Nestle, Beauty Biz, Make Fair Trade Moves

Nestle is making a move into the Fair Trade sector thanks to a partnership with cocoa farmers in the African nation of  Ivory Coast. The move, one lauded by the UK fair trade organization, The Fairtrade Foundation, will the see the first Kit Kat bars made with fair trade cocoa hit shelves in the UK and Ireland in January 2010. The sugar used in the product will be fair trade too, from the Central American country of Belize.

Ivory Coast has seven fair trade cocoa farmers and many more that wish to join the cooperative, which requires certification. The news is positive for the African nation, which was long plagued by a violent civil war.

Nestle will also make premium payments to aid long-term community and business development projects, such as education and healthcare, the environment or local businesses.

Per Fairtrade terms, farmers receive the guaranteed minimum price or world market price (whichever is higher) and the Fairtrade premium of $150 per tonne. This avoids farmers having to cave to brokers bargaining and driving prices below commodities prices. The sugar in the product coming from Belize will see farmers get additional premiums of $60 per tonne.

FAIR TRADE IN BEAUTY!

The Fairtrade Foundation this summer announced its entry to the beauty sector, a fabulous innovation we hope will come to America soon. Not only was the organization recognized for its support thanks to GBP12 million from the British government for the period of April 2010 to 2014, but now UK residents can buy Fair Trade beauty products. The organization has fair trade certified ingredients such as cocoa butter, shea nut butter, sugar and brazil nut oil, which come from Africa, Asia and Latin America. In June, the first companies to offer fair trade beauty were: Boots, Bubble & Balm, Essential Care, Lush and Neal’s Yard. Together, in June, there were 57 certified fair trade products available.