Sweet move: Ghanaian growers to gain

THERE IS, according to its long-running advertising campaign, a glass and a half of milk in every half-pound of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, and soon there will only be Fairtrade cocoa within its iconic purple wrappers too.

Cadbury Ireland announced yesterday that it had committed to achieving Fairtrade certification for its top-selling chocolate bar in Ireland and Britain by the end of summer 2009. Its hot-chocolate beverages are also in line to be made from cocoa sourced under Fairtrade terms and conditions from cocoa farmers in Ghana.

The move, which Cadbury Ireland said was the result of two years’ work with the Fairtrade movement, will be a significant boost to the ethical trading certification scheme, increasing Irish Fairtrade sales by 45 per cent.

In Ireland, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk sells more than €13.8 million annually, while sales of products with the Fairtrade mark grew to €30.5 million in 2008. Fairtrade Mark Ireland executive director Peter Gaynor said the move by Cadbury would bring greater benefits to the communities of farmers in Ghana and illustrated the potential for Fairtrade to become “an ordinary part of people’s day-to-day shopping”.

Cadbury said the initiative would have no impact on the price of the Dairy Milk range of bars, which account for 10 per cent of the confectionery market in Ireland, or on their taste.

The Fairtrade-certified chocolate will continue to be produced in Ireland, where Cadbury employs more than 1,100 people.

Last month, Cadbury posted a 30 per cent increase in group pretax profits as consumers sought to sweeten the sour taste of recession with affordable treats.

A Cadbury Ireland spokeswoman said yesterday there was an element of “recession-resilience” at the company. “I don’t think you can say that anyone is recession-proof,” she added.