Question

Read the following passage from a journalistic article:

In the wake of the 2001 economic crisis in Argentina, a unique publishing phenomenon emerged in Buenos Aires: Eloísa Cartonera. Faced with soaring costs of imported paper and a collapse of the traditional book market, a group of writers and artists decided to purchase cardboard from local waste pickers (known as cartoneros) at above-market rates. They used this recycled cardboard to hand-paint covers for books containing contemporary Latin American literature, which they sold at a fraction of standard bookstore prices.

What began as a desperate survival strategy soon blossomed into a global grassroots movement. Today, there are over a hundred cartonera publishers across Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Beyond providing an affordable medium for literature, these collectives foster community solidarity by employing marginalized workers and hosting free bookmaking workshops in low-income neighborhoods. Critics initially dismissed the movement as a passing trend born of economic necessity. However, its longevity demonstrates that it is not merely a temporary fix, but a sustainable alternative model of cultural production that challenges the corporate publishing industry's monopoly on literature.

While major publishing houses rely on profit-driven metrics that exclude emerging authors, cartoneras prioritize democratic access to art. By utilizing low-cost, locally sourced materials, they remove the financial barriers that keep independent voices from being heard. In doing so, cartoneras prove that literature does not need glossy paper or expensive marketing campaigns to hold profound value; instead, the beauty lies in the communal effort that brings each unique copy to life.

Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?