Bali Producer GroupsShared Earth buys from about 35 producer groups in Bali, almost all of which are small family businesses, with on average about 4-6 artisans, often family or friends. Most have only one or two other overseas customers, some none at all, relying on Shared Earth and local orders to keep their businesses going. During Covid, when the local tourist trade stopped and overseas orders were sometimes cancelled, many artisans returned to their villages and worked in the rice fields or in agriculture to keep themselves and their families alive. Sometimes, production such as sewing or wood-carving takes place on the verandas of the artisans’ homes, or in small workshops behind the ‘shops’ they set up to attract buyers. Other producers have dedicated workshops, essential for products like glass-blowing and ceramics, for instance. Some use home workers, who collect or are given the raw materials needed and are paid on delivery of the finished product. Almost always, production takes place either in the open air, or in workshops which have only two or three walls, giving plenty of air and light, and minimising energy usage, in a climate where heating is not needed, unless for ovens for clay, glass or metal, and sometimes for drying wood.  Dedi Macrame (dreamcatchers)  Titi Mertha (bamboo chimes)  Trisurya (ceramics)  Warta (glass on root wood) The raw materials used are almost exclusively local and sustainable. They include the fast-growing albesia and jempinis trees for wood-carving, and bamboo, which also grows quickly and takes up little land. Waste products used include coconut husks, driftwood, leaves and the roots of dead trees. Several suppliers use recycled glass (in mosaics, chimes and bowls/terrariums), or recycled metal, paper and textiles. From a carbon emissions point of view, our Bali suppliers, taken as a whole, could hardly be better. The majority of businesses (about 60%) are owned and run by women. Of the remainder, about half are owned by husband/wife teams, and about half by men. In total about 150 artisans are involved, roughly half women and half men, supporting about 5 times that number of people in total.  Wayan Dirga (wooden birds)  Ida (coconut bowls)  Suarsih (recycled glass chimes, coloured bowls)  Wayan Sunarsa (bee/butterfly houses) The majority of the artisans are based in and around Bali’s craft centre, Ubud. Many have small ‘shops’ to attract buyers, in non-tourist areas where they may go by a week or two weeks without making any sales at all. Our Supplier Director, Yuli, visits them regularly, assisted by her ever-helpful husband Dennish, delivering orders, collecting completed goods, checking on their welfare, monitoring Fair Trade standards and above all, creating and maintaining the close relationships which are so important. The goods are then taken to her small warehouse where they are checked for quality and packed properly for export. No plastic is used, shredded paper being the main packing material. Yuli attended the WFTO Berlin conference in 2022, increases her knowledge of Fair Trade and environmental issues all the time, and is a valuable member of Shared Earth’s Board.  In 2022 Shared Earth set aside £6-9,000 from its profits for Yuli to buy tools and equipment for a selection of the most needy producers. After a detailed analysis of needs, these producer groups were chosen: Ari, Wayan Dirga, Titi Mertha, Wayan Sunarsa, Dedi Macrame, Nugraha Stone, Sukma Dewata, Ida, Suarsih, To In, and Puja. The total amount spent came to £8,800 and included, drills, sanders, concrete mixers and many other pieces of equipment, producer feedback being that they have proved extremely useful. We thank all our customers for ordering from us and making this possible!
