Although some things sound too good to be true, it's true that third world countries can be directly impacted by your purchase of a fair trade item. Connecticut is home to a unique fair trade, non-profit retailer named Ten Thousand Villages. Located in South Windsor and West Hartford, just 2 of its 390 retail outlets, this non-profit retailer provides amazing opportunities to artisans in third world countries in exchange for their hand-made goods.
Ten Thousand Villages takes pride in creating long-term relationships with talented artisans in hopes to improve their quality of life. The purpose of these relationships is to provide an income for artisans through the sale of their hand-made and authentic products in America. The most important part of these long-term relationships is commitment. Ten Thousand Villages stays committed to working with an artisan group to lengthen and hopefully increase their success. This commitment involves consistent buying from the artisan groups so as to not decrease their "full business potential."
Ten Thousand Villages sells products from more than 130 artisan groups from 38 different countries and 5 continents. Many artisans working with TTV use recycled materials such as newspaper, magazines and glass as well as natural materials and natural dyes. Some artisans also use sustainable wood or “good wood” which comes from farms that replant trees after they are harvested.
Their products range from jewelry, stationery, musical instruments, home and festive décor, toys, games, and spices and spreads. You can snuggle up to a “Gold Horizons” alpaca throw, hand-made in Peru, or use green tea lemongrass shea butter soap handcrafted in Ghana. The option to purchase goods made in such remote places promotes a way to infuse one culture with the ideals and traditions of another.
When purchasing a product from Ten Thousand Villages you are not only receiving a completely hand-crafted item, but you are encouraging the fair trade market and sustaining the artisan's ability to thrive in their environment. This valuable income helps previously under or unemployed artisans pay for food, healthcare, housing, and education, providing them with opportunities that would have never been presented to them before.
Fair Trade is described as providing the consumer with the opportunity to “enliven developing countries, relieve exploitation and promote environmental sustainability by purchasing fair-trade labeled products. The beauty of fair trade is that the organizations that participate don't decide what the profits are used for. Each community can determine this on their own. The most beneficial part though is that they can use these funds to reinvest in their efforts to produce goods.
Fair Trade USA is an organization like Ten Thousand Villages dedicated to promoting fair trade and creating innovative ways to elevate the benefits for third world farmers and artisans. They are innovating fair trade in the following three ways; strengthening farming communities, including more farmers and farming communities and engaging consumers to increase market demands. Since 1998, the fair trade movement has helped families earn more than $225 million in income.
Resources:
http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
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