Northern Rivers Talking Turkey » Letters to the Editor http://nrtt.com.au The Northern Rivers Premier Independant Newspaper Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:00:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Letter to the editor http://nrtt.com.au/issue/90/article/letter-to-the-editor/ http://nrtt.com.au/issue/90/article/letter-to-the-editor/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:55:45 +0000 NRTT Editor http://nrtt.com.au/?p=5582 Dear EditorIn the last issue of the Northern Rivers Talking Turkey Issue 92 dated 1st December 2011, a reader urged us to support local businesses by buying local produce either at the new IGA Supermarket or visiting the Farmers’ Market. Where necessary, they also encouraged the purchase of international goods marketed under the Fair Trade banner.Yes, we should encourage people to support “LOCAL” businesses and farmers who grow produce for the market as this helps keep your money within the area. However, all is not what it seems. Take the small section at IGA boldly signed, “Northern Rivers Food – Finest Local Produce” for example. Sadly I was disappointed to find that a brand of coffee named after a well known coastal lowland town has used almost entirely “International Coffee” and the odd “International and Australian Coffee” in its products. Can you tell me when has “International” become acceptable as LOCAL PRODUCE? I think this is rather deceptive and calls in to question the integrity of such promotions as I am sure the relevant consumer authority might agree.As for the Farmers’ Market, it would appear the original charter for these types of markets has been compromised as RESELLERS have been allowed to operate “supermarket” size stalls and thereby overshadowing local farmers who actually grow the produce they sell. Yes, there is a place for Resellers at markets, but their role is to augment what local growers cannot produce in this area (and out-of-season fruit) because of climate and other factors. Money spent at the Resellers DOES NOT stay in the area as they are generally not local.I won’t go in to the Fair Trade issue in detail other than to say that coffee growers in a central American country receive the equivalent of around $0.40 per kilo for coffee parchment and yet you will have to pay between $50.00 and $70.00 per kilo under the Fair Trade banner. Not entirely FAIR TRADE is it!

S Phillips

Kyogle

 

 

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