Breaking news: On 26 August 2009, Cadbury Australia announced they will use Fairtrade cocoa in the production of their most popular product, Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, in both Australia and New Zealand.
This is exciting news - for the
Don’t Trade Lives campaign and its supporters and also for cocoa farmers in Ghana.
For the past 17 months, Don’t Trade Lives supporters have lobbied Australian chocolate manufacturers to take genuine steps to protect children working on cocoa farms.
More than 25,000 Australians have participated in the campaign’s action on the chocolate industry. They have called and visited chocolate manufacturers and retailers, signed petitions, held protests and visited Members of Parliament to demand change.
This outcome is proof of the power of our work together.
Cadbury’s announcement will deliver real change to the lives of tens of thousands Ghanaian cocoa farmers and their families. Fairtrade certification guarantees poor cocoa farmers a fair price for their products. It also explicitly prohibits the use of forced or slave labour, requires support for community development, and has a system of independent auditing.
In very real terms, this means a glass and a half of hope for cocoa farmers.
Cadbury’s decision will triple the amount of Fairtrade cocoa available in Australia. The taste and price of the chocolate will remain the same. You can expect to see Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate on supermarket shelves by Easter 2010.
Don’t Trade Lives continues to campaign against all forms of human trafficking and slavery. You can sign our current e-action calling on the Australian Government to do all it can to end human trafficking and slavery in our neighbourhood. For more information on the campaign, visit our Don’t Trade Lives page.