The Ethical Consumer Why Supporting Artisanal Goods Contributes To Fair Trade And Social Responsibility
                     The Ethical Consumer: Why Supporting 
Artisanal Goods Contributes To Fair Trade And 
Social Responsibility
Chaitanya Kumari
Writes informational articles on ancient Indian 
artisan vocational education, 64 kala or 
chausat kala, along with others articles on finance, 
health, sanathana dharma and wisdom.
Today, fair trade and social responsibility can no longer afford to be ignored by 
anyone as part of a globalized world. Arguably, one of the strongest contributions to 
that cause may be made by purchasing and promoting artisanal products. We are not 
only getting unique products, often of good quality, but making a big difference for 
specific people and communities when we opt to buy handcrafted products from 
local artisans instead.
Fairtrade ensures that manufacturers, especially those in the developing world, 
receive fair prices for their labor or hard work. This promotes the practice of fair 
wages and promotes local communities and economic development.
Social responsibility goes beyond fair trade. Such means a commitment not only to 
ethical business but also to good society. Many of the artisanal products are sold out 
of the small businesses and cooperatives which may give more importance to ethical 
sourcing, environmental sustainability, and community development.
Every handmade purchase preserves traditional skills and provides direct support 
to artisans. The indigenous communities and artisans working their way in this 
forte help to preserve the cultural heritage. Hence, these are people who can 
benefit from fair trade practices. The fair trade mission supports the producers 
within developing nations to attain equitable and sustainable commercial 
relations.
This will lead to more employment opportunities, better living standards, and 
stronger community bonds among people. Many artisanal enterprises support 
social and environmental initiatives, such as equal employment, sourcing 
responsibly, and community activities.
The choice of artisanal goods speaks about the values we hold. We are signaling 
the message that we value quality, craftsmanship, and ethical production. That 
automatically gets across some of the strong messages to businesses and 
consumers about how we would want things done more responsibly.
Last but not least, we can also help minimize our environmental footprint by 
promoting artisanal products. Mass-produced items translate to long-distance 
transportation and heavy packaging, thus contributing to harmful pollution and 
waste. Most artisanal items, instead, are made locally, and therefore, they have 
minimal destructive impacts on the environment. So, the adoption of purchasing 
handcrafted products diminishes our intake of unsustainable goods, thus helping 
us create a better way to live.
Thus, one who supports or advocates the promotion of handcrafted products is 
contributing to fair trade and social responsibility. Almost paradoxically, 
purchasing handcrafted products means buying unique, quality products, which 
ultimately create a positive impact on the lives of individuals and their 
communities. Supporting businesses made up of artisans also helps bring about a 
more balanced and sustainable world. Overall, fair trade safeguards, promotes, 
and even recognizes traditional values and cultural identity thus enabling the 
customers to contribute to improving livelihoods and supply chains.
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