The Wisconsin Student Public Interest Group held a press conference
Tuesday to announce Madison’s status as a Fair Trade City, making it the
16th city in the nation and the first state capital to receive this
designation.
WISPIRG’s announcement followed two years of student lobbying and
work to gain the support of the Common Council, local businesses and
community members who are in favor of the fair trade initiative.
According to WISPIRG, the “Fair Trade” distinction is reserved for
products produced under fair labor conditions in which workers receive a
fair wage and work in a safe environment that prohibits child labor.
The steps in becoming a Fair Trade City include crafting a local
campaign, creating a Fair Trade “steering committee” to ensure continued
commitment, and establishing the presence of local businesses offering
Fair Trade products.
In Madison, some currently participating businesses include Madison
Fresh Market, Fair Indigo, Café Soleil, A Room of One’s Own and others.
Of the many steps necessary for a town to be deemed a Fair Trade
City, it is most important for the city council to pass a resolution
supporting fair trade and the local campaign, WISPIRG campaign
coordinator Allie Gardner said.
Resolution co-sponsor Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, spoke at the
conference, congratulating WISPIRG’s work and describing the resolution
as just the beginning.
“This is really the clearest example of student activism at work,”
Verveer said. “And this is only the first step.”
WISPIRG, Verveer and fellow resolution co-sponsor Ald. Bryon Eagon,
District 8, hope to follow this first step by working with the city
council to pass an ordinance requiring Madison to increase its use of
fair trade products.
“Currently, [the resolution] is a signal of support from our
leaders,” said Gardner. “But hopefully the ordinance is going to have
some more legally binding language, making it a requirement to use fair
trade products in certain situations.”
WISPIRG’s announcement came four days before World Fair Trade Day,
which will be celebrated this Saturday at Monona Terrace.
Other upcoming events include a fair trade tea and coffee tasting
Wednesday in Library Mall and WISPIRG’s “Go Bananas for Fair Trade”
event on Bascom Hill Thursday.
