It is sad that Fairtrade is used as a marker to highlight consideration for the diversity and empathy for developing countries, where the process touches the effects rather than addressing the cause, such as unfair tariffs or import quotas.

Fairtrade is about more than trade. It is a test of the credibility of the World Trade Organisation and its ability to deliver on its promises to liberalise trade and secure a fair system of trade rules and practices in developing countries.

Therefore, Fairtrade should have the capacity to address this and not just promote the goods and materials produced in the developing countries.

Cotton is a prime example of how rich countries’ trade policies depress world prices and cut into the livelihood of millions in developing countries since cotton is a labour-intensive business — more than two-thirds of the world’s cotton is produced by developing countries. For example, working on small plots and relying on manual labour, farmers in West Africa are among the lowest-cost producers of cotton in the world, but the price they get for their cotton has collapsed.

On the other hand, the United States’ cotton is doing very well, although their production costs are three times higher than those in West Africa.

The US cotton farmers also benefit from billion dollars a year in direct subsidies and support — more than the entire GDP of Burkina Faso, where two million people depend on growing cotton.

I hope the people who gain publicity through Fairtrade would have the integrity to address why there is unfair trade.

Councillor Husain Akhtar

Independent/Canons ward

Harrow Borough Council