Argentina is one of the main exporters of wool in the world. However, it is difficult to acquire pure wool spun in the urban centers of this country. At the same time, the craftspeople who spin pure wool, are unlikely to sell it, because, mainly due to they reside in rural areas, i. e., away from the major centres of consumption.
That production of handmade spun wood in rural areas - where has little chance of sale - and the demand of that product in the urban centres, has favored a particular situation: some merchants travel to the rural areas and, given the scarcity of other buyers and the need for artisans to sell their products, they acquire these artisanal yarn at bargain prices and then these products are resold in urban centers at rates that double, triple and even quadruple the price paid to the artisans.
Faced with this situation is that we started El Retorno.
El Retorno is an enterprise of the artisans themselves whose main objective is the fair trade, directly linking the producers and consumers, with the ultimate aim of benefiting both parties:
To the producers: increasing their chances of success and ensuring a good price to them.
To the buyers: increasing their chances of buying, and ensuring a high quality product at a good price.
The artisans of The Return reside primarily in rural areas of Patagonia Argentina. Gradually, have joined the venture some craftsmen North of the country, which has allowed to incorporate raw materials from these areas, such as llama and alpaca hair.