August 25/Toronto, Ont./Marketwire -- Cadbury announces an historic agreement that will "transform the accessibility of Fair Trade Certified chocolate in Canada and enable Canadians to make an important difference in the lives of thousands of cocoa farmers." By summer 2010, Cadbury Dairy Milk bars will begin to proudly display the Fair Trade Certification mark, bringing Fair Trade certified chocolate to grocery stores, gas stations, convenience shops and corner retailers across Canada. Cadbury Dairy Milk is the first major confectionery brand in Canada to be Fair Trade Certified. With an estimated 22 million bars sold annually, it is expected to double the amount of Fair Trade Certified chocolate sold in Canada.

"We are deeply proud to make Fair Trade certified chocolate accessible right across Canada by working together with TransFair Canada to achieve certification for our biggest global brand and one of Canada's leading chocolate bars," says Gary Scullion, general manager for Canada, Cadbury North America. "Fair Trade is designed to improve the lives of the cocoa farmers in Ghana, Africa that, we source from by guaranteeing fair payment for their crop and also paying an additional social premium fee that goes to community improvements. Canadians have the opportunity to be catalysts of change by purchasing Fair Trade Certified Dairy Milk chocolate, knowing it will improve the lives of 40,000 farmers in Ghana, and that is truly extraordinary."

P. K. Tekper, the vice president of Kuapa Kokoo cooperative from which Cadbury is sourcing Fair Trade cocoa, said, "We are very happy that Cadbury's have made this further commitment. The premium that we have already received from Cadbury has made a real difference to our lives. Our plans for the future are to build 14 community projects next year, invest in the healthcare of our farmers and to put in place a 'Kuapa Kokoo Extension Services' to farmers to ensure sustainability of cocoa in the world market."

Cadbury's partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation in Britain and Ireland -- which welcomed Fair Trade Cadbury Dairy Milk bars in July -- has already resulted in the transfer of the equivalent of approximately $883,000 CDN to Ghana, the first instalment of the Fair Trade social premium. This is part of Cadbury's overall investment into cocoa sustainability though the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership.

From the August 31, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition