Consumerism on steroids

"Consumerism on steroids" is how one person in our Sister City Missoula, Montana described the arrival of the mega mall on their retail scene. Traditionally people shopped in the Missoula central business district. Then came the smaller malls, like our Plaza and Downtown. This change adversely affected the CBD retailers, but they rallied, the CBD was revitalised and the two styles of shopping co-existed.

Then the third wave in retail development came to Missoula: mega malls. Like the one suggested for Palmerston North, these Missoulan mega malls were large enough to swallow up our whole central business district. Citizens described the new retail organisations as a blight on their landscape, unnecessary and unwanted.

But they came, small businesses folded, and strips of stores linked the city to the big mega mall. The look and feel of the city changed. The heart of Missoula struggled to beat. Ten years later they have survived but downtown Missoula is a very different CBD.

One of the benefits of our Sister City relationships is the opportunity to learn from decisions and issues that have impacted on these cities. So when a mega mall was proposed for the outskirts of Palmerston North it was helpful to be able to reflect on the experience of our friends in Missoula.

There is an argument that we should just let the market decide because the market will find its own level, and that if we do not become competitive we will not survive. It is matched by the belief that all growth is good.

However, if we give control of commerce solely to the market place and take it from traditional governance agencies such as local and central government, then communities themselves will have a low level of control over their own structure and fabric. Already there are many multinationals that exert influence far greater than that of democratically elected leaders.

My decision to oppose the construction of a mega mall is more than just a question of location - that it would be built on prime farming land that serves as a vital link in the flood control plans. It is also a question of whether in fact we need it at all, anywhere. I ask: what would it add to our community?

Secondly, I ask about what such places sell. One disturbing aspect of trading globally is the number of products available that have been manufactured under exploitive conditions overseas, exploiting either people or the environment - or both.

Three everyday consumer items illustrate this: coffee, tea and cocoa. For these products, two systems of production exist side by side. One is the traditional model dominated by multinationals that are fundamentally shareholder and profit driven. But another model exists, known as Fairtrade, which aims to share the benefits of trade more equitably between consumers, producers and the environment. Fairtrade farmers receive higher, stable prices that mean they can better support their families and communities.

For me, an indicator of genuine social concern, civic pride and community welfare would be if we here in Palmerston North used products in our homes and workplaces that came from Fairtrade farms and enterprises. This Fairtrade model allows us to help those trapped in poverty to break the cycle through their own efforts.

And that means a simple change in our behaviour. Next time we go out for coffee we can ask if the café is using Fairtrade coffee, and yes some down George Street do. It means that when we buy products at the supermarket we can choose to buy those which carry the Fairtrade logo. Or we can pop into the Trade Aid shop on Broadway and buy these essentials there.

Such a small adjustment for us, and such a significant difference for someone whose total wage that week may be the price of our cappuccino.