Madam, - While everyone appreciates the motivation behind Tralee's attempts to become a "Fairtrade town" (The Irish Times, February 3rd), Fairtrade can have quite negative consequences. Putting a premium on certain types of crops, such as coffee, persuades farmers to move into these industries. As well as reducing diversity in agriculture, this has the effect of lowering the world price of coffee, making non-Fairtrade growers, who make up the vast majority, actually worse off.
Tralee's efforts might be much better directed towards lobbying the EU to lift trade tariffs against third-world nations. This would result in true "fair trade", and a fairer deal for all the world's coffee growers. - Is mise,
Dr FRANCIS SWEENEY, London N1.