Nestlé UK has announced its four-finger Kit Kat bar will be certified by Fairtrade* in the United Kingdom and Ireland from January 2010.
The UK Fairtrade certification is one example of Nestlé’s global commitment to promote sustainable cocoa production and support farmers and cocoa farming communities through The Cocoa Plan.
Nestlé has been working in Côte d’Ivoire – one of the poorest countries in the world – for over 50 years. The Fairtrade certification of Kit Kat will facilitate long-term direct commitments to cocoa co-operatives in Côte d’Ivoire, including additional payments for the farmers to invest in community or business development projects of their own choice, such as improving healthcare and schools. This is part of a long-term plan of Nestlé to create shared value in rural areas of where farming communities are solely dependent on coffee and cocoa for their livelihood.
The Cocoa Plan will also benefit Ivorian farmers by offering Nestlé’s agricultural and scientific know-how to improve the quality and yield of cocoa plants, offer farmer training and education, while improving the social conditions for farmers and their communities.
We welcome readers to share similar initiatives that create shared value in rural communities and demonstrate the responsible use of natural resources as well as enhances the well-being of the farming communities.
* The Fairtrade Foundation, established in 1992, is the independent non-profit organisation that ensures disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal.
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