The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is an organization that brings together 250 companies and non-profit organizations that share a commitment to the principles of fair trade. We support artisans who live in rural and underserved communities by providing them with a wider reach of customers beyond tourists and their local communities. Each of the artisans we work with has experienced extreme poverty and hardship. For example, they have survived homelessness, have escaped domestic violence, or have physical disabilities in communities that discriminate.
We focus on working with groups led by women and that work mainly with women. When we connect with groups, we ensure that they provide a safe and supportive environment. Around the world, many talented artisan entrepreneurs can't grow their businesses because they don't have orders they can count on. A fair wage is established through a collaborative process and is mutually agreed upon through dialogue with businessmen and artisan artisans.
Artisans and small-scale producers are ideally placed to respond to the growing trends of sustainably and ethically sourced products. UNHCR has partnered with the WFTO and other stakeholders to connect artisanal products manufactured by refugees to international markets. With the increase in interest and demand for handmade products, many designers are introducing some to their brands' collections. We collaborate with artisanal companies to set prices that allow them to grow sustainably and pay artisans fair wages.
Organizations were created to import products from progressive countries in the South that were politically and economically marginalized. We offer interest-free loans and prepayments that provide artisanal businesses with the cash flow they need to grow sustainably. However, the very nature of artisanal production can make searching for suppliers a little overwhelming; highly qualified artisans often live in remote areas of the world, so how the heck are they found? And what do you do once you find them? David's company invests in the development of local artisanal leaders with the goal of empowering them to one day run their operations independently.
