Fair trade used to promote quality craftwork in Mali

Promote crafts that create economic, social, cultural and environmental value.

ami&co's objective is to promote the emergence of quality craft while respecting fair trade rules and protecting the environment.

Contribute to the economic and social development of craftspeople and promote their work by :
- insuring a fair income to craftspeople by using market prices;
- helping craftspeople improve their work tool and their skills thanks to the Fair Trade Bonus;
- fighting unfair competition from the informal sector by working only with registered craftspeople;
- promoting the protection of the environment by giving priority to organic material and vegetable dyes;
- establishing trusting relationships between the various players of the network : producers, ami&co and consumers.

Promoting quality craft cannot be done without considering Man and his environment. When it comes to relations with craftspeople and all other partners, ami&co applies the principles of fair trade : solidarity, fairness, respect of people and their surroundings.

To achieve its objectives, ami&co has relied on people, their social environment, respect of the environment and transparency by creating a section called organic and fair trade textiles.
There is more to this than just buying organic or fair trade cotton: it is also about applying the principles of fair trade in the transformation stages.
- choosing expert craftspeople in their field among the groups (women's associations) or legalised workshops;
- respecting ILO standards as well as Malian social laws, particularly those banning child labour and forced labour ;
- having an independent management system for the fair trade bonus and regular communication on its use;
- having a transparent management of costs with each invoice indicating the cost of production by the craftsperson and the cost of the associated bonus as well as how the bonus was used;
- respecting the environment by using as much as possible local organic natural resources.

ami&co was created out of the conviction that growth in developing countries is linked to the processing of raw material on site and their promotion in their country of origin as well as abroad.

In view of the worldwide competitive pressure, developing countries must offer original and quality products. One of the ways they can offer those products is to use tradition to make quality products adapted to today's realities.