QUALITY OF LIFE for the ARTISAN in FAIR TRADE

The artisan is the pedestal partner in the Fair Trade Movement. Our Fair Trade partners, the Artisans, can be empowered by Fair Trade. In order for Fair Trade to be a sustainable and durable system that supports monetarily the achievement of an artisan’s Quality of Life, the Artisan must be considered the primary benefactor of the Fair Trade system. The Fair Trade Movement must deal with the fact that if the artisan does not receive a Living Wage through Fair Trade, this is the root of poverty: the lack of money.

We recognize that it is sometimes difficult to find enough evidence that Artisan production per se is lessening poverty of Artisans. For a Quality of Life to be obtained and sustained for the artisans and for Fair Trade to be a successful as a business model and economic development strategy, the Fair Trade process must be a bottom-up process beginning with dedication the total welfare of the artisans, not just by non-profits and Fair Trade organizations.

AFairWorld believes that when Fair Trade does not work, there is evidence that the Artisans are not allowed to be full participators in the practices. That is, the Artisans are not able to participate in the cost analysis and price determination for their product. Our goal at AFairWorld is to always allow the Artisan to be the lead partner in determining the price she needs for her product.