Context and prospects

The whole spectrum of colours can be obtained from a multitude of plants, animals and fungi, to dye clothes, textiles and artefacts, and to colour our skin, our hair and the food we eat.

The discovery and use of natural dyes and pigments contributed to the maintenance of the age-old bond between humankind and nature and could now help to revive and enhance it. Natural dyes and colorants are an essential part of the world’s ecological and cultural heritage since the use of plants (and, to a lesser extent, seashells and coccid insects) to create colour is common to all civilizations.

 

Archaeological discoveries show that, since the dawn of humankind, the quest for sources of dyes and pigments went abreast with the selection for food and medicinal plants and animals. Throughout history, natural dyes have played a major part in economic and cultural exchange between nations.

 

A major break occurred in this long history during the 19th century: with the development of organic chemistry, industrialized countries generally adopted synthetic dyes and pigments extracted from fossil resources, coal-tar and oil. Cheap and easy to apply, they caused a cultural revolution: mass synthetic colouring of everyday plastics, textiles, paints, cosmetics and food led people to take colours for granted. In the new era of synthetic colorants, research into natural dyes has largely changed focus, studying historical, archaeological and heritage aspects rather than economic and ecological issues.

In other parts of the world, many peoples have long retained extensive and unique know-how about the colouring properties of indigenous species. This traditional knowledge is intimately connected with each culture: its art, symbols and religious beliefs, and its medicine (most dye plants are also medicinal).

 

Today, however, such knowledge is rapidly disappearing with the encroachment of western life styles and the loss of the last generation of “living treasures” among traditional dyers. Despite innumerable multi-lingual publications on natural dyes and dyeing techniques practised in various parts of the world, many sources and processes are yet to be recorded before it is too late.

Today, while scientists are debating how long some fossil resources can remain economically viable, everyone acknowledges that they are finite. The search for alternatives to fossil-based raw materials and energy is creating a return to the use of renewable resources. This, among many other issues, involves reassessing the industrial potential of natural dyes and pigments.

The significant revival of interest in natural dyes and colorants for economic purposes, not only for textile dyeing but notably also for use in cosmetics, hair dye and food colorings, was demonstrated at two recent international conferences/workshops: “Naturally… International Symposium/Workshop on Natural Dyes” organised by UNESCO and the Crafts Council of India in Hyderabad (India) in November 2006, attended by some 700 participants from 60 countries (traditional dyers/craftspeople, scientists, textile artists, professionals from different branches of industry, government representatives), and ISEND 2008, organised by Pr. Kim, Ji-Hee, the Museum of Natural Dye Arts and the City of Daegu, in Daegu, Republic of Korea, in September 2008.

This renewed economic interest raises crucial issues: sustainable development of the production and uses of natural colorants; responsible management of wild natural resources; ethical research methods respecting the rights of indigenous people regarding natural resource; and environmentally friendly production methods. If environmental implications are not properly addressed for lack of sharing and discussing of relevant knowledge, a consumer-driven development of the use of natural dyes on a massive industrial scale might lead to catastrophic plundering of natural resources in the wild. To meet the challenge of scaling production up to industrial requirements, other possibilities for advances should be investigated.

This brief overview highlights the importance and urgency of intensifying interdisciplinary scientific research into all potential sources and aspects of natural dyes and pigments to optimise their potential worldwide.

 

It also emphasises the need to build an efficient network for disseminating information, to make it widely available and visible at a global level. In addition, the marketing and promotion of natural dyes, as well as the ease, feasibility and advantages of using them in industry and fashion, need to be addressed.

ISEND 2011 Europe will bring together people from many different disciplines and viewpoints to present and share their experiences. It aims to provide a platform for discussing the crucial issues facing the cultural and economic revival of natural dyes and colorants, and to present examples of the contribution they already make to a “greener” world.