GLOBAL MARKET
ASSESSMENT FOR
HANDICRAFTS
VOLUME I
FINAL DRAFT

JULY 2006
This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development.
It was prepared by Ted Barber and Marina Krivoshlykova of Development Alternatives, Inc.

GLOBAL MARKET
ASSESSMENT FOR
HANDICRAFTS
VOLUME I
FINAL DRAFT

The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United
States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

FOREWORD
This paper was written as part of the Accelerated Microenterprise Advancement Project (AMAP)
Business Development Services Knowledge and Practice (BDS K&P) research initiative. The AMAP
BDS initiative’s major objective is “integrating micro and small enterprises into productive value chains to create wealth in poor communities.”
The research draws on experience and insights from:

•

Interviews with leading handicraft buyers in the United States, the European Union, and the
Caribbean, including importers and retailers currently sourcing from Haiti, those who have done so in the past, and those who source handmade products from other destinations;

•

Interviews with market experts, such as product development consultants, designers, enterprise development consultants, and marketing specialists who work with handicraft producers in developing countries;

•

Discussions with market experts and USAID at a roundtable conducted in Washington, D.C., on
April 12, 2006; and

•

Existing literature on the handicraft market and home accessory industry.

This study provides an overview and analysis of the global market for handicrafts and the key trends that affect producers in developing countries, with the ultimate objective of offering practical recommendations for the Haitian handicraft sector. This paper represents