Madam, - Will Cooke, the director of operations at McDonald's Restaurants, described a number of new developments within their restaurants aimed at providing the "benefits of a balanced diet" to customers (February 5th).
In the same edition, an opinion column by Kathy Sheridan mentioned, as an example of why some customers go to McDonalds, the fact that "the coffee \ always hot and strong". In his letter Mr Cooke properly expected "balanced reporting" from The Irish Times - and Ms Sheridan's piece perhaps represented this balanced approach on your part.
In the interest of further balance, and in trying to redress the balance towards coffee farmers in developing countries who continue to get a severe roasting, perhaps Mr Cooke and McDonalds will consider buying all of their coffee on Fairtrade Mark terms. McDonalds Restaurants in Switzerland have been selling only Fairtrade Mark coffee since March 2003.
Millions of people in developing countries are affected by how we as consumers spend our money, and by how businesses spend their money too. - Yours, etc.,
PETER GAYNOR, Co-ordinator, Fairtrade Mark Ireland, Carmichael House, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7.