In the interest of identifying jobs for oler rural woman and contributing to poverty alleviation efforts, women entrepreneurs in Barbados sought to find a vehicle to inform and enhance the traditional cottage industries of Bargados, and the concept of Mulberry Patch evolved.

Research was undertaken by Destiny Inc. / On Location Barbados and S & N Fine Foods Ind., among others, to identify and set up a pilot project. In addition to contributing to national development, the project was also designed to incorporate interesting and innovative alternatives to the traditional cottage industries. The inclusion of Project Adviser, Miss Dawnay St. John, in the Private Sector Reciprocal Trade Mission to the People's Republic of China in April 2002, was made possible with funding provided by the Government of the People's Republic of China and served to coalesce and encourage the Mulberry patch Deep Vision.