Leading Fair Trade Advocates Congratulate Cadbury

Published March 06, 2009 @ 01:58PM PT

Since Cadbury announced their commitment to Fair Trade, Fair Traders have been chattering about the momentous occassion. From the Fairtrade Foundation to Divine Chocolate, the excitement is high. Now two leading Fair Trade advocates, Global Exchange and the International Labor Rights Forum have chimed in their congratulations.

Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum, Bama Athreya says,

We congratulate Cadbury on this important announcement. We hope that Cadbury's increasing commitment to Fair Trade will contribute to better living and working conditions for cocoa farmers throughout West Africa. Most importantly, Cadbury can serve as a model to major US-based chocolate companies. Their leadership demonstrates that committing to Fair Trade certified cocoa for the mass market is indeed possible.

Fair Trade Campaign Director at Global Exchange, Adrienne Fitch-Frankel added,

Cadbury's Fair Trade announcement is an important victory for cocoa farmers, chocolate lovers, and grassroots Fair Trade advocates in the UK and around the world. We hope that Cadbury will extend its commitment to Fair Trade to all of its cocoa products sold in the UK and worldwide. After the remarkable leadership of 100% Fair Trade certified chocolate companies like Equal Exchange, Divine, and Alter Eco, Cadbury has proven that embracing Fair Trade is also both feasible and profitable for the major international chocolate brands. Cadbury's is the first domino in the domino effect of major chocolate companies going Fair Trade. The tens of thousands of grassroots Fair Trade activists we work with, from young children to grandparents, are eagerly awaiting the day that we will savor our first Fair Trade certified Hershey's bar, package of M&Ms, or World's Finest Chocolate bar.

Both Global Exchange and ILRF have been working for years on getting major U.S. chocolate companies to purchase Fair Trade Certified cocoa, so Cadbury's announcement shows that progress is possibility.

For more information on both organization's cocoa campaign efforts, check out their sites [Global Exchange & ILRF] and also see how you can get involved.

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Author

Zarah is the Operations Manager for the Global Exchange Fair Trade Online Store, a project of the international human rights organization, Global Exchange. Alongside her work with marginalized communities from all over the world to get their products into the international market, Zarah serves to educate and inform the public about a more just and sustainable trading system.