Cocoa with a conscience
over corporations has been the introduction - and growing
significance - of Fairtrade products.
One of the clearest demonstrations of the influence customers have over corporations has been the introduction - and growing significance - of Fairtrade products. This niche market is expanding rapidly as consumers become more socially aware, and more conscious of the power of their pockets.
New products are hitting the market all the time. For example, UK Fairtrade hot beverages company Cafédirect is launching new one-cup sachets for Cocodirect, a product that the company claims is the only 100 per cent Fairtrade drinking chocolate currently available on the British market.
The line extension, which will be available this month, has already achieved a listing with Tesco where it will be on shelf from 25 October.
Cocodirect contains both Fairtrade cocoa and sugar and is consciously being targeting as a premium product. Cafédirect believes that the drink can compete in the high growth luxury end of the drinking chocolate sector.
The drink contains cocoa beans bought from the Conacado co-operative in the Dominican Republic and Macefcoop in Cameroon. The Fairtrade sugar comes from Paraguay.
"The new Cocodirect sachets are a natural extension for the brand," said Sylvie Barr, Cafédirect's head of marketing. "With more and more people requiring convenient portion-controlled formats, our sachets will meet these demands in terms of quality and ease of use while also offering the perfect opportunity for trialling the product."
The arrival of the one-cup sachets closely follows the launch of Cocodirect drinking chocolate 250g tubs, which went on sale in selected Safeway and Tesco stores as well as selected independent and healthfood stores earlier this year.
Cafédirect has achieved impressive growth since 1991 despite the continued market domination by multi-nationals in the tea and coffee sectors. The company claims to buy all of its product direct from the growers.
For Cafédirect, Fairtrade means that growers always receive a fair price for their crops. Cafédirect's Gold Standard trading policy means that if market prices for, say, coffee go above the minimum standard Fairtrade price, Cafédirect pays an extra 10 per cent social premium on top of the market value, which goes directly to the co-operative.
The Fairtrade category as a whole has boomed since it was first introduced in the UK. In 2002, UK sales of Fairtrade products reached a retail value of £63 million, a 90 per cent increase from 2000. It remains to be seen however if Fairtrade products can successfully break out of the luxury end and into the mainstream market.