Our producers include: Ida (coconut bowls) - Owner daughter/her husband and uncle, her father and brother also employed, She has a tiny shop in Tegalalang Road. Her workshop is at her house in Tampaksiring. Mama (suncatchers) - 5 men, 4 women including owners (man + woman). They have a small shop and a workshop at their house which is 15km away. Wayan Dirga (wooden birds) - Husband and wife business working from home, also 8 home workers (5 men, 3 women). They own a small shop in front of their house. Puja (woodcarving) - Woman-owned business, employs 10 women + 5 women at workshop, + some home workers, mostly women. Sanggar (green men) - Small business working at grass roots level, woman owner who struggles to survive herself, about 7-8 home workers most days, depending on orders, helped out by work for other businesses. Most sales are to local businesses. Warta (glass on root wood) - 8 men, 2 women, specialist glass-blowing workshop with kilns etc, with a workshop located in Pujung Kaja. Suarsih (recycled glass chimes, coloured bowls) - Husband & wife owned business, employs 5 men in a workshop newly built as a result of our orders Both husband and wife work hands-on creating the products. Located near Tegalalang rice fields. Sukma Dewata (mosaics) - Woman owner, employs 2 men and 12 women. Very reliant on our orders for daily survival. Located at Tegalalang. Bhujangga (mosaics) - The owner works alone but he has two home workers to help if he has a large order. Floria (patchwork bags/clothing - 3 tailors who give work to home workers (very important for them out of the harvest season when otherwise they would have no income). Ahmad Collection (patchwork clothing) - Owner/Manager Emma, 2 women and 2 men. Their shop is in Ubud, located to catch the tourist buyers, but she lives in Denpasar. Titi Mertha (bamboo chimes) - Woman owner, 1 man and 5 women including home workers in 2 families. She has to work hard to support her family, as her husband recently had a heart stroke. Mawar Sari (wood) - Woman owner Parmila, employs 4 women and 5 men. Her husband is a carver and carpenter. The workshop is at Pujung Kaja. Nugraha Stone - Husband/wife owners, small workshop with 2 women also 4 men working from home, in Pujung Kaja. Ari (jewellery stands) - One woman business. Her workshop is at home, not far from a tiny shop she rents on Tegalalang Road. Dedi Macrame (dreamcatchers) - 10 employees, 3 on site, 7 home workers, mostly family members. They display their products at their house in Jimbaran. Wayan Sunarsa (bee/butterfly houses) - 3 men, owner worked as driver for a massage parlour, self-taught and very pleased to be working now as an artisan. Our orders have allowed his wife to expand her laundry business through purchase of a new washing machine. Rizki (musical instruments) - Owner died recently, small business now run by his wife and son. Ananta (metal chimes, bee and butterfly houses) - Before Covid, they had a small shop to attract buyers. They have not been able to re-open it, and work from home in Lodtunduh. Amerta Guna (aluminium boxes) - A woman-owned business in Tegalalang, with 3 men and one woman employed, working at the owner’s house in Tegalalang. Perdana (leaf notebooks) - Only 3 workers, herself, her son and her niece. Production is at home. Trisurya (ceramics) - A family business, now run by the son, with a workshop in Kapal-Tabanan. Bali Ayu (incense sets, batik fans) - Woman owner, no other employees, located in Keramas. Bali Sablon (cotton banners) - One woman business, with production at the back of her tiny shop in Batu Bulan. To In (driftwood bird/bug houses) - Owned by a man, 5 men and 4 women artisans, based in Tegalalang. Bali Sejati (wooden Christmas trees/decorationss) - Two artisans only, both men, located in Tegalalang. Bintang Rotan (rattan bags) - a small woman-owned business in Sukowati. Herman (pens, soap dishes, bamboo) - Four artisans, all men, with a workshop in Tabanan. Ganesha (wooden buddhas) - Two men do the carving, the wife of one of them looks after a small shop to promote their products in Pujung Kaja. Taman Bali (wooden chimes) - A very small woman-owned business with 2 men and one woman artisan, their workshop in Gentong. Ananda (recycled paper frames) - Another tiny woman-owned business, she had to close her shop because of Covid, now works from Sanur. Kawaii Shop (colour banners) - Owned by 2 women, who promote their work in a small shop on Tegalalang Road. Rembung Sari (bamboo bird feeder) - A woman-owned business with 2 men artisans, located in Andung. Titi Serdana (wooden cats/animals on sofas) - A husband and wife team, with two men doing the carving, and 3 women doing the painting, on Tegalalang Road. |
