IN April Oxfam supporters demonstrated outside the Kraft-owned Terry's factory in York to highlight the desperately low prices being paid to coffee farmers by companies such as Kraft, who make Kenco and Nestl, who make Nescaf.

The price we pay for coffee in shops continues to go up while the price paid to coffee farmers is less than they can live on.

Most small coffee farmers are losing money with every bag they sell and 25 million farmers face ruin.

So far, despite the worsening crisis, the response of world leaders and coffee companies has amounted to little more then the froth on the top of a cappuccino.

Oxfam is urging governments and coffee companies to turn their words into concrete actions and improve the lives of millions of coffee farmers.

To join Oxfam's campaign to help coffee farmers visit www.maketradefair.com or ring 01865 312610.

Kim Tan,

Oxfam campaigns officer

Yorkshire,

Park Square East, Leeds.

Updated: 11:20 Tuesday, May 27, 2003