Comments on: Have a (Fair Trade) break. Have a Kit Kat! http://www.co3.coop/blog/have-a-fair-trade-break-have-a-kit-kat CSR consultancy specialising in strategy, reporting and communications Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:05:23 -0500 hourly 1 By: Tim Purcell http://www.co3.coop/blog/have-a-fair-trade-break-have-a-kit-kat/comment-page-1#comment-676 Tim Purcell Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:05:22 +0000 http://www.co3.coop/?p=278#comment-676 The Fair Trade Foundation website has a lively debate on this subject. See <a href="http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/press_office/kitkatannouncement.aspx"title="Shortcut to Fair Trade Foundation website" rel="nofollow">here</a>. The Fair Trade Foundation website has a lively debate on this subject. See here.

]]> By: Tim Murray http://www.co3.coop/blog/have-a-fair-trade-break-have-a-kit-kat/comment-page-1#comment-675 Tim Murray Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:07:23 +0000 http://www.co3.coop/?p=278#comment-675 While Nestle should still come under scrutiny for all areas of their business practice, it is hard to argue that increasing and stabilizing producers' incomes is a bad thing. However, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the market price of cocoa is actually higher than the Fair Trade price at the moment. The real test of Nestle's and Cadbury's commitment to the principles of Fair Trade (not just its branding potential) will be when the the market price for cocoa drops. Furthermore, as Tim mentions, a danger of Fair Trade branding is that there is no distinction made between Fair Trade certified products, like Nestle's, and producer owned brands such as Divine. The vast majority of profits from Nestle's products are still held by the brand, whereas as in the case of Divine all profits are received by the producers. This distinction should be made clear to consumers by a Fair Trade Producer Owned Certificate or the like. While Nestle should still come under scrutiny for all areas of their business practice, it is hard to argue that increasing and stabilizing producers’ incomes is a bad thing. However, correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the market price of cocoa is actually higher than the Fair Trade price at the moment. The real test of Nestle’s and Cadbury’s commitment to the principles of Fair Trade (not just its branding potential) will be when the the market price for cocoa drops.

Furthermore, as Tim mentions, a danger of Fair Trade branding is that there is no distinction made between Fair Trade certified products, like Nestle’s, and producer owned brands such as Divine. The vast majority of profits from Nestle’s products are still held by the brand, whereas as in the case of Divine all profits are received by the producers. This distinction should be made clear to consumers by a Fair Trade Producer Owned Certificate or the like.

]]> By: Can Fair Trade be unethical? | CO3 - CSR consultancy specialising in strategy, reporting and communications http://www.co3.coop/blog/have-a-fair-trade-break-have-a-kit-kat/comment-page-1#comment-674 Can Fair Trade be unethical? | CO3 - CSR consultancy specialising in strategy, reporting and communications Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:42:07 +0000 http://www.co3.coop/?p=278#comment-674 [...] to coat a proportion of their Kit Kats in Fair Trade chocolate, discussed a few days ago in the CO3 blog, has raised an interesting point. It is clear that opponents of the company, such as the Baby Milk [...] [...] to coat a proportion of their Kit Kats in Fair Trade chocolate, discussed a few days ago in the CO3 blog, has raised an interesting point. It is clear that opponents of the company, such as the Baby Milk [...]

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