One of our mission's is to help Craft Producers in developing nations sell their crafts to consumers around the world and in doing so to increase their standard of living above the poverty line. This is the purpose of this Online Marketplace which will soon have many Producer Groups from around the world shipping directly to retailers. We sell only Fair Trade Crafts. We believe this is the best way to end poverty around the world. Fair trade is a system of exchange that seeks to create greater equity and partnership in international trading. By approaching development as a whole process (rather than just a fair price), fair trade organizations cultivate partnerships with their suppliers and contribute to the development of communities. Fair trade is not about charity; it uses a fairer system of exchange to empower producers and to create sustainable, positive change. We buy only from approved fair trade organizations so we can be certain fair trade practices have been followed in the making of these crafts, and that the producers are the ones who are receiving the benefit. We believe in the principles of the Fair Trade Federations values that include: Trade as a Force for Positive Change, Respectful Partnerships, Community, Sustainable Practices, Fullest Commitment, and Consumer Knowledge. For details about these principles just visit the Fair Trade Federation web site using the link below: At this time Producers cannot ship small orders to consumers in other parts of the world in a cost effective way. Therefore Wholesalers purchase these crafts and market them to retailers who then market them to consumers. The crafts are marked up 3 to 6 times in the process. This can make them very expensive. If Retailers could purchase directly from Producers they would pay about 1/2 what they are paying now, and consumers would pay less when they purchase them. This lower price will result in more sales. More sales will help these Producers raise their standard of living. There are many problems facing any business trying to import items from another country. Import fees, cost effective shipping, insurance, and the assurance that the Retailer will receive their order on time and in good condition. If we can help Retailers solve these problems we can increase the amount of crafts they will import. We want this to be a "Global Marketplace" for Retailers. A place where they can find crafts and receive help from us in solving any problems that stand in their way so they can import directly from Producers. We will soon have crafts and jewelry available directly from Producer Groups around the world for sale on this site. Our job is to find them Retail buyers. We will do the marketing. Listed below are just some of the search engines and web sites that will carry these items. Each item when found will have a link to this site where the item can be purchased. Retailers can use a credit card, or mail in a money order. We will email the order to the Producer Group and send them the payment. By using the Internet and high traffic shopping sites we will expand the marketplace and exposure of these crafts and jewelry. That will greatly increase their sales, and help raise the standard of living of these Producer Groups. |
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