CULTURAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS
INITIATIVE®
Nata Y Limón
Nata Y Limón is a Premium Ethical Craft Label and social business that collaborates with skilled Mayan weavers & seamstresses in Guatemala. Founded by Anne Schneider and Marlene Walter in 2016 with the goal to set improved standards within the craft industry by shifting from the common payment method "pay per product" to paying regular monthly compensations on living wage level and therefore create long-lasting positive impact for artisans in Guatemala, their families and generations to come.
MISSION
Nata Y Limón creates timeless fashion essentials & home decór for conscious consumers. The products carry the awareness that the power to change the global societies lies in each and everyone of us.
Human Life is created through women. But if women do not have the means to care for their children, how can human life itself truly flourish? By empowering especially indigenous mothers and sisters in Guatemala Nata Y Limón essentially supports the human family as a whole.
Time-honoured craftwork, mutual respect and appreciation, as well as the fusion of traditional and modern designs gives their unique handmade products their soul and beauty.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS For THE INTERNATIONAL CRAFT SECTOR
Creating work alone is not enough. In order to achieve truly long-term changes for Indigenous communities, we are raising the standards of the craft industry in Guatemala by ensuring regular payment based on a fair hourly wage.
Nata Y Limón's exclusive edition of 200 bags per month creates a fixed monthly income for 14 weavers and tailors - and this is just the beginning! Nata Y Limón wants to give as many women as possible a perspective on traditional weaving in the future.
For this purpose, Nata Y Limón operates respecting the following standards:
INCOME DOUBLING
Doubling, and in many cases even tripling the previous income earned by the craft collaborators while reducing the work-time commitment to 20 hours a week.
WORK FROM HOME
Household work and childcare possible for mothers.
COOPERATION AGREEMENTS
Ensuring continuous work commitments and predictable monthly income, paid national holidays and 15 recreational vacation days.
100% REINVESTMENT OF PROFIT
After break-even, the goal for Nata Y Limón is to direct all profits towards Social Programs & the Local Infrastructure.
DIRECT TRADE
Engaged in direct personal contact with all persons involved in the production. This enables transparency and joint decision-making.
SUPPORT FOR WOMEN
Women put 90% of their income back into the family. This increased their independence and improves family life situations.
100% HANDCRAFTED IN GUATEMALA
Nata Y Limón produces where craftsmanship has its origin and work is urgently needed.
ZERO WASTE
Nothing is wasted. All left-over materials are re-used in up-cycling projects.
CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE BUSINESS MODEL
Nata Y Limón is the modern story of premium design and ancient Mayan culture — honouring hands, minds and hearts.
"We believe in connecting worlds through appreciation, story and design. We also believe in preserving craft, Indigenous culture and diversity through the art of weaving, ancient Mayan wisdom and the empowerment of women."
With this work Nata Y Limón wishes to sustain the traditional backstrap weaving and the traditional craft knowledge in Guatemala.
The label has implemented capacity-building programs and team activities in order to ensure the understanding of cultural differences and implement ways to foster collaboration on eye-level.
Furthermore, traditional patterns are defined as ‘Heritage Designs’ and are the cultural intellectual property of the women weavers artisan community.
1% FOR AMAZON WATCH
Nata Y Limón goes beyond supporting Indigenous women in Guatemala.
"With our work we would like to also draw attention to the breathtakingly beautiful region of the Amazon and support the incredibly essential work of Amazon Watch with every product sold."
*Amazon Watch is a nonprofit organization that was founded to protect the rainforest protect the rainforest and advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin.