After City Council formally made Madison the 16th fair trade city in the nation in mid-April, members of the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group’s Fair Trade Committee met with city officials and fair trade representatives to announce the city’s new status.
Alds. Bryon Eagon and Mike Verveer, Districts 8 and 4 respectively, proclaimed their support and gratitude for WISPIRG’s work toward conscious buying in the city.
Fair trade, though an important issue, had been largely overlooked on a citywide level, Eagon said.
“Before the students had contacted me and contacted Mike, this wasn’t exactly at the top of our radar,” Eagon said.
The aim of the resolution is to increase the purchasing of fair trade products by services contracted with the city to raise awareness of local buying on poor farming and artisan communities.
Eagon added the passing of this resolution with planning carried out primarily by students was a good example of student activism and public education at work.
With the acceptance of this resolution, Madison becomes the first state capital in the nation to accept such a measure and the first campaign led by a student organization.
WISPIRG Fair Trade Campaign Coordinator Allie Gardner said the resolution supporting fair trade throughout Madison had been in the works for more than a year. It was only recently, she added, that progress had been made.
“It’s no surprise that a city as progressive as Madison would support conscious consumerism,” Gardner said.
Verveer said he was frankly embarrassed a resolution like this had taken so long to get approval by City Council. He cited University of Wisconsin students’ work toward sweatshop-free purchasing and the city’s subsequent support of such measures as the effect students can have on local government and its practices.
He added this resolution was merely the first step of many toward recognizing the need for fair trade buying The final goal, he said, would be to put in place an ordinance requiring businesses that regularly provide services to the city to engage in fair trade buying.
