Cadbury has laid out plans to achieve Fairtrade certification for Cadbury Dairy Milk by the end of the summer.
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The move will result in the tripling of sales of cocoa under Fairtrade terms for cocoa farmers in Ghana, Cadbury said, increasing Fairtrade cocoa sales for existing certified farming groups and opening up new opportunities for others.
Cadbury chief executive Todd Stitzer said: “This is an historic moment for our company. We believe that by joining forces with the Fairtrade Foundation, we can further improve living standards and conditions for farmers and farming communities, and create a sustainable supply of high quality cocoa for Cadbury.”
The move, which also includes Cadbury’s hot chocolate beverage, marks the first anniversary of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership (CCP), an initiative in which the company is investing GBP45m (US$63.3m) over the next ten years to secure the sustainable socio-economic future of cocoa farming in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean.
The company has committed to the Fairtrade certification of Cadbury Dairy Milk for the UK and Ireland.
“Cadbury’s commitment is breakthrough news for the farmers in Ghana who are very excited that they will be able to sell more of their cocoa as Fairtrade, bringing greater benefits to their communities,” says Harriet Lamb, chief executive of the Fairtrade Foundation. “This certainly sets a new standard for the mainstream chocolate industry.”
The Fairtrade Foundation and its international partner certification body, FLO-Cert, will be independently monitoring and auditing the supply chain against internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.
