Consumers are showing a critical change in buying behavior; For example, Gen Z (the future buyers) are focusing not just on the product but on the values around the products. The 

The 5 Ps of Sustainability at Rural Handmade

Alex interviews Konark Ogra from Rural Handmade who helps budding entrepreneurs source custom-designed sustainable products from global artisan communities.

First off, it great to restore our somewhat lost mental peace and is a step towards better mental health. Human lives are indubitably built on connections and the pandemic has hit that to its very core. The very obvious consequence is slipping into some sort of darker place. The silver lining here is that when we have lost our touch with the outside, it is the best time to rekindle the connection we have with ourselves, and what better than spending some quality me-time and creating beautiful things in the process.

The most urgent issue affecting cooperatives since the onset of pandemic is the financial crisis of businesses. Hundreds of millions worth losses have been incurred due to the quarantine. Some operations had to be closed, a number of workers had to remain in closed quarantine, the disruption in supplies of materials for production from different parts of the world, sales routes too are sluggish. In these challenging times, the advantages of cooperation are key to help coping with the crisis in all its facets. Cooperatives, many created in times of need a long time ago, show that solidarity is part of our economic activity today. They prove that cooperatives are resilient to crises as they adapt to new situations, finding innovative solutions to serve their members and customers.

Konark Ogra from Rural Handmade talks about the future of handmade and how Rural Handmade is working towards building the Alibaba for Handmade and Sustainable goods with technology.