Ethical Policy
Ethical policy
We are called the Artisan Partnership because all the artisans we work with have a say in the company. The artisans who create these beautiful products are at the heart of everything we do at the Artisan Partnership. We constantly review our practices and processes to ensure they meet our high ethical standards. Our key principles are:
1. Products sold by the Artisan Partnership supplement the artisan’s income in what is sometimes a very difficult working environment.
2. The Artisan Partnership extends each artisan’s business by facilitating access to markets that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.
3. Partnering with the Artisan Partnership allows artisans to work on their own terms. Each artisan decides how much they want to work, they can work from home, and they do not need to travel long distances to sell products. This can lead to material changes in their working lives and more intangible benefits like getting to spend more time with family.
4. The Artisan Partnership pays consistent and fair prices, so the artisans always know exactly what they will be paid. We never accept any discounts, we do not pay reduced prices for bulk orders, and we do not accept free gifts. Each artisan is paid per piece and is always fully paid before we receive the products.
5. Product traceability is key to our business. We work directly with the artisans so we can track every single product to the artisan who made it. There are never any middlemen involved, so money is paid directly to the maker without any reductions or fees.
6. We are committed to transparency, so we ensure our customers can see exactly where every product has come from and learn about the artisan who made their product.
7. We visit all the artisans to check their working conditions are sound and to ensure no child labour is involved.
