Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade, nonprofit organization with a store in Virginia-Highland, has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2012.

This recognition marks the fifth consecutive year that Ten Thousand Villages, with national headquarters in Akron, Pa., was named to the list as an ethical leader in the specialty retail category.

Ten Thousand Villages offers home decor, personal accessories and gift items handcrafted by artisans in 38 countries.

"We are very honored to be recognized among this selection of major companies,” said Marg Lambert, store manager of Ten Thousand Villages in Virginia-Highland. “As a nonprofit retail store, we are committed to sustainable economic and environmental practices. We strive to improve the lives of men and women in developing nations."

Ethisphere is a New York-based international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere reviewed nominations from companies in more than three dozen industries, including 40 companies headquartered outside the United States.

The methodology for the rankings includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.