OVERVIEW: Quechua and Aymara Bolivians have been herding alpacas, spinning fiber, and knitting product for export markets for hundreds of years.
In the past 15 years, some alpaca workers have begun to operate under the principles of Fair Trade. Fair Trade ensures participants receive fair wages, technical assistance, access to credit, dignity, long term trade relationships, and have a safe, sustainable work environment. Fair Trade is a newer economic model that has been limited by a lack of comparative study. This is a comparative study of the effect of Fair Trade on Bolivia’s alpaca knitting industry, examining Fair Trade and non Fair Trade (conventional) herders and knitters culturally, economically and personally.
I will travel to Bolivia to begin my research in May. For the past 15 years, I have been working in fair trade alongside the Bolivian knitters and herders as the founder/director of KUSIKUY Clothing Co. KUSIKUY specializes in hand knit alpaca clothing. It will be interesting to have a real definition of Fair Trade's effect in Bolivian knits. I will be studying Fair Trade and non Fair Trade knitters and herders.
- Tamara Stenn
Congratulations and mucho éxito on your research. We are working with an alpaca community for our Fair Trade Store in Puerto Rico and would love to give you the contact info for your research. Contact us comerciojusto (at) lachiwinha (dot) com.
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