Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting Development* Addresses the cultural conditions under which artisan work provides a feasible income alternative to other employment options * Offers a methodology for assessing the socio-economic impacts of fair trade artisan work After agriculture and tourism, artisan work provides the next most significant source of income in many developing countries. Yet because of its image as a soft or frivolous industry, some politicians and development professionals question whether the handcraft sector is worthy of investment. An opposing view holds that the creation of sustainable employment opportunities for poor people and a positive alternative to mass production outweighs the costs. Until now, the debate has been hampered by a lack of industry data. The apparel group MarketPlace: Handwork of India serves as the perfect case study to provide this missing information. Like many fair trade companies, it has dual goals: to generate income in the global marketplace and foster the empowerment of the low-income workers who run and staff the business. In conducting interviews with MarketPlace’s artisans, managers, and founders, Littrell and Dickson produced an in-depth socio-economic audit of the group over time. The result, Artisans and Fair Trade, provides a quantitatively and qualitatively illuminating study of fair trade impacts and a methodology that is sure to inform current assessment practices in social entrepreneurship and business social responsibility. |
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Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting Development Mary Ann Littrell,Marsha Ann Dickson No preview available - 2010 |
Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting Development Mary Ann Littrell,Marsha Ann Dickson No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
ability able accountability activities addition analysis apparel approach Ashiana asked assessing Available average basic certification challenges Chapter complete conducted consider consumers contribute cover craft cultural customers daughters decisions described discussion earned economic embroidery emerging enterprise example expanded expenditures experience fabric face fair trade fair trade organizations focus formed gained garments global groups household human husband impacts important improved income increasing India indicators industry initiatives interviews involved issues labor leaders learned living wage Marketplace artisans meet Mumbai needs notes offered opportunities orders organization participate percent practices problems production programs projects Pushpika questions range responsibility rupees sewing SHARE skills slums social standards successful United wanted well-being woman women workers workshop