Green & Black’s - partnership with Fairtrade International in the USA

Green & Black’s, one of the world's leading manufacturers of organic Fairtrade chocolate, is the first major global brand to announce it will carry Fairtrade International’s certification mark in the USA, Fairtrade International reports. The move further emphasizes Green & Black’s commitment to Fairtrade which benefits farming communities in developing countries, including cocoa farmers in the Dominican Republic and Belize and sugar farmers in Paraguay. (Pictures Reena Agarwal / Fairtrade Foundation: Green & Black's visit to the Conacado Fairtrade cocoa cooperative in the Dominican Republic)

Breaking new ground is not unusual in long relationship between Green & Black’s and Fairtrade. The Maya Gold chocolate bar was the UK’s first Fairtrade certified chocolate bar when it was launched in 1994, according to Fairtrade International. More recently, Green & Black’s switched its entire range of organic chocolate bars and beverage products to Fairtrade certified in 30 countries. This move not only secured Green & Black’s leadership position in the organic and Fairtrade chocolate movement, but translated into US$ 820,000 per year in Fairtrade premium funds for Fairtrade certified farmers supplying cocoa, sugar, vanilla and coffee.

One of the producer groups to benefit will be the Toledo Cacao Growers’ Association (TCGA) in Belize. Justino Peck, Chairman of the TCGA welcomes the news that more Fairtrade farmers will benefit: “This partnership will enable more and more farmers to reap the benefits of working with Green & Black’s and Fairtrade. Over the last 18 years, TCGA have used the Fairtrade premium for investment in secondary education and in building capacity for our business, allowing us to increase our membership from 200 to 800 farmers.”

Fairtrade International also announced plans earlier this year to work closely with businesses and civil society organisations in the USA to set up new operations there. Globally, Fairtrade works with more than 1.2 million producers in 66 developing countries. In 2011, sales of Fairtrade products generated more than US$ 79 million worth of Fairtrade premium for farmers and their communities.

Fairtrade International