Trade

From EcoReality

While striving for self sufficiency to the greatest degree possible, villagers will need to exchange goods and services with others. This trade should generally be through sharing within the community for non-consumable resources, or barter within the community for consumables. But trade will probably need to be cash-based outside the community.

Internal trade

To the greatest extent possible, the village should be a cash-free zone.

Villagers should not charge each other for services, unless the service has a component that costs money. Villagers should strive to use barter among themselves for consumable goods, rather than cash exchange, unless such goods have a cash-basis component.

For example, if one villager fixes a vehicle for another, the labor of fixing the vehicle should be freely given, but an offer of cash reimbursement should be made for a part that was purchased for the vehicle outside the village.

External trade

Villagers will need cash for goods and services that they cannot provide to each other. Some villagers may hold jobs outside the village, others may take part in village-sponsored commerce with people outside the community, perhaps through a community retail center or conference center.

For either outside employment or village-sponsored commerce, some equitable means of dividing the proceeds between the village and the earner will be determined from time to time by the members.

Trade categories

• Agricultural products
• Arts and crafts
• Education and training
• Engineering and technical
• Healing arts
• Personal services
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