The Fairtrade debate

Listener comments

• What a fantastic, programme. I haven't heard such an adult and thoughtful approach to this subject. It really shows what people can do on the web now, and puts some radio to shame. Well done let's hear more.

  Submitted by David Charles

• Thank you for enabling people to hear the debate. Hearing the arguments against FT helps us to inform ourselves to articulate the counter arguments. I was interested by the dilemma, what about ethical businesses who are too successful to gain a FT mark? Then, what about FT marked cooperatives who gain success and thus should outgrow the developing FT mark? Surely an additional ethical mark needs to be identified to recognise ethical traders such as these. For Example, Hotel Chocolat and Green and Blacks. Or and FT mark grading from newly developing...out of poverty...success story. All the arguments that Alex Singleton articulated demonstrated were that FT is an inspirational start and has some success stories and is pursuing more. FairTrade is an issue in UK too, thank you Waitrose for being the only supermarket to pay dairy farmers the fair price for every pint of milk they sell. Ethical supermarkets like Waitrose and the Co-op put the behemoths to shame, this needs to be sung out loudly.

  Submitted by Mundy Tina

• Why doesn't Moldova qualify as a Fairtrade country ? Its GDP per capita (or GNI) was less than 825 USD in 2004, and it comes in the next-to-poorest category of the DAC list of countries that governs Fairtrade selection. (I am actually emailing this from an office in Chisinau, Moldova's capital. Believe me, the country is poor indeed.)

  Submitted by David Orchard

• Not all foods we want can be grown in this country (UK) so Fairtrade is an excellent start to protect growers in other countries from the greediness of the West. As for air miles, well some foods we can grow in the UK some we cannot and likewise all over the world, so we may be exporting many goods to other countries to help our balance of payments. Lets hope our goods are not rejected on the basis of "air miles" otherwise some of us in the UK might be out of jobs.

  Submitted by A. Frost

• Fairtrade is a tricky one to call. Do you buy the fairtrade tea, or the tea from the factory down the road that supports the community you live and work and play in? I am not convinced that the people who work in a fairtrade company are treated with respect, even if they are being paid a better price...

  Submitted by Elizabeth Haynes

• A very interesting programme. I think it's difficult for shoppers to know how to shop ethically - are you supposed to buy British (to reduce food miles), organic (for a better environment) or Fairtrade (to help developing countries)?

  Submitted by John Higginson