Ten Thousand Villages - Artisan Partners

Artisan Partners

Ten Thousand Villages encourages artisans to employ production methods that are environmentally sustainable and to use recycled and natural materials whenever possible. In 2007, Ten Thousand Villages redesigned stores to minimize environmental impact in order to meet the "triple bottom line" of economic, environmental and social sustainability.

Ten Thousand Villages establishes long-term trade relationships with groups that work with craftspeople who are most in need of work and who produce crafts that will likely be able to get sold in North America. Most of these groups are found in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The company often selects artisan partners that provide training and employment to those who have virtually no chance of securing employment in the mainstream labor market. Many of these artisans are disadvantaged because of disability, gender or ethnicity.

Ten Thousand Villages also purchases from export businesses that market handicraft products on behalf of thousands of artisans who lack access to markets. These groups provide tools and sustainable sources of income for small artisan workshops to develop their infrastructure and build business capacity. Export businesses enable artisans to build their local communities and preserve culture through the proliferation of traditional crafts.

Once a partnership has been established between Ten Thousand Villages and an artisan group, a “fair” price must be set for the artisan group’s work. These prices are determined by a combination of what the artisan believes will be fair and the demand within the foreign market. Artisans are paid fifty percent of the total up front in order to help them pay for the raw materials used in their products. The other fifty percent is paid once the products are complete. This means that the artisans are paid in full before their products are sold in North America, (even if they never get sold). Ten Thousand Villages’ marketing director Doug Dirks estimated that market prices abroad are up to five times what is paid to the artisan. He said that his company is willing to take that risk because they feel that it is important to what they do. Most of the artisans in these countries cannot obtain business loans from their local banks.

Ten Thousand Villages designers and buyers collaborate with artisans to combine the traditional skills of the artisans with popular colors and styles in the North American markets. The company also encourages artisans to use sustainable practices. For example, artisans are advised to use natural or recycled materials in their products.