Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting Development
After agriculture and tourism, artisan work provides the most significant source
of income in many developing countries. While some argue that this “frivolous” industry
is not worthy of investment, an opposing view holds that the creation of sustainable employment opportunities for the poor and a positive alternative to mass production
outweigh the costs. Researchers Littrell and Dickson provide an in-depth perspective of
the effects and methodology of fair trade using the fair-trade apparel group MarketPlace:
Handwork of India, an Evanston-based company that employs more than 300 third-world
artisans, as a case study. Joining them for tonight’s discussion will be MarketPlace
founder Pushpika Freitas.