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Cadbury takes Fairtrade further into mainstream in UK
Cadbury Dairy Milk has launched its new Fairtrade-certified chocolate bars, becoming the first mass market chocolate to gain certification from the Fairtrade Foundation. The independent Fairtrade mark appears prominently on the new packaging, and will bring the logo into more homes in the UK.
The Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk bars demonstrate the ongoing commitment by Cadbury and the Fairtrade Foundation to secure the economic, social and environmental sustainability of cocoa farming communities in Ghana. This builds upon the work of the groundbreaking Cadbury Cocoa Partnership (CCP), which was launched in 2008.
Cadbury has committed to offering the new Fairtrade bar at no extra cost, and with no change to the taste. Research carried out by the Fairtrade Foundation revealed that the two biggest barriers to increased purchase of Fairtrade products in the UK are lack of availability or visibility in-store and perceptions of price.
Trevor Bond, MD of Cadbury Britain and Ireland, said: “Having announced our intention to achieve Fairtrade certification for our flagship brand, Cadbury Dairy Milk, only a few months ago, it’s exciting that these bars are now rolling off the production lines in Bournville. This creates a tipping point for Fairtrade with Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk bars available to all, with the same great taste and at no extra cost. I’ve seen the new bars and I feel enormous pride that we’re the first mainstream confectionery product in the UK to display the Fairtrade mark.
“Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk is the start of a new dawn for Fairtrade and for Cadbury. We will continue to work together to explore what else is possible with other brands and in other markets.”
Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “This is a real milestone for Fairtrade and for cocoa growers in Ghana. Cadbury Dairy Milk will create a step-change in awareness of Fairtrade here in the UK, while in Ghana, it could potentially transform the lives and opportunities for thousands of people in cocoa growing communities. From today, lovers of Cadbury Dairy Milk will be able to make their purchase in the knowledge that they are supporting a brighter future for small-scale cocoa farmers, their families and their villages.”
In a matter of months, Cadbury has moved from announcing its plans for Fairtrade certification, to manufacturing Fairtrade chocolate. Realising this commitment will accelerate Fairtrade into the mainstream, while tripling the amount of cocoa sold under Fairtrade terms in Ghana from approximately 5,000 to 15,000 tonnes.
Through the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership (CCP), Cadbury is investing £45m over the next 10 years to secure sustainable cocoa farming in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean, where the cocoa farming industry is facing increasing challenges. So far, the CCP’s partnership model with charities and NGOs on the ground in Ghana has achieved the following:
- A Ghana board has been set up with power to make CCP decisions there and includes partners at grassroots level who know and understand their community needs.
- Through grassroots partnerships with Care, VSO and World Vision, the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is now active in 100 Ghanaian communities.
- Last year alone, Cadbury built a well a day in Ghanaian communities – 365 wells that help families and children spend time on education and health programmes instead of digging for water.
Cadbury estimates that by 2018, through today’s announcements and the CCP, it will have made a demonstrable difference to the lives of around half a million farmers in Cadbury’s cocoa markets.
The new packaging for the Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk bars also features the London 2012 Olympics logo, to reflect Cadbury’s sponsorship of the Games.
Source: Cadbury
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