I believe a lot will depend on the way it’s reported. If national journalists include news of the rising costs of cocoa and sugar, and the increasing investment Cadbury’s, and companies like it, is making into sustainable cocoa supplies – including projects to support farmers, governments, NGOs and international agencies – consumers will have a chance to understand the bigger picture.
Initially, sustainability work can incur an upfront cost in terms of infrastructure, management time & commitment, and education, but the rewards are just what is sought: sustainability of the business & profitability, sustainability of food supplies and sustainability of the communities on which we rely for most of our raw materials.
500m smallholders in developing countries are responsible for supplying 80% of the world’s food, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development. If consumers were given the news of Cadbury’s investment in the health of the communities from which it sources the cocoa, they may accept any alteration to pricing or offering more readily.
Cadbury’s – as with all the major food & beverage manufacturers – contributes heavily to the building of wells for clean, safe water; to education, through schools and libraries; and to the environment through biodiversity projects, etc. As it is, with the economic challenges and raw material costs putting increased pressure on companies, coupled with a growing need to invest in sustainability, keeping prices down is nigh on impossible for anyone.
Consumers themselves are facing their own increased financial burdens. So, with such a backdrop, I think Cadbury’s has opted for a practical solution to a tricky challenge. At least we consumers can still buy our attractive Christmas gift tins and share the delicious chocolates Cadbury’s produces, for the same price.
Would we Christmas revellers, in a fortunate society where obesity prevails, begrudge a few extra chocolates for the sake of sustainability if we were given the full facts? I doubt it. Given the chance to pay the same for the same delicious chocolates with the knowledge that we were contributing to the sustainability of production by Cadbury’s of a chocolate we love, of the planet and our food supplies, and those communities less fortunate than us, I know what I’d opt for.
Do I think Cadbury’s reputation will be damaged? I don’t think it ought to be, but I believe a lot will rest on how the initiative is reported. As with all developments, the press has a responsible role to play in society and I hope that the reporter I’ve just spoken to takes that responsibility seriously.
Claire Rowan is managing editor of Food & Beverage International magazine. Subscribe here.
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