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Asha Handicrafts Association

in

Social Themes

  • Employment Opportunities
  • Heritage Preservation
  • Promoting Local Arts
  • Sustainable Tourism

Target Group

  • Minorities
  • Women

Environmental Themes

  • Recycling
Mumbai, India
Despite the country’s rich tradition of handicrafts, such as woodcarvings and carpets, many of India’s craftsmen do their work in difficult and poverty-stricken environments, a phenomenon exacerbated by the influx of and exploitation by large producers and moneylenders. Operating under the mandate of “Trade, Train and Transform”, the Asha Handicrafts Association promotes Fair Trade by offering marketing services and support to small Indian artisan groups. It employs 70 people; and within the past few years, the number of producer groups it supports has increased from 30 to 62. A large proportion has worked with Asha Handicrafts for more than 15 years.
Social Impact 
Promote community
Preserve cultural arts and heritage
Financial Impact 
Develop producer groups
Environmental Impact 
Conserve resources, namely paper
Large Description Title 
Background and Business Description

Established in 1975, Asha Handicrafts Association is a not for profit organization working to promote fair trade practices in the crafts industry of India. A member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFTA), World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO). Asha Handicrafts is focused on protecting the social and economic welfare of craft artisans and producers in India. It provides marketing support and facilities for local handicrafts, ensuring that Indian craftsmen reap the benefits of the products they produce. Their services include product development and general business counseling, with the aim of aiding artisans in building up production capacity and increasing income. An offshoot of their work is that cultural and community identities have been reaffirmed in those impacted.

 

Asha Handicrafts is self-sustainable and raises its funds from the fair trade exchanges of its supported artisan groups. The funds generated are then invested into projects aimed at promoting the social and economic welfare of the artisan communities. Such projects include developing health centers and medical camps, hosting computer education and basic tuition for artisans’ children, and conducting skills training and self-help for women in the community.

 

Simultaneously, Asha Handicrafts works to imbue a sense of environmental awareness in the industry, addressing environmental inefficiencies in the crafts supply chain. They conserve resources in the crafts process by encouraging the utilization of recycled raw materials, purchased from registered and authorized vendors, in the production process. For example, the wood used by the crafts producers are supplied by vendors connected with the government forest depot, promoting timber sustainability. Environmentally-friendly products include their paper products, horn/bone products and naturally dyed home textiles and home furnishings.

 

Asha Handicrafts, accredited by the World Fair Trade Organization, is the only Fair Trade Organization in India that is certified ISO 9001:2000.

 

Partnerships 
International Fair Trade Association
World Fair Trade Organization (Accredited)
Fair Trade Forum - India (Promoter Member)
Status 
Seeking agencies to provide working capital to producers
Website/Links 
Asha Handicrafts Website