Ctm altromercato is non profit Consortium of World Shops (Botteghe del Mondo), whose members include around 130 cooperatives or associations that are active in the fair and supportive trade as well as in the fight against inequalities between North and South of the world. Currently 3 members of the Consortium live outside the Italian territory (Malta, Portugal and Greece).

The majority of the members of Ctm altromercato manage the World Shops (Botteghe del Mondo), places where, not only fair and supportive trade products are offered but also trainings on the relations between North and South are developed and the culture of responsible and supportive consumption is spread. The World Shops can be of vary different sizes, from actual spaces present in the downtown areas of some cities to smaller places in the suburbs or inside gathering places. Many members manage more than one World Shops. They can do it especially thanks to the contribution of volunteers, who are available to give up part of their time to keep active a World Shop and the project of a fair and supportive economy. The total of the World Shops is of around 350.

The consortium also includes other members who are not directly involved in the sales through the World Shops.

Altromercato products can be also found in several supermarkets, in organic food stores, herb stores and grocery stores. They are also used for public catering in several cities or institutions, including schools and universities.

The legal and operational sites of the central headquarters are located respectively in Bolzano and Verona. 90 people are employed there, and in charge of managing the development of the projects with producers, product import operations, logistics, marketing and communication activities, and commercial support to the members.

"… The Consortium recognizes its strong vocation towards the disadvantaged Peoples of the Developing Countries, who constitutes the primary object of the economic action and it is strictly committed to the cooperation with small producers in Developing Countries. This cooperation represents the intrinsic meaning of the movement of Fair and Supportive Trade, which proposes itself as an alternative to the traditional way of assistance aid present in other modalities of international cooperation… The Consortium recognizes the World Shops (Botteghe del Mondo) as the subjects that represent fair trade on the ground and promote its development. They constitute the chartered channel for the distribution of the fair trade products and the promotion of ethical financing. The Consortium intends to be an active and proactive part of a social economy based upon the principles of justice, sustainability and cooperation".