Students and Fair Trade: “Organizing for What?”

That question was the title of a sermon I heard at The United Church in Washington, DC this past weekend. The church, a combined ministry of the Methodist Church and United Church of Christ, hosted a United Students for Fair Trade regional convergence that Katy and I were honored to attend. I gave a talk about the history of Fair Trade–rooted in faith-based organizations–and we attended workshops on topics ranging from confronting oppression in our organizations to how industrial agriculture contributes to global warming. Pastor DeGroote dedicated his sermon on Sunday to how the call to organize for Fair Trade has connections to Jesus calling his disciples. There were reflections of Pastor DeGroote’s own experiences with coffee farmers in Nicaragua over two decades ago and how the continuing experience of campesinos regrettably mirrors those Jesus called “the least of these.” When students come together to organize they may or may not be compelled by faith but they certainly share a common Gospel desire to live in solidarity with the marginalized and the oppressed.

I’m now on a train (ain’t wireless great?) to Manhattan College where I will be participating in a national Teach-In on global warming. Besides listening and learning from students and professors, I will be sharing the example of Eco-palms as a way to put Fair Trade principles into practice for the benefit of the planet. I’m hoping to get tough questions from the audience because I know that a critical component of reducing climate change is reducing consumption. Yet, as a Fair Trader, I am explicitly asking people to shop and buy! This can be a real “consumption conundrum” for those of us who seek to reduce American impact on the planet. We need to reflect carefully on what kind of purchases we make—for necessities, for “nice-i-ties” and for luxuries—as we seek to be responsible consumers. We need to consider the impact on the producers and the communities that provide our raw materials for products ranging from liturgical palm fronds to tasty chocolate.

Fair Trade is giving us more and more opportunities to make purchases based on economic and environmental concerns. I hope the students organizing today will give me an opportunity to debate and resolve some related contradictions. I also welcome your comments about the connection between consumption and environmental sustainability!

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 and is filed under Beyond Fair Trade, Events, Fair Trade, Resources, Sustainability . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Students and Fair Trade: “Organizing for What?””

1. Cheryl Says:
   February 12th, 2008 at 1:38 pm

   Are there more details on the “convergence” and workshops available?

   Were you discussing/learning about particular products or regions?

   Thanks!

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