Cadbury Australia and Fairtrade Labelling Australia/New Zealand have announced plans for Cadbury Dairy Milk to achieve Fairtrade Certification by Easter 2010.

The chocolate giant indicated that the initiative would mean cocoa farmers and communities ‘can look forward to a better and brighter future’ as Fairtrade cocoa sales increase in Ghana and new opportunities will open up for growers in other parts of the world.

Consumers in Britain and Ireland are already able to buy Cadbury Dairy Milk Fairtrade Certified chocolate and the announcement coincides with confirmation of similar plans for Cadbury Dairy Milk in New Zealand and Canada.

Cadbury said the move would ‘more than triple the amount of Fairtrade products sold throughout Australia’.

Fairtrade executive director Steve Knapp stressed that Cadbury using Fairtrade Certified cocoa was a landmark step from a market-leading chocolate manufacturer.

“This announcement sets a new standard for the mainstream chocolate industry in Australia and will open up new Fairtrade opportunities for cocoa farmers in our corner of the world,” Knapp said.

“I’m also incredibly proud that by making this change, we are effectively making Fairtrade Certified Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate available in every part of Australia at no extra cost to our customers. It’s Cadbury Dairy Milk with the same taste, same cost, but extra ethics,” explained Mark Callaghan, managing director for Cadbury Australia and New Zealand.