This is regarding "Youths taste protest at candy trade show; Price hike sought for cocoa farmers" (Business June 8). In the story, Susan Smith of the National Confectioners Association states that fair-trade-certified products are not a "good fit" for the candy industry. Are we then to believe that child labor and a market that makes poor farmers poorer is a good fit for the industry instead?

From the Ivory Coast to Indonesia, cocoa farmers receive some of the world's lowest wages and work in some of the most appalling conditions. Contrary to Smith's assertion, fair-trade certification has the potential to be an incredible asset for the candy industry--and for poor countries. Consumer support for fair-trade-certified products has proven an important tool in addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty in the developing world. Ensuring that farmers receive an equitable market price for their cocoa crops helps strengthen economies in developing countries by enabling farmers to feed their families, send their kids to school and emerge from debt.

Lauren Skrundz, Chicago Committee for Fair Trade