Eating green

The Times
 

Sir, Alice Fordham is right to point out that taking the environment into account when choosing food does not lead to black-and-white decisions (comment, August 7). We should not forget that all farming, including organic, makes an enormous impact on the environment. Transport is but one small component of this.

Freer trade in agricultural produce has benefited many poor farmers in developing countries. Let’s not sacrifice their livelihoods at the altar of narrow environmentalism.

MARTIN LIVERMORE, Cambridge