All of our products are fair trade. We are members of the Fair Trade Federation and Chicago Fair Trade.
Put more simply, we run our business the way we think all businesses should be run: treating everyone in the supply chain with dignity.
We are fair trade because we care about the people who make our products. We intentionally seek to work with those who are under-represented in their fields, particularly women. We value their many talents and their hard work. The artisans are fairly compensated and we give them interest free loans so they don’t have to borrow from predatory lenders. The artisans are able to work in a safe environment and are treated with dignity.
At Venture Imports, we care about the artisan’s families and are against child labor. But more than just that, we want all children to be able to get an education and to have time to play! The artisans we partner with are able to work from home, or they can bring their children to the cooperative to play while their mothers work. All of the artisan partner’s children are in school—something which is not always the case in a community where school fees are often prohibitive to many parents.
We also care about the planet. We believe in taking responsibility to operate our business in the most sustainable way we can.