Fair-Trade
Mosqoy buys textiles directly from Quechua weavers at fair-trade prices
and abides by fair-trade principles.
Why Fair-Trade is important:
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In Peru, Quechua communities transmit rich weaving knowledge from generation to generation to cultivate the classic Peruvian textiles that we admire and utilize, yet many Quechua communities in Peru do not receive a fair price for their textiles. Isolated rural communities lack direct market access, often selling their textiles below the cost of production to local middlemen. This destroys the social and cultural fabric of these communities. When Quechua communities in Peru suffer, the whole world suffers - from mass migration and overcrowding in cities, inferior quality products, loss of rich cultural knowledge and tradition, and environmental degradation.
Definition of Fair-Trade:
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Fair-trade is a system that starts from the premise that workers’ lives have value; this social benefit is partly what you pay for when you buy something. Fair-trade doesn't just mean that farmers and producers receive more money, though that's vitally important. It also means that they work under long-term contracts so their communities have enough security to invest in improvements both to their businesses (with more land and animals, or better machinery) and their societies (with things like schools or health clinics). Typically, fair-trade producers are small cooperatives of workers using no child or forced labour, using organic or environmentally sustainable methods, and who have high standards of animal welfare. Workers are free to join unions and bargain collectively to help improve their lives.
The 10 Principles of Fair-Trade
Check out the World Fair Trade Organization to learn more about these ten principles.
