Occasionally they come to the notice of a big company and they like what they see. They want it!

Never mind that they want HUGE quantities of ?it?: that can always be arranged by the amalgamation of work from hundreds of different suppliers with the combined power of thousands of craftspeople.

The universe invented the middle man, didn't it? What does the middle man want? He/She wants the same credit facilities as the big companies it supplies and squeezes the craft production businesses to comply.

Of course there is a system to front with respectability, and a benign person to answer questions and hide the reality of the sweatshop.

Be aware of that next time you step into a ?green? warehouse or retail store.And book a ticket to visit some of the places where ?green? items are actually produced. Visit craftspeople in their homes. They will usually welcome you with open arms.

Sigh! Now if only there was a bridge between micro credit organisation in the third world and US supermarkets, the ?greening? might get somewhere. Not to mention that the poor craftspeople of countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand might actually improve their standards of living.