Fairtrade status for Dairy Milk is sweet news for farmers

Published on Tuesday 3 March 2009 21:11

THE UK's top-selling chocolate bar is set to achieve Fairtrade status this summer, in a "groundbreaking" move that will give a huge boost to tens of thousands of cocoa farmers in Ghana, it was announced today.

Cadbury's and the Fairtrade Foundation said Dairy Milk would achieve Fairtrade certification by the end of the summer. The development will triple sales of cocoa under Fairtrade terms, giving thousands of farmers the chance to benefit from the Fairtrade system.

Todd Stitzer, chief executive of Cadbury, said it was a historic moment for the company, adding: "I was in Ghana last month and saw how vital it is that businesses support their partners and the communities they live in.

"We believe that by joining forces with the Fairtrade Foundation, we can further improve living standards and conditions for farmers and farming communities."

The move, which also includes Cadbury's hot chocolate, marks the first anniversary of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, an initiative under which the company is investing 45 million over the next ten years to secure sustainable cocoa farming in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean.

The company said it was committed to the Fairtrade certification of Cadbury Dairy Milk for the British and Irish markets – about 300 million bars a year.

Sales of Fairtrade goods in the UK increased by 43 per cent to 700 million last year, with seven out of ten households buying goods and products with the Fairtrade mark.