“Chile is losing its artisan culture,” says Alvador, a 58-year-old copper craftsman who makes beautiful jewellery stamped with traditional designs. Thanks to the gap between Chile’s rich and poor – one of the widest in the world – Alvador is one of a dying number of Chilean artists who can still make money from their handiwork.
Fair trade is more than just an idea for Alvador. It’s literally the only reason he can afford to make his jewellery passion a business. He works with Pueblos del Sur, a fair trade cooperative that helps Chilean craftspeople find international customers for their work, where they will get a fair price, be paid on time, and network with other artists to share ideas.
Our marketplace, Global Handicrafts, sells clay ocarinas and pendants from Pueblo del Sur artists, along with their exquisite glass jewellery .
After decades of violent warfare, Cambodia has finally begun to stabilize and its people have started the long road to recovery. 80% of the population lives in rural conditions with low standards of living, and those who migrate to the cities struggle to adjust. In an effort to provide support for many young rural and urban Cambodians, AAC works alongside local workshops where people draw on their rich culture to design products reflective of a long and distinct heritage. Workers receive fair wages in decent working conditions, providing them the dignity of a respectable trade along with training workshops on life skills. Your purchases see these lives built and strengthened. Watch this video of artisans turning bullet shells into jewellery with one of AAC’s partners, Rajana: 
