Some of the most talented artisans in the world come from developing communities where unique skills in making tapestries, pottery, jewelry, rugs and many other traditional crafts have been passed down for generations. But many such artisans lack access to markets; buyers for major retailers don't visit Tansen, Nepal or Cochaquinray, Peru. For all too many artisans, making an adequate income means forsaking their craft and moving to an already congested
city.
Can Internet commerce help preserve the artisan tradition and the culture it embodies? A start-up called Viatru thinks it has a workable business model to do just that. It is building an unusual infrastructure to link artisans with major retailers over the Internet. Large mainstream retailers interested in the traditional metal-working skills found in Tansen, Nepal or regions of Chile, can work with the artisans over the Net to create a design for a vase or bowl that would sell well in their stores. A buyer interested in hand-painted ceramics from Peru, but only if they were precisely this season's colors, can use new technologies for color matching that ensure the artisan can deliver just what is needed. Design, ordering, and purchasing can happen in real time, with Viatru ensuring on-time delivery of the products, and a transparent window into the source.
The result? The retailer can offer their customers unique high quality products produced in a sustainable, socially responsible manner, and a connection to the creator. Artisans get access to remote markets, reliable incomes, and a way to differentiate the special nature of their work. Viatru Founder Michelle Long points out that as information technologies shrink the distances between rural villages and developed cities, they are opening communication links with nearly three billion people living in previously isolated communities
-- a huge potential human resource. She believes that consumers increasingly want information about the impact their purchases have on people and planet and will welcome a meaningful connection to other cultures. The company hopes not just to profitably link large retailers and small artisan businesses, but also to help sustain rural communities and the traditional skills that are part of their
-- and now the world's
-- culture.
Can Internet commerce help preserve the artisan tradition and the culture it embodies? A start-up called Viatru thinks it has a workable business model to do just that. It is building an unusual infrastructure to link artisans with major retailers over the Internet. Large mainstream retailers interested in the traditional metal-working skills found in Tansen, Nepal or regions of Chile, can work with the artisans over the Net to create a design for a vase or bowl that would sell well in their stores. A buyer interested in hand-painted ceramics from Peru, but only if they were precisely this season's colors, can use new technologies for color matching that ensure the artisan can deliver just what is needed. Design, ordering, and purchasing can happen in real time, with Viatru ensuring on-time delivery of the products, and a transparent window into the source.
The result? The retailer can offer their customers unique high quality products produced in a sustainable, socially responsible manner, and a connection to the creator. Artisans get access to remote markets, reliable incomes, and a way to differentiate the special nature of their work. Viatru Founder Michelle Long points out that as information technologies shrink the distances between rural villages and developed cities, they are opening communication links with nearly three billion people living in previously isolated communities
-- a huge potential human resource. She believes that consumers increasingly want information about the impact their purchases have on people and planet and will welcome a meaningful connection to other cultures. The company hopes not just to profitably link large retailers and small artisan businesses, but also to help sustain rural communities and the traditional skills that are part of their
-- and now the world's
-- culture.
