This Easter it’s time for Cadbury to hop to it and publish a timetabled commitment for moving entirely to ethical cocoa in its chocolate products, says international charity World Vision.
Cadbury is the last major chocolate company to have not set a date by which its entire chocolate range will be made from ethical cocoa.
World Vision campaign leader on trafficking Ruth Dearnley said the international chocolate industry acknowledged in 2001 the use of trafficking and child labour in cocoa harvesting and made a commitment to eradicate it.
“Ethically sourcing through transparent supply chains that are independently audited is the best assurance against the use of forced, child and trafficked labour in our chocolate”, said Ms Dearnley.
Cadbury – owned by parent company Mondelez – is now the only major chocolate company without a public commitment to ethical source cocoa for all their products.
The other four biggest companies – Nestle, Mars, Ferrero and Lindt – have all made firm commitments to ethical cocoa for their entire Australian product ranges.
“We are waiting for some of these commitments to become a reality, but the chocolate industry should be acknowledged for the positive progress made,” Ms Dearnley said. "However, they still have a huge amount of further work to do, to provide a guarantee to consumers that their products are not tainted by exploitation.”
Less than five per cent of the world’s cocoa is ethically certified to have been harvested without the use of forced, child or trafficked labour.
Ms Dearnley said the supply chain of all other ingredients – such as sugar and palm oil – also needs to be considered to provide a more ethical product.
“Cadbury was the first of the big companies to ethically certify a chocolate bar in Australia. So it is very disappointing that the progress they were making has come to a standstill,” Ms Dearnley said.
With Easter fast approaching, consumers have the chance to send a strong message to Cadbury – one egg and bunny at a time.
“Unfortunately for the children forced to work in the cocoa industry, chocolate isn't so sweet. But Australian chocolate lovers can send a strong message with their wallets that they want a fair go for children.”
Check out the chocolate company scorecard here.