Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/39448
Title: The artisan : a sustainable entrepreneur
Other Titles: Green jobs from a small state perspective : case studies from Malta
Authors: Baldacchino, Leonie
Cutajar, Christine
Keywords: Sustainable development -- States, Small
Entrepreneurship -- Environmental aspects
States, Small -- Economic conditions
Social entrepreneurship
Issue Date: 2011
Publisher: Green European Foundation
Citation: Baldacchino, L., & Cutajar, C. (2011). The artisan : a sustainable entrepreneur. In S. Rizzo (Ed.), Green jobs from a small state perspective : case studies from Malta (pp. 20-32). Belgium: Green European Foundation.
Abstract: The thrust of the argument in this paper is that artisans can make valuable contributions to the holistic values of sustainable development. These contributions could include both environmental concerns, such as the reduction and recycling of waste and the use of local, natural materials in craft production, as well as the social aspects of developing and preserving local knowledge and skills and the provision of sustainable employment and self-actualisation opportunities. These would in turn be of value in economic terms, as they would enable artisans to develop “prosperous, vibrant enterprises” (Ferraro, White, Cox, Bebbington, & Wilson, 2011, p. 21) which incorporate all three (environmental, social and economic) elements of sustainable development, thus transforming artisans into sustainable entrepreneurs. This paper forms part of a larger research project currently being conducted among artisans in Malta, aimed at assessing the current conditions and practices of Maltese artisans and their traditional craft production in the light of creativity, innovation and sustainability. It reports on an informal preliminary round of research carried out with artisans at the Ta’ Qali Crafts Village in Malta, which sheds some light upon certain unfavourable conditions that are threatening the survival of traditional artisans in Malta. These include unfair competition from mass produced imports, an inadequate certification system for genuine crafts, uninformed and unappreciative local customers, and fluctuations in tourist rates. The paper concludes by giving an outline of the steps that should follow this preliminary research, and by making practical recommendations for the survival, prosperity and sustainability of genuine Maltese artisan enterprises in the context of a market that is not congenial to artisans.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/39448
Appears in Collections:Green jobs from a small state perspective : case studies from Malta
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