ATOs are non-governmental organizations designed to benefit artisans rather than maximize profits. They market products from handicraft and agricultural organizations based in low-income countries, providing consumers around the world with products that have been fairly purchased from sustainable sources. ATOs put fair trade into practice and campaign for more equitable terms of trade for artisans from low-income countries.

Ten Thousand Villages is a member of the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT), a coalition of around the world handicraft and agricultural organizations and ATOs from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

This is how IFAT defines fair trade:
Fair trade is better than aid--it builds a sustainable future on artisans' own abilities.
Improving the artisan's quality of life is the main objective.
Artisans receive a fair price for their goods and advances on orders.
ATOs work with artisans to provide quality products.
Purchase and marketing of artisans' goods are conducted according to high ethical standards.
Continuity of orders is important.
Sources, production and workplaces do not exploit people or the environment.
Products have meaning above their tangible attributes.
Consumers are informed about the people who make the products they purchase, increasing their loyalty and understanding that their purchasing power makes a difference.
Cultural exchanges between people in the South and people in the North are encouraged.
Ten Thousand Villages is also a member of Fair Trade Federation (FTF), a coalition of retailers. FTF seeks to develop a workable agenda for handicrafts and agricultural products within the context of fair trade.