Over the past year and a half, we have been working with 5 partners in agriculture, manufacturing and retail on the ‘Collective Value Chain of Local Linen’ project. The aim is to build capacity for flax cultivation and linen production in the Netherlands, with each stage in the chain adding value
The current global textile industry is linear and unsustainable; the textile industry is dominated by synthetic fibres. The system is built around a financial view of value, resulting in an anonymous system and internationally fragmented supply chains. These chains have lost connection with each other and with the soil.
In the project the ‘Collective Value Chain of Local Linen’, we explore collaborations based on a shared vision of social and ecological values as a means of restoring connections and building relationships so that people take responsibility for their actions. We do this in cooperation with our partners Enschede Textielstad, Auping, New Tailor and Joline Jolink, led by The Linen Project (CrafsCouncil Netherlands). There was also a lot of coordination with Van de Bilt Seeds and Flax and Landgoed Kraaijveld.
The Linen Project works to reactivate the economic viability of small-scale local flax growing and linen production in the Netherlands, by learning by doing.
Results
Collaboration is recognised as an essential skill for working on a relational network for local linen.
Since a large part of Dutch linen exports go to China, there is a knowledge gap. It requires partners to get to know each other beyond financial transactions so that opportunities for cooperation can arise.
This calls for new cooperation models, as organisations have to ‘rethink’ how they organise their operations. The focus is on collaboration models that put the value of the material at the centre, followed by a collective understanding of collaboration opportunities.
We used the four building blocks of our roadmap for developing Collaborative Business Models and added 4 relational aspects for collaboration based on shared stewardship principles: dreaming – feeling – understanding – emerging.
VisionThe partners share the vision of working with local linen and telling the story of Dutch flax and the making process. The partners differ in how they want to tell this story and who they want to involve in the making process. For the consortium, a local linen system goes beyond the Netherlands. Although flax is grown in the Netherlands, the partners agree that Western Europe is within the scope for local production of linen textiles. In this case, spinning is done in France.
Collaborative learning Collaborative learning means understanding all the steps in the making process. This enables them to learn how to relate to each process step and recognise collaborative opportunities. By doing this, designers and producers learn about their own role in the network.
Network dynamics Network dynamics is about engaging in dialogue to look beyond conventional ways of working together. Organised field excursions, meetings and dialogues are needed for organisations to ‘rethink’ how they organise their operations. Together, partners explore new, unconventional ways of working and taking responsibility for parts other than just their own share. How can others’ risks or investments, such as farmers’ risks, be shared? Opening the conversation about who takes responsibility where contributes to collectivity.
Businessmodel Within their existing ways of working, partners explore how to build and strengthen connections with materials and social connections. Within their practices, space and time are needed to engage with the materials and people to create opportunities for new connections based on shared values. This is an ongoing process, with an educational element contributing to a growing awareness and appreciation of each other’s work. This opens up opportunities for (further) collaboration.
Partners
Enschede Textielstad
Auping
New Tailor
Joline Jolink
The Linen Project