SERRV

nonprofit organization

Also known as: Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocations(Show More)

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Last updated

July 21, 2026

Quick Summary

SERRV, established in 1949 by the Church of the Brethren, is a nonprofit organization that operates within the broader fair trade movement. Its primary goal is to create trade relationships with impoverished communities, particularly in South America, by connecting them with export markets in the United States and Europe. This direct trading model aims to eliminate intermediary buyers, ensuring that producers receive a fair price for their goods and improving their livelihoods. SERRV was one of the early organizations contributing to the growth of fair trade, with the first formal fair trade shop in the U.S. opening in 1958 to sell goods from SERRV and similar organizations.1

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fair trade
History
…1949 a nonprofit organization called SERRV (Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocations) was established in the United States by the Church of the Brethren to form trade relationships with poor communities in South America. The first formal fair trade shop in the United States, where goods from SERRV and…
Read More
…1949 a nonprofit organization called SERRV (Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocations) was established in the United States by the Church of the Brethren to form trade relationships with poor communities in South America. The first formal fair trade shop in the United States, where goods from SERRV and…
Read More