State intervention in the ecuadorian crafts sector: Pro Ecuador and the perception of Imbabura artisans

Abstract

As part of Ecuadorian economy policies, the Ministry of Foreign Trade promotes the stra­tegic insertion of non-traditional products in international markets. From 2010, the Institute for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (Pro Ecuador) was appointed by the gover­nment to promote the exportable supply of small, medium and large firms. The Institute encourages the expansion of small business through national and international trade fairs and business rounds. The current investigation explores Pro Ecuador activities focused on stimulating the exportable supply from the artisanal sector of the Imbabura Province. The study is divided in two parts: the first one reviews the role of Pro Ecuador through the governmental discourse and linking strategies at both local (with artisans) and international level (with potential purchasers). Then, the nexus between PRO ECUADOR and artisans’ organizations in Imbabura are identified to determine the possible benefits arising from state’s intervention in the artisanal sector. This research combines bibliographic sources for the analysis of state’s commercial policies and qualitative interviews with artisans selec­ted by Pro Ecuador considered as the “best” of the country. As a result, it is possible to detect that albeit Pro Ecuador began its operations in 2010, it liaised with a few Imbabura artisans only in 2015, with a limited export capacity and redu­ced number of qualified handcrafters, which highlights some difficulties and shortcomings of government attempts to expand the export supply of small Ecuadorian companies.