While is soon going to end, we introduce examples of two associations which undertake in the field of equitable trade.

It is necessary to remind, following of the ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007) the following points of information: "Equitable trade is a relatively new concept in France. He is in strong growth. In 2000, less than 10 % populations declared to know the equitable trade, in 2007, they are 82 %. (...) brought lessons show that the sector of equitable trade is dynamic with the creation of new structures, new courses of study which generate a growth of the turnover which attains 241 million euro in 2007. Some products as the coffee (who covers more than 50 % of market shares equitable trade) know a landing in their development, others, on the contrary, newly commercialised, are fast-growing, as the cotton. (...) The sector is distinctly constituted of two blocks: on one hand big not very many firms which accomplish the basics of the complete turnover of the sector and are inserted well in the agro-industrial cloth, and on the other hand of many small structures (SARL, associations) which accomplish only a weak part of the complete turnover.".) Le secteur est nettement constitu de deux blocs : d une part des grosses entreprises peu nombreuses qui r alisent l essentiel du chiffre d affaires total du secteur et sont bien ins r es dans le tissu agro-industriel, et d autre part de nombreuses petites structures (SARL, associations) qui ne r alisent qu une faible part du chiffre d affaires total."

picture types of structures

report MAE 2007

He is seen on this picture, associations represent equitable trade only 25 % structures of for less than 5 % total business figures. They have therefore a specific vocation rather linked to activities not commercial as citizen's questioning, local animation etc. Therefore, some associative structures get closer to the economic bedding of SARL, a collective plan in more. It is the case of two associative structures as Tierra Una and Artasia.

Artasia: weaving and links

Artasia

When Sabine and Sebastian leave 4 months to the Laos and in Thailand in 1999, they still do not suspect the way on which is going to bring them the culture shock and aesthetics which they feel then. They had followed the road of the silk and of the cotton which still work the women in the village. Of observers, they cross actors and create the Artasia association in January, 2001 to support them in the promotion of their textile activity, threatened by the growing logic of one quickly - wrong fact - made to sell more at the slightest price which develops in their country. Sabine Caron answered our questions candidly:

• What was the shutter release of your activity in the field of qutable trade and why to have chosen assciative form for entrepprendre?

It was not really a matter when I founded Artasia in January, 2001 "to undertake", properly speaking, no more than to make "equitable trade" or "fashion ethique", 2 notions which were not much spread in France in epoch. The object of Artasia, what enlivened me, came out again more from a cultural stake than exclusively commercial. If it was well necessary to implement means to encourage the continuity, by their promotion, of craft courses of study of the silk in the Laos and in Thailand and to make it admit here the quality of products (and, behind them, the positive impacts which they assume in term of maintaining of biodiversity, social and intergeneration links, of promotion of the status of the woman, of artistic dynamism, of economic autonomy in the country...) sales had to be enough to take in into expenses of mission of ground (sourcing, assistant and followed to the organisation, advice in creation) import and distribution. I did not conceive this activity as a purely commercial activity and associative status seemed to me more consistent with the thorough object of Artasia.

• What are borders and advantages which you see in your firm under associative status today?

The hitch, it is that in this history, I was forgotten. If the status of firm encourages to think, in integrer the creator from the assemblage of the plan of firm, the association, it, leans on voluntary commitment. And that ci is not socially promoted more economically then. For lack of being able still to clear resources necessary for the creation of an autonomous job, the association works therefore with 1 alone active, founder, voluntary, which takes functions of at least 5 posts for 8 years, but I am always considered out of job, at the same time as an employer and a potential an employee. Artasia thinks to be able today to benefit from the device of a job-ski jump to take out his leader of precariousness. But in every status its help devices and its particular advantages. Some helps are granted to the firms of the sector of fashion that it is not custom to grant to associations. Question, it is that it seems at present that borders of categories tend to become blurred. The creator makes the importer often commercial and, advice in development while the firm becomes social and united... In fact, an "association" can have the same needs as a businessman and conversely. Everything depends on defended object and on led activities. What is sure, it is that in term of viability of firm, the actors isolated from fashion or from independent trade, whatever their form, endure from the total system in whom they are inserted. And of so much, when their activities tend to give a sense of responsibility to give nice ecological subjects and products all transformers of which were correctly remunerated for a job performed in conditions which take into account their requirements of jobs and their situation of life.. .. requirements which meet badly those of the independent retailers, them the same unstable in the heart of job. Tout d pend de l objet d fendu et des activit s men es. Ce qui est certain, c est qu en terme de viabilit d entreprise, les acteurs isol s de la mode ou du commerce ind pendant, quelle que soient leur forme, souffrent du syst me global dans lesquels ils s ins rent. Et d autant, quand leurs activit s tendent se responsabiliser pour offrir de belles mati res cologiques et des produits dont tous les transformateurs ont t correctement r mun r s pour un travail effectu dans des conditions qui prennent en compte leurs exigences de m tiers et leur situation de vie... des exigences qui rencontrent mal celles des d taillants ind pendants, eux m mes fragilis s dans leur coeur de m tier.

Member of network Minga since 2002, Artasia participates in groups of reflexion and of actions which aim at returning more equitable trade. There, trade is not considered to be a purpose but a tool of development subordinated to the right of the people there to be able to have themselves, with complete freedom, respecting others, respecting their culture and of the earth which feeds them.

to know about it more and to see collections

Tierra Una: produce, exchange and consume in another way

boutique Tierra una

Tierra Una is an association federated law 1901 also to the collective Minga. In his boutique, Tierra Una commercialises many articles of mode and other accessories coming first from small producers of Colombia then of other countries of the world according to partnerships tied with structures French partners. Tierra Una aims at creating the conditions of economic autonomy of small producers and brings them technical advice.

Then why the association?

We wanted to reconcile stocks which are expensive to us with an occupation which allows us to earn our living with dignity: an economic activity founded on equity and solidarity. We chose to be formed in association to start our plan. First of all we had no medium financiers to start an activity and were not eligible in the loans of the banking system, but thanks to associative status we could call subsidies in the creation of activity and attract this experience. Besides, this status allowed us to unite around this ambitious plan of other citizens. Nonetheless, for an economic activity, this status carries the disadvantage of a picture often distorted by the general public who thinks that a non-profitmaking organisation should not earn money and could not work only on a charitable mode. But to work, an association with good need to generate benefits of its activities, who must be completely reinvested in his plan and not transferred to shareholders as in a firm.

Sabine d' Artasia and Gustavo de Tierra Una are true association activists hired in an economic production holder of sense. Their actions register perfectly in mind and letter of social and united economy in the XXIth century.

To know about it more:

• Flat French form for equitable trade