idealist.org

Mercado Global is a non-profit organization that links women's artisan cooperatives in Latin America's most rural and economically-disadvantaged communities to the U.S. market through a model that provides both fair-wage employment and investments in local development projects.

We work with women’s artisan cooperatives in Latin America, helping them to develop and produce beautiful, all-natural handmade products. Our primary product lines include: organic, naturally dyed cotton products, eco-friendly ceramics, and all-natural jewelry. We market these product lines through our online store Wear Your Difference and through our Ethical Sourcing Program, which targets large retailers and other distributors.

Our sales provide women with fair wages, and profits return to our partner cooperatives to fund scholarship programs, school construction, and other local development projects.

Mercado Global’s sales partners include Levi Strauss Stores and ABC Carpet and Home, among others. Newsweek has also featured Mercado Global on its cover, and Good Morning America, Seventeen Magazine, and others have showcased the organization’s designs.