Fairtrade Certified MALTESERS in UK stores
The Fairtrade Foundation congratulates Mars as the first packs of Fairtrade certified MALTESERS® are now available in UK stores, following the Mars–Fairtrade agreement announced last September.
“What sweet news for cocoa farmers in West Africa, and for chocolate lovers in the UK, that the UK’s 3rd largest chocolate brand, MALTESERS, are now Fairtrade certified.”, says Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. “This gives a significant boost to smallholder farmers to build their organisations and invest in a brighter future.”
The cocoa will come from cooperatives in West Africa, and this move will contribute in excess of US $1 million in annual Fairtrade Premium funds for cocoa farmers’ groups to invest in their farms, business organisations and communities.
In the Fairtrade system, as well as receiving the Fairtrade minimum price or the world market price, whichever is higher, farmers groups earn an additional Fairtrade Premium of US $ 200 per tonne for investment in community, business and environmental projects.
Fiona Dawson, President of Mars Chocolate UK, spoke of the partnership:
“We are enormously proud to continue to make such positive progress in our efforts in cocoa sustainability. Fairtrade is an organisation that has a great impact on the ground in West Africa and partnering with them is another step towards our 2020 goal of 100% certified sustainable.”
Over 110 million packs of MALTESERS are sold in the UK per year - over 5 billion Maltesers in total.
Fairtrade works with around 100,000 cocoa farmers in the West African countries of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. Increased demand for ethical and sustainable cocoa from the region has led to an increase in the number of farmers’ cooperatives that are able to benefit from Fairtrade, particularly Cote d'Ivoire where the number of Fairtrade certified cocoa cooperatives has increased from 15 groups to almost 50 over the past 18 months.
– ENDS –
Eileen Maybin
Head of Media Relations
020 7440 7686/07770 957 451
eileen.maybin@fairtrade.org.uk
Martine Julseth
Media and PR Manager
020 7440 7695/07825 827 791
martine.julseth@fairtrade.org.uk
Faith Mall
Media and PR Manager
020 7440 8597/07766 504 947
faith.mall@fairtrade.org.uk
.