Have a break, Have a Fairtrade Kit Kat
Nestlé strengthens its commitment to sustainable cocoa sourcing by certifying its flagship confectionery brand.
Nestlé Ireland today announced that Kit Kat, its leading confectionery brand and Ireland’s most loved chocolate biscuit – will be certified Fairtrade in Ireland and the UK. This move follows the launch of Nestlé’s global Cocoa Plan which represents a €72 million investment over the next ten years in programmes to address the key economic, social and environmental issues facing cocoa farming communities.
Focusing predominantly on the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), the world’s largest cocoa producing country, the aim of The Cocoa Plan is to use Nestlé’s agricultural and scientific know–how to improve the quality and yield of cocoa plants, offer farmer training and education and improve the social conditions for farmers and their communities.
Fairtrade certification of Kit Kat will facilitate long term direct commitments to cocoa co–operatives including additional payments for the farmers to invest in community or business development projects of their own choice, such as improving healthcare and schools.
The first Kit Kats to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in Ireland will be the four–finger version from January 2010.
David Rennie, Managing Director, Nestlé Confectionery UK, said:
“I am delighted that following the launch of the global Cocoa Plan, Kit Kat – our leading confectionery brand – will now be Fairtrade certified in the UK and Ireland. Consumers are increasingly interested in how we source and manufacture their favourite products and certifying our largest and most iconic brand is one of the ways in which we are committing to improving the lives of as many cocoa farming families as possible. Over 6000 Ivorian farmers will benefit immediately as a result of today’s announcement.”
Peter Gaynor, Executive Director of Fairtrade Mark Ireland, said:
“This is very good news for the cocoa farmers involved in Cote d’Ivoire, and good news for supporters of Fairtrade in Ireland. Cote d’Ivoire is one of the poorest countries in the world with nearly 50% of people living below the poverty line according to the World Bank. This move by Kit Kat will provide cocoa farmers with more opportunity to invest in social projects in their own communities.”
Describing the Nestlé global Cocoa Plan Petraea Heynike, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Nestle S.A. said:
“Cocoa is vital to the livelihoods of nearly 50 million people worldwide, including 5 million farmers. The most effective way for cocoa farmers to increase their income is by increasing quality and productivity of their harvests. By combining the funding of farmer training and educations schemes with an extensive tree plantlet programme our Cocoa Plan aims to give farmers the best and most effective means to better their livelihoods.”
Nestlé has been working in the Ivory Coast, one of the poorest countries in the world, for over 50 years. As a leader in cocoa and coffee plant science Nestlé has pioneered techniques to producer higher quality seedlings and help farmers increase productivity, investing almost €39 million in sustainability initiatives in the last 15 years and supplying over 17 million coffee and cocoa plantlets to producer countries. Certifying its biggest confectionery brand brings to life a shared ambition between Nestle and Fairtrade to empower Ivorian cocoa farmers to help them improve their lives and give them a better deal in return for high–quality cocoa.
Additional sustainability initiatives which will be funded by Nestlé as part of The Cocoa Plan include:
- Plant expertise – improving the quantity and quality of yields by providing 12 million stronger, more productive cocoa tree plantlets to farmers over the next 10 years
- Farmer training and assistance – teaching more efficient, sustainable farming methods, such as the effective pruning of trees, fermentation and drying of beans
- Improving the supply chain – Nestlé is committed to buy beans from farms which use sustainable practices; helping cooperatives and farmer associations by speeding up the process from farm to export
- Better social conditions – Nestlé is working with partner organisations such as the International Cocoa Initiative and the World Cocoa Foundation to tackle issues such as child labour and poor access to education
For further information regarding this announcement please visit www.nestle.ie or for more detail about the Cocoa Plan please visit www.thecocoaplan.com
