Artisan Impact: Tunisia

Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa, nestled just across the Mediterranean Sea from Italy.  With a warm climate and a long and gentle coastline, Tunisia, for over 2000 years, has witnessed the passage of Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Turks, Italians, Spanish and French, among others.  They came as fugitives and adventurers. They came to conquer and claim as warriors, missionaries and traders, with each group leaving behind a part of their culture.  Tunisia now has a modern, Western-oriented outlook and is the first emerging Arab democracy.

As a close neighbor to Europe, their main trading partners are France, Italy and other EU nations.  Since independence from France in 1956, Tunisia has been dedicated to educating its people and workforce, which has led many European companies to invest in Tunisia for their manufacturing facilities.  Modern Tunisia also plays a pivotal role in helping bridge the gap between the Muslim world and the Europe and the West.  Tunisia’s emphasis on moderation and tolerance is one reason why 6 million Europeans vacation there each year.

We have partnered with Sobremesa by Greenheart (based in Chicago) in the US for assistance with sales and marketing. And in the EU, we have partnered with Goodlink (based in Genoa, Italy). Both entities are committed to fair trade principles. In fact, Goodlink is a division of La Bottega Solidale, the fair trade inspection service that is sponsoring us into the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation).