FDBusiness.com

KitKat is the first global chocolate brand to announce that it will use only sustainably sourced cocoa to manufacture all of its products, and will do so from the first quarter of 2016. The brand already uses only sustainably sourced cocoa, accredited by independent third-party bodies, in products sold in certain markets, but this new announcement extends the practice worldwide, including the United States.

Sandra Martinez, Head of Confectionery for Nestlé, says: “We’re delighted to be a flag bearer for the industry, as the first global chocolate brand to announce such a move. Sustainable cocoa sourcing helps safeguard the livelihoods of farming communities and delivers higher quality cocoa beans. This announcement will only strengthen consumer trust in KitKat as a responsible brand.”

The initiative, which coincides with KitKat’s 80th birthday, is part of Nestlé’s commitment to source 150,000 tonnes of sustainably produced cocoa by 2017 via the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.

The Nestlé Cocoa Plan aims to improve the lives of cocoa farming communities and the quality of the cocoa Nestlé purchases.