Sir, It was disappointing to see that Wallingford has voted against applying to be a Fairtrade town.

The town council seems to have misunderstood what is involved. It is not about promoting one form of trade over another or telling people how to shop. It is more about encouraging people to think about how they shop and explaining the different alternatives available. The only commitment being a Fairtrade town demands is serving Fairtrade tea and coffee at council meetings. Local trader Stephen Kitching is correct to say there are other options than official Fairtrade certification by the UK Fairtrade Foundation.

However, Fairtrade certification is an independent guarantee that the company selling the coffee, chocolate or whatever else has followed Fairtrade principles.

It would be interesting to learn why the group Mr Kitching mentions has not applied for official Fairtrade certification and if they are members of IFAT (The International Fairtrade Assocation).

Relying on an independent 'ethical trading group which oversees the tea and coffee trade' is a bit like not bothering to get an MOT certificate for your car as it been looked at by an independent local mechanic.

Didcot Fairtrade activists are very grateful for the support they received from the public during Fairtrade Fortnight. Hundreds of people took the trouble to give us their opinions almost all of which were supportive.

Less than one per cent of goods sold in British shops are Fairtrade. One of the reasons Didcot Chamber of Commerce has been so supportive of what local Fairtrade activists are doing is that they can see the benefits to their members as market share grows.

Hopefully Wallingford will look at the issue again. Let's all work together to Make Poverty History!

Lee Thacker Sandringham Road Didcot