 |
|
|
|
|
Ten
Thousand Villages is a nonprofit, self-supporting
alternative trading organization (ATO). ATOs
are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) designed
to benefit artisans and farmers, not to maximize
profits. They market products from arts and
craft and agricultural organizations based in
low-income countries. They provide consumers
with products that have been fairly purchased
from sustainable sources. ATOs put fair trade
into practice and campaign for more equitable
terms of trade for artisans from low-income
countries.
Ten Thousand Villages is a member of the International
Federation for Alternative Trade, (IFAT), a
coalition of Third World arts and craft and
agricultural organizations and ATOs from both
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
IFAT describes fair trade as better than aid
because it builds a sustainable future on artisans'
own abilities.
-
The
main objective of fair trade is to improve
the artisan's quality of life.
-
Artisans
receive a fair price for their goods, advances
on orders, and the continuity of a reliable
trading partner.
-
ATOs
work with artisans and farmers to assist them
in producing quality products.
-
Sources,
production, and workplaces do not exploit
people or the environment.
-
Consumers
are informed about the people who make the
products they purchase, increasing loyalty
and understanding that their purchases make
a difference.
- IFAT
encourages cultural exchanges between people
in the South and people in the North.
Ten
Thousand Villages is also a member of Fair Trade
Federation (FTF), a coalition of more than two hundred
craft producers, wholesalers and retailers. FTF
seeks to develop a workable agenda for crafts and
agricultural products within the context of fair
trade.
|
|
|
|
|
