Artesania Sorata is another one of those social businesses that has been around for decades, even though it may not have called itself a social business (and still may not call itself that). Founded in 1978, this fair trade company creates Bolivian alpaca knitwear designed by low-income artisan women in rural and urban areas.
More than simply providing fair wages for communities, Artesania Sorata fosters education opportunities for the workers' children, health and literacy programs, as well as a program called Turgo Watermotor that focuses on small-scale waterpower in order to create more efficient uses of energy, which obviously can have impacts on the community -- and country -- at large. The co-operative is currently partnered with Campo Nuevo, which is a non-profit organization based in the United States.
Contact Information
Artesania Sorata website
What's Driving This Trend
- Fair Trade Fashion
- Opportunity to disrupt the fashion industry by creating sustainable and ethically-made clothing that supports low-income artisan communities.
- Social Business
- Opportunity to create businesses that prioritize social impact and community development while generating profits.
- Renewable Energy Solutions
- Opportunity to develop small-scale waterpower systems that provide efficient and sustainable energy for communities.
Who This Affects Most
- Fashion
- The fashion industry can integrate fair trade practices and collaborate with artisan communities to create socially responsible fashion.
- Non-profit Organizations
- Non-profits can partner with artisan co-ops and fair trade companies to support social business ventures and empower marginalized communities.
- Renewable Energy
- The renewable energy industry can explore innovative solutions like small-scale waterpower systems to provide sustainable energy sources for remote areas.
