Green & Black's Commits to Move Entire Chocolate Range to Fair Trade Certified in United States

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering organic chocolate maker Green & Black's today announces its commitment to move its entire chocolate range, worldwide, to Fair Trade – including the United States. Fifteen years ago Green & Black's led the Fair Trade movement by launching Maya Gold® – the first ever Fair Trade Certified™ product in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Green & Black's is the number one chocolate in the Natural channel(1). Green & Black's entire range is already organic, and thanks to continued expansion around the world, this move will make Green & Black's the world's leader in organic and Fair Trade chocolate.  

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Fair Trade is a unique independent system providing farmers with the security of fair prices for their produce and additional investment through the Fair Trade premium for social, environmental and economic development in their communities.  The Fair Trade premium is in addition to a guaranteed minimum price for fair trade certified ingredients.

Today's commitment will mean an investment of more than $485,000 each year over the next 10 years through additional Fair Trade premiums paid to Dominican Republic cocoa farmers and their communities.  Green and Black's has bought quality, organic Trinitario cocoa beans from cooperatives in the Dominican Republic over the last 10 years and these farmers are now the main source of cocoa for Green & Black's.    

"In that time we have committed $500,000 in local initiatives to improve quality and availability, but we wanted to do more to support our farmers," says Dominic Lowe, Managing Director of Green & Black's.  "The move to Fair Trade certification is a key milestone in our relationship with the farmers that are so fundamental in the making of the best tasting, premium, organic, and now Fair Trade, chocolate you can buy."

Paul Rice, President and CEO of TransFair USA comments, "Green & Blacks' 15-year history of sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa has made an impressive difference in the Belizean farming communities from which it sources, and we are thrilled with the company's deepened commitment to ethical trading.  This expansion will extend the benefits of Fair Trade to thousands of farmers in the Dominican Republic, empowering them to take care of their families, protect the environment and improve their communities."

Mr. Santos Mendoza, president of CONACADO, a co-operative in the Dominican Republic where Green & Black's sources most of its signature, fine and fermented Trinitario cocoa beans says of the move: "The great thing about Fair Trade is that it enables cocoa farmers and organisations like ours to have a say in shaping our future through directly talking and working with retailers and companies. Our biggest worry is ensuring that we have a guaranteed market for our cocoa that provides us with a long-term sustainable livelihood. Through the pricing structure and the Fair Trade premium we will be able to both invest in business and in our community to ensure a brighter future for our families and other farmers."

Notes to editors:

• Green & Blacks chocolate bars in the U.S. are expected to start using Fair Trade Certified ingredients by mid 2010 with 100% of its U.S. chocolate range to be Fair Trade Certified and available to Americans by the end of this year. Packaging is expected to begin appearing with the FAIR TRADE mark by late 2010, once all current labels have been exhausted to avoid waste.

About Green and Black's

Launched in London in 1991 by Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley, Green & Black's entered the U.S. market in 2007 and has become the best selling chocolate in the natural food channel(2). The name reveals Green & Black's key strengths – Green for sustainability and Black to symbolize the deep, rich, dark brown (almost black) color of the chocolate.  Green & Black's buys only the very best organic cocoa beans grown under the shade of indigenous rainforest trees and alongside other crops.  All Green & Black's products meet the National Organic Program (NOP) standards set by the USDA, thus giving consumers of organic products an assurance that the product is from a trusted source and matches the high standards of production.  For more information, visit www.greenandblacks.com.

Green & Black's Chocolate Range in the United States:

• 3.5 oz Milk bar
• 3.5 oz Dark 70% bar
• 3.5 oz Dark 85% bar
• 3.5 oz Mint bar
• 3.5 oz Hazelnut & Currant bar
• 3.5 oz Cherry bar
• 3.5 oz White bar
• 3.5 oz Maya Gold® bar
• 3.5 oz Almond bar
• 3.5 oz Peanut bar
• 3.5 oz Toffee bar
• 3.5 oz Espresso bar
• 3.5 oz Ginger bar

• 1.2 oz Dark 70% bar
• 1.2 oz Milk bar

• 5.3 oz Baking Bar
• 4.4 oz Cocoa Powder
• 5.3 oz Hot Chocolate

(1) SPINScan data 52-weeks ending 11/28/09

(2) SPINScan data 52-weeks ending 11/28/09

SOURCE Green & Black's