Ethical Brand News

In a remarkably revealing article published in the Sydney Morning Herald today Cadbury sets out the basis for its claim that its Milk Bar product is Fair Trade.  It turns out that the ingredients of Cadbury Milk Bars are NOT guranteed to be sourced from FairTrade sources because it is “too hard to keep the Fair Trade certified coco separate during production”.

Fair Trade has clearly sold out, by diluting its once authentic approach to accommodate the big brands.  For Fair Trade to endorse one product from Cadbury’s vast range on the basis that it has committed to purchase X tonnes of coco from FairTrade sources, which is then blended into coco from all of the other non Fair Trade supply chain sources just doesn’t stack up.

If it is too hard to keep the Fair Trade coco separate during the production process then it simply should not have received certification from Fair Trade.   That is the equivalent of a reputable newspaper, such as the Sydney Morning Herald running a headline story based on information gleaned from reliable sources and blended with absolute hearsay and conjecture, and presenting this to its readers as fact.

Fair Trade and Cadbury have set about creating a perception in the marketplace that when you purchase this particular Cadbury product that all of the ingredients are sourced from FairTrade suppliers, which simply is not the case at all.  Cadbury could almost be forgiven if they were able to articulate their firm commitment and plan to expand to 100% Fair Trade coco sourcing, but according to its global head of corporate affairs, there are no such plans.

Labeling laws are desperately needed to stop corporations like Cadbury and the likes of Fair Trade getting together to mislead consumers in this manner for their own commercial ends.  The Fair Trade label on Cadburys products needs to be accompanied by the statement saying “… these ingredients are not entirely Fair Trade certified.”