After a decade of sourcing cocoa and sugar, Nestlé will no longer source from Fairtrade for its UK KitKats.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousAfter a decade of sourcing cocoa and sugar, Nestlé will no longer source from Fairtrade for its UK KitKats. This means that 27 small-scale farmers and some of the most vulnerable in the world will lose annual premiums.
From October, in fact, the cocoa will be certified directly by Cocoa Nestlé which follows the Rainforest Alliance rules, while the sugar comes mainly from the United Kingdom, and in some cases from France. The move will mean a loss of nearly 2 million pounds in Fairtrade Premium every year for cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire, Fiji and Malawi, which represent 27 small producers. A blow because, this income is a real lifeblood for some of the poorest farmers in the world.
Nestlé and Fairtrade had worked together for ten years. Cocoa cooperatives benefited from the Fairtrade minimum price safety net and the award enabled communities to invest in classrooms, dispensaries, canteens and programs to help women to increase and diversify your income.
'As Fairtrade producers, our voice is heard and taken into account. We are treated with the respect and dignity we deserve, 'the farmers said.
Right now, Fairtrade awards are providing tangible support during the Covid-19 crisis to protect their health, support their communities and make up for lack of income. As a result, farmers and their cooperatives were able to purchase protective equipment, distribute hand sanitizers, raise awareness and support families in distress due to disease. In a note, Fairtrade writes:
“Nestlé's decision will mean that all future sugar purchases will come from European sugar beet producers, which means that cane sugar farmers will not only lose Fairtrade Premium, but could lose market access to sell. their sugar ".
Cocoa growers expressed serious concerns when first informed of Nestlé's decision. Atse Ossey Francis, chairman of the board of directors of the Ivorian Fair Trade Network, said:
“It is with deep regret and concern that we have learned that after proudly producing cocoa for KitKat in the UK for a decade, small-scale cocoa farmers in Cote d'Ivoire will no longer enjoy the benefits of selling their cocoa on fair trade terms. Nestlé is a major buyer of Fairtrade certified cocoa through its KitKat brand and we are grateful for all this decade of partnership in which we have contributed to Nestlé's success. An unfair trade relationship with solidarity means regression and continuous poverty ”.
The president then asks to continue to negotiate with Fairtrade to avoid serious consequences for workers already strained by the pandemic, lack of services, low income and climate change.
“Fairtrade exists to represent the voices of farmers. Now more than ever we must act as a global community and take action that is breakthrough as we build a better future. We urge Nestlé: listen to farmers, do not choose this moment of global crisis to aggravate disparities in the cocoa sector. Keep KitKat Fairtrade, ”comments Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation.
Sources: Fairtrade
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