FAQ Environment:
Q. What is Cadbury doing to improve the effects of production on the environment?
A. Cadbury was one of the first major chocolate manufacturers to undertake sustainable cocoa sourcing, through our work in Ghana. To ensure sustainable sourcing over the next decade we’ve created the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership which is investing over $100 million to improve the lives of cocoa farmers, their families and communities.
Q. Why are you using cardboard instead of paper to package your blocks?
A. The new cardboard pack is resealable which helps to reduce mess of chocolate fragments once the block has been opened. By simply tucking in the tab at the top of the pack, you can easily re-seal the chocolate and foil inside the carton rather than wrap both the foil and the paper of the previous packaging.
In addition, the research we undertook (Consumer Research, The Leading Edge, April 2008) clearly showed that although both the cardboard and paper packs are recyclable, people are more likely to recycle the cardboard carton than the paper pack because the cardboard won’t be screwed up when it is empty like the paper packaging often is.
Q. Is the packaging recyclable?
A. Yes. The new packs are 100% recyclable and the paper mill which will produce the packs has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
One of the benefits of moving to cardboard packaging is that when compared with our old paper packaging, consumers have a stronger perception that cardboard is recyclable and, based on our research (Consumer Research, The Leading Edge, April 2008) we have found there is a 103% increase in consumer intent to place the new pack in a recycling bin than for the paper pack.
FAQ Fairtrade:
Q. What exactly is Fairtrade, where can I find out more information?
A. The Fairtrade Label signifies to consumers that the product bearing the Fairtrade Label has been independently certified as meeting international Fairtrade standards.
Fairtrade is an alternative model of conventional trade, which aims to share the benefits of trade more equitably between consumers, producers and the environment. For more information from Fairtrade, visit the Fairtrade website http://www.fairtrade.com.au
Q. What kind of difference does Fairtrade make?
A. Fairtrade aims to provide a fairer deal for developing country farmers and producers through:
- A fair and stable price for their produce
- The security of long-term contracts
- Investment in local community development
- Improved working conditions
- Environmentally sustainable farming methods
- Support in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to operate successfully in the global economy
By requiring companies to pay fair prices, Fairtrade helps the poorest and most disadvantaged producers to improve their position and have more control over their lives
Q. How big is Fairtrade in Australia?
A. New market research completed in both Australia and New Zealand has found rising awareness levels of the Fairtrade label amongst consumers. 2010 represents a tipping point for Fairtrade awareness, with Australia’s number 1 chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate now Fairtrade Certified. For more information on the growth of Fairtrade, visit: http://www.fairtrade.com.au/aboutfairtrade/facts-figures
Q. What difference will Cadbury actually make?
A. By making Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate Fairtrade Certified in Australia and New Zealand, Cadbury will purchase three times more Fairtrade Certified cocoa from Ghana.
As well as ensuring the Fairtrade Minimum price is paid, the cocoa farmers will also receive Fairtrade Premiums for investment in business and local community development. This can be used to help invest in schools, scholarships, health care or economic infrastructure that benefits the entire community, and particularly children.
The decision on how to invest the funds is decided upon by a committee of producers within the cooperative that supplies our Fairtrade Certified cocoa.
Q. Now that Kraft Foods owns Cadbury, will Cadbury’s Fairtrade commitment be honoured?
A. Kraft Foods admires Cadbury’s commitment to Fairtrade and is supportive of the commitments Cadbury has made in this area. Kraft Foods, have made it clear that they fully support Cadbury’s Fairtrade commitments and in no way see this as incompatible with the Rainforest Alliance certification secured for some of its coffee brands.
Q. Will all Fairtrade Certified products contain only Fairtrade cocoa and sugar?
A. Cadbury has purchased Fairtrade cocoa and sugar in compliance with international Fairtrade standards. In order to achieve Fairtrade Certification Cadbury purchases an amount of Fairtrade Certified cocoa and sugar equivalent to that required to make the Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate products carrying the Fairtrade Label. Fairtrade Certified™ sugar enters our global supply chain, and we pay the Fairtrade Premium on that sugar, to the direct benefit of Fairtrade Certified™ sugar producers.
Our Fairtrade cocoa has been sourced from Fairtrade Certified cooperatives in Ghana, processed in Cadbury’s specialist processing facility in Singapore and utilised in the production of Cadbury chocolate in Australia.
Q. How many Cadbury products carry the Fairtrade Label, and when will other Cadbury products be Fairtrade Certified?
A. We have 10 Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate products that are currently Fairtrade Certified (click here) We are absolutely committed to supporting Fairtrade and we hope to have more products Fairtrade Certified in the future.
We are currently undertaking work in conjunction with Fairtrade Labelling Australia & New Zealand and the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership to establish more sources of Fairtrade cocoa and sugar. This includes increasing the output of existing Fairtrade suppliers but also the development of new Fairtrade Certified suppliers.
Given the process that suppliers must go through to achieve Fairtrade Certification, this is a long-term objective of Cadbury and will take some years to achieve.
Q. Isn’t this just about corporate profits? How can we trust Cadbury or Fairtrade?
A. This is genuinely good news for everybody: cocoa farmers, consumers, Fairtrade and Cadbury. It provides consumers with the same, great tasting Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate they love, but with the added knowledge that Fairtrade leads to real benefits on the ground in Ghana and, over time, in other countries as we work with Fairtrade Labelling Australia & New Zealand to develop more sources of Fairtrade ingredients.
We know that it also makes business sense to ensure a sustainable source of Cadbury Dairy Milk’s milk chocolate major ingredient, cocoa. This is why we have made a genuine and long-term commitment.
Many lovers of Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate have told us that Fairtrade Certification is important to them and we’re delighted to be able to provide our consumers with Fairtrade Certified Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate.
FAQ – Palm Oil Free:
Q. How will I know my Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate block doesn’t contain palm oil?
A. We removed palm oil from our Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks last year and we’ve updated the packaging on our Cadbury Dairy Milk block range to reflect the higher content of Cocoa Solids (26% rather than 21%) and we’ve also removed vegetable fat from the list of ingredients.
There remain some of our chocolate blocks – those containing inclusions, caramels, creams or wafers – where we are currently unable to make the product without the inclusion of a small quantity of palm oil. In these instances the limited amount of palm oil we purchase comes from certified sustainable palm oil sources.
Q. What about palm oil in other Cadbury blocks?
A. Our first priority was to remove the palm oil from the chocolate of our Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks and we have done this. Now we are turning our focus to removing it from the chocolate within bars and boxed chocolates and we will have achieved this by the end of this year.
There remain some of our chocolate blocks – those containing inclusions, caramels, creams and/or wafers – where we are currently unable to make the product without the inclusion of a small quantity of palm oil. In these instances the limited amount of palm oil we purchase comes from certified sustainable palm oil sources.
Q. You say you’re taking palm oil out of Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate, what are you putting back in its place?
A. We have replaced the palm oil with cocoa butter.
Q. Do you have palm oil in your other products, and if so then why aren’t you taking palm oil out of these too?
A. There are some of our products – those containing inclusions, caramels, creams or wafers – where we are currently unable to make the product without the inclusion of a small quantity of palm oil. In these instances the limited amount of palm oil we purchase comes from certified sustainable palm oil sources.
In most instances palm oil has also been used in these product recipes for many years, and Cadbury remains one of the few companies in the world that pays an additional premium to support the development of the certified sustainable palm oil.
