Lazos is a digital initiative of the +Cotton project and the cotton sector in Latin America, created to promote spaces for dialogue on cotton, with a focus on connecting cotton actors and institutions, exchanging best practices, transferring experiences, promoting knowledge generation, and enhancing the visibility of rural work. Lazos is a social network for the exchange of all things related to sustainable cotton in Latin America. 

Built upon the principles of Communication for Development, Lazos seeks to improve the quality of life for cotton-producing populations by creating spaces and fostering skills to transform individual, localized experiences into shared ones. 

Participating countries: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru.

Number of users: 600+

The Lazos app is available for both Android and iOS systems. 

Inspiring experience

In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations released a publication featuring 18 inspiring experiences that showcase successful stories and best practices for transforming agri-food systems in the region. Among them, the Lazos initiative was highlighted. You can access the full publication here. 

Brief description

Currently, the Lazos application is positioned as the social network connecting the entire Latin American cotton sector. It provides spaces for the formation of discussion communities in a secure environment that encourages participation and exchange, emphasizing reciprocity and learning in the digital realm.

Lazos is a network created to establish a stronger sense of community within the sector, allowing the sharing of needs, actions, content, and the creation of lasting connections.

Mission

To harness the power of Communication to support the rural sector of Latin America in preserving the culture and cultivation of cotton, a plant that tells the story of humanity's identity and history. 

Objectives: 

• To connect the entire Latin American cotton sector—cooperatives, associations, trade organizations, artisans, researchers, farmers, public institutions, projects/activities aimed at sector development, textile industry, and private companies involved in cotton—to facilitate the exchange of information, growth, and joint development through a secure dialogue space.
• To form exchange and work communities within the application. 

• Felipe Guimarães (Embrapa Cotton): "The weevil is an insect that reproduces rapidly. A female lays an average of 200 eggs per clutch and can have up to 6 clutches. It takes about 15 days for them to become adults and re-infest the area. Thus, we need to be very attentive to implement control practices at the right time."
• María del Carmen Gauto (School of Authentic Ao po'i safeguard, Paraguay): "Experiences related to Ao po'i (fine fabric) handicraft tourism in Yataity Guairá, Paraguay."
• Rozana Soares (Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, Brazil): "See how enchanting Mrs. Maria da Conceição de Souza Barbosa, 83 years old, is, spinning and singing. This is the craft of artisans who love to weave and continue this traditional art of Berilo. Quilombola community of Roca Grande. Since the 18th century, the Berilo region in the Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, has been known for the uniqueness of its fabric, passed down through generations. Did you know that there is community tourism in Berilo? You can take the Quilombo Route and have an incredible experience! Follow @tecelagemderocagrande on Instagram."
• Rafael Henrique (Ingá, Paraíba, Brazil): "Sesame planting is essential to combat leaf-cutting ants, alongside cotton planting."
• Manfreed Camilo (FAO Colombia): "In the beautiful Cereté, Córdoba, we are taking firm steps toward sustainability in fashion. The cooperation between the public and private sectors, along with Blockchain technology, is transforming our cotton value chain. Today, we are starting the traceability and transparency pilot with the implementation of Blockchain technology in Colombia. The pilot begins with 6 family cotton farmers who have embraced sustainable cotton with traceability and transparency for the Colombian textile industry."
• Antonio Melo (Ingá, Paraíba, Brazil): "This is our organic pesticide used for cotton, corn, beans, and peas production. Here, we take care of our environment and our health."
• Adriana Gregolin (+Cotton): "The selling price of colored cotton is higher and varies depending on the purchasing company. It can be 3 to 4 times the price paid for white cotton."
• Monica Loor (Community Women's Association of Canton Tosagua, Manabi, Ecuador): "We are Family Farming. To sustain autonomy, food sovereignty.

How it works 

1. The user downloads Ties from the Play Store or the Apple Store, registers, and creates a password.
2. Users have free access to publish content on the application's timeline and in discussion communities.
3. Interaction with other users' posts is possible through comments.

How to publish 

• Users can publish directly from the first screen of the application, using a text box designed for this purpose.
• Additionally, on the main screen of the application, users will find the 'pen' button. By selecting the 'pen' button, users can create their posts and choose where to publish them (on the timeline or in a discussion community). 

Accessing Communities 

• On the main screen of the application, users will find the 'magnifying glass' button.
• By selecting the 'magnifying glass' button, users gain access to all existing communities in the application and can request access to those of interest.  

Lazos App Communities

Thematic communities can be either public, with open content accessible to all application users, or private, with content accessible only to authorized users. Lazos has the potential to be a project management support tool for institutions. 

Download Lazos App

The application can be downloaded for free from: 

• Play Store for Android phones, through the FAO store. Download it here.
• Apple Store for iOS phones, through the FAO store. Download it here. 

The Lazos initiative is open to new institutions and projects that want to participate. To join the Initiative and begin sharing content, a project or institution can simply download the application and participate. For creating a specific project community or requesting digital education actions, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].