Following the an
nouncement in June 2011 that Cadbury would be launching the first certified Fairtrade chocolate slab in SA, Cadbury Dairy Milk plain chocolate slabs hit shelves in November 2011, coinciding with national Fairtrade Week.
Greg Banach, chocolate category head at Kraft Foods SA, said Cadbury Dairy Milk was breaking new ground in the South African market. ‘We are very proud to be the first major business to achieve Fairtrade certification in this country. In joining forces with Fairtrade, we can do more to create a sustainable supply of high quality cocoa for Cadbury Dairy Milk.’
The slab will be retailing at the same price as the rest of the range. The pack will change slightly to feature the Fairtrade logo. Cadbury’s aim is to ensure better working and living conditions for small-scale farmers and their communities.
In 2010, South Africans spent an estimated R18,4 million on Fairtrade products. Global sales reached €4,36 billion (about R47,4b), a 27 per cent increase from 2009. Although Fairtrade has been operational in SA for the past two years, the agreement with Kraft Foods SA is set to increase retail sales of Fairtrade products by over eight times the volume.
‘We are thrilled that the first Fairtrade-certified chocolate slabs were launched during Fairtrade Week,’ says Boudewijin Goosens, Fairtrade Label executive.
More than 14 million Cadbury Dairy Milk plain chocolate slabs are bought in SA every year, and the Fairtrade certification will ensure these purchases have a substantial impact on the lives of the farmers who produce the cocoa.
