Fair trade is a valuable alternative approach to conventional international trade—a trading partnership aimed at sustainable development for disadvantaged producers. Fair trade seeks to empower entrepreneurs within the craft sector around the world to build viable businesses that provide reliable income for artisans and contribute to a stronger economic base for their communities.

Ten Thousand Villages encourages staff and artisan partners to employ sustainable practices and to use natural and recycled materials when possible. Our goal is sustainability, not just for our artisan partners, but also for the environment. Fair trade helps curb environmental destruction by supporting hand production, encouraging the sustainable use of natural resources.

Long-term relationships are key to Ten Thousand Villages’ practice of fair trade. With consistent orders from year to year, artisans can plan for the future. The assurance of long-term relationships also enables artisan groups to build their production capacity and grow their businesses.

Ten Thousand Villages is committed to working with artisans who are economically and socially disadvantaged. Many are able to improve their social status and the quality of life for themselves and their families using the income they earn creating high-quality handmade gifts. Fair trade also provides long-term benefits to the children of artisans, who gain increased access to education.

Artisans and Ten Thousand Villages agree on a fair price that covers the cost of labor and materials and enables artisans to earn fair compensation for their work. A fair price takes into account the length of time it takes to complete a product, a comparison with local wages for similarly skilled jobs and the local cost of living.

Most of Ten Thousand Villages’ artisans are women. Women benefit from fair trade because in many cases they are able to produce handicrafts in their homes, allowing them to maintain responsibility for their children. Women artisans are often single parents and employment with fair trade organizations provides them with vital income to support their families.

The use of drug in sufficient quantity and frequency to interfere with a person's ability to make sound life decisions, perform appropriate actions, and fulfill responsibilities with the result that the person is unable to be a law abiding and self-supporting individual.

A direct binding immunoassay for the rapid and qualitative detection of human oocult blood in feces. The assay is designed to detect lower levels of colorectal bleeding than other biochemical detection methods.

An immunochromatography based one step in vitro test. It is designed for semi-quantitative of C reactive protein in human serum or serum or whole blood specimens.

The determination of serum or plasma levels of thyroid stimulating hormone is recognized as a sensitive method in the diagnosis of primary and secondary hypothyroidism.