The campaign to minimise so-called 'food miles' on environmental grounds is gathering pace. Politicians in developed markets are increasingly calling on consumers to shun produce which has been transported long distances, especially by air freight. However such a course of action will have a detrimental impact on farmers in third world countries which are dependent on getting their goods to developed markets.

At a recent conference, the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) criticised what it called a 'tokenistic policy'. It went so far as to say that the consumer responses to concerns about 'food miles' could undermine the social and economic development of African countries.

Much attention is being focused on how vegetables and flowers imported by air from Africa cause greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. But cutting this trade specifically could have an overall negative impact on African development, said Bill Vorley, head of IIED's Sustainable Markets Group.

"Export horticulture is one of the few genuine opportunities to bring direct and indirect benefits to the rural poor in developing countries," said Vorley. "Air freight is currently the only possible mode of transport from most of Africa for highly perishable produce. More than one million people in sub-Saharan Africa depend on this trade for their livelihoods."

"Climate change is going to affect the poor in Africa harder than anyone else. These are the people who have done least to cause the problem. They shouldn't be made to pay the cost of fixing it too."

Whilst focusing on airfreight (which generates a tiny proportion of total emissions) is an easy target for environmental campaigners, this blinkered approach conceals far worse problems. These include the clearance of Amazonian rain forest to grow soy to feed livestock in Europe or America which can then be described as 'home grown'.

It is also conveniently forgotten by many environmental campaigners that much of the produce exported from Africa is carried in the bellyholds of scheduled flights, filling spare capacity on passenger airplanes which would have flown anyway.

However it seems that many people will refuse to believe that globalisation has any ameliorative effects despite evidence to the contrary. Before penalising developing nations on the pretext of environmental concerns (which in many cases dress up ulterior, protectionist motives), Western governments and consumers should take into account the full implications of their policies.