The percentage of Australian consumers who recognise the ethical label Fairtrade has risen from 37 per cent to 44 per cent in the last year, according to a survey commissioned by Fairtrade. Fairtrade International commissioned international market researchers GlobeScan to survey 17,000 consumers in 24 countries. The total number of interviews per country ranged from 500 to 1,500. According to Fairtrade International, 55 per cent of the Australian consumers surveyed said they feel empowered to make... ...Read more »

Mars Chocolate Australia has announced that it will source enough Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa to cover the production of its iconic Mars Bar, which will bear the Rainforest Alliance treefrog logo. The move follows Cadbury’s switch last year, when the company began purchasing enough Fairtrade cocoa to cover the production of its Dairy Milk blocks. Mars Chocolate Australia said that chocolate lovers want to know that their special treat not only tastes delicious, but has been produced... ...Read more »

Sales of Fairtrade products have bucked the recession in the UK, rising by 40% and topping the GBP 1 billion mark for the first time.As it launched Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation reported that sales of Fairtrade products rose by 40% in 2010 to an estimated retail value of GBP1.17bn. The organisation said it demonstrated that UK shoppers are continuing to show their ethical values despite the tough times. “It is fantastic to break the first billion,” Fairtrade Foundation... ...Read more »

Australia continues to be one of the world’s fastest growing markets for Fairtrade Certified products with sales tripling in just 12 months to over $120 million in 2010, Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand (Fairtrade ANZ) announced today. Fairtrade ANZ CEO Stephen Knapp said the outstanding sales growth was matched by a significant jump in Australian consumer awareness of the Fairtrade Label – rising from 23% in September 2009 to 37% in November 2010 (Mobium Group 2010). “Across the country,... ...Read more »

Cocoa prices this week shot up as the president-elect of Cote D’Ivoire announced an export ban amid political struggles in the country. Europe’s confectioners and biscuit makers admitted that a temporary ban of cocoa shipments from the region, the world’s largest cocoa exporter, has created “a very testing time” for the industry. Here we take a closer look at the Cote D’Ivoire cocoa market and its importance globally. * Côte d’Ivoire, also known as the... ...Read more »

The management running UK-based premium organic chocolate maker Green & Black’s is reportedly considering buying the business from parent company Kraft Foods. A report in The Financial Times said bosses at Green & Black’s, which Kraft acquired as part of its acquisition of Cadbury last year, are looking at possible plans for a management buy-out. The FT cited sources familiar with Green & Black’s that claimed the chocolate maker’s management were struggling to... ...Read more »

Gourmet chocolate brand Callebaut, owned by Belgian chocolate giant Barry Callebaut, has announced the launch of a new Fairtrade range of chocolate products. Callebaut’s four classic recipes – 811 (dark), 823 (milk), W2 (white) and 70-30-38 (dark) – are the preferred choice of confectioners, pastry chefs and chocolatiers all over the world. They have become global standards, often copied but never equaled in taste, flavor, quality and workability. From January 2011 these products will be available... ...Read more »

All Kit Kats sold in Australia will next year be made using UTZ-certified cocoa, brand owner Nestle has announced.UTZ cocoa is already used in the four-finger Kit Kats on sale in Australia but Nestle has pledged to switch all of the brand’s SKUs to the certified cocoa during next year. Andrew McIver, business executive manager for confectionery within Nestle Australia, said the exact timing of the changes depended upon enough certified cocoa becoming available to satisfy production. McIver... ...Read more »

Sales of Fair Trade Certified products to US grocery stores has risen 30% in the last year, according to newly-published data. During the 52 weeks to 4 September, sales to food, drug, mass-merchandise and natural-food stores reached US$140m, figures from industry consultants SPIN show. The data excludes sales at Wal-Mart Stores, Whole Food Market and of own-label products. Sales of packaged coffee certified as Fair Trade grew 44%, while ready-to-drink tea and coffee sales were up 51%. Fair Trade... ...Read more »

The global cost of Fairtrade cocoa will rise in January, certification body Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) has announced. From 1 January, the “Fairtrade Minimum Price” – a floor which buyers must always pay – will rise to US$2,000 a metric tonne. The New Year will also see cocoa farmers earn US$200 in a “Fairtrade Premium” for every metric tonne of the ingredient they sell – up from $150 a tonne. The “premium” is added... ...Read more »