The Tiendas Campesinas Camari (Camari Peasant Shops) were organized in 1981 and grew out of the work of an organization called the Ecuadorian Popular Progressive Fund (FEPP) which was started by the Ecuadorian Catholic Bishops to organize community development projects among the rural poor. Camari means" gift" in the Quechua Indian language. The peasant shops are seen as a "gift" to peasant artisans, offering them direct marketing outlets and fair recompense in place of the outrageously low prices paid previously by unscrupulous middlemen. Today, Camari Shops in Quito, Latacunga, Riobamba, Quevedo, Esmeraldas, and Francisco de Orellana offer handcrafts and agricultural products produced by 115 artisans and small farmers.

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