About Us

Our Mission:

Mercado Global is a cutting-edge nonprofit, Fair Trade organization with an innovative approach to fighting poverty and empowering indigenous women in Guatemala’s highlands by connecting their artisan cooperatives to sales opportunities in the U.S. on an unprecedented scale.

Our sales and training programs help Guatemalan mothers break the cycle of poverty and gain the skills and support they need to address other local challenges. Mercado Global’s distinctive Fair Trade collections demonstrate the power of partnership to change the world, one purchase at a time.

Our Brand:

Mercado Global’s distinctive Fair Trade collections demonstrate the power of partnership to change the world, one purchase at a time. Our exclusive products combine exceptional Mayan craftsmanship with modern design.

Our Partner Artisans:

Mercado Global currently works with 31 indigenous women’s cooperatives throughout Guatemala’s western highlands. Many of our partner artisans are widows or returned refugees from Guatemala’s civil war, and approximately 72% of our partner artisans are illiterate. By working with and providing training and support to indigenous artisan cooperatives, we ensure that the women who need our help the most are connected to the income and empowerment brought by U.S. market access.

Our Accomplishments:

Mercado Global has made great strides in developing this innovative, market-based model for fighting poverty in rural Latin America. Some of our recent accomplishments include:

• Decreased Local Poverty: Our sales, on average, triple the daily income of our partner artisans. Mercado Global sales provide fair-wage income to over 360 artisans in 31 cooperatives and 2,100 dependents.
• Increased School Enrollment: All elementary school-aged children of Mercado Global’s original partner artisans are enrolled in school for the second consecutive year this year. This is exception in a country where indigenous children receive on average just 1.8 years of education over the course of their lifetime.
• Improved Health & Well-Being: Mercado Global partner artisans and their children are experiencing unprecedented food security and nutritional rates. Our partner artisans have also reported a 25% increase in access to potable water and a 34% increase in electricity in their homes since partnering with Mercado Global.
• Expanding Socially Responsible Purchasing: We have established partnerships with major retail chains and catalogs, including Levi Strauss, Hallmark and Whole Foods. These partnerships are expanding the market for fair trade products.

Mercado Global has been recognized as an innovative model for empowering and enhancing the well-being of indigenous women. Newsweek magazine has featured the co-founders of Mercado Global on its cover. The organization was also the recipient of the Innovation in Social Enterprise Award from the Social Enterprise Alliance. Click here to view recent press.