Fairtrade and Nestle

Further to my recent post about Fairtrade Fortnight, Veronique has raised the question of Kitkat, which now carries the FAIRTRADE Mark, being a Nestle product, and the fact there has been a longstanding boycott campaign against Nestle because of the way it has promoted its baby-milk in developing countries. I know that this is a difficult issue, and has prompted some criticism of Fairtrade. There are two points which I think are worth noting. One is that Fairtrade certification is awarded to individual products, not to companies. If the chocolate in Kitkat meets the criteria for Fairtrade certification, I don’t think it would be proper to withhold certification on the basis of ethical objections to other aspects of Nestle’s activities. The point about Fairtrade certification is that it is a process governed by agreed objective criteria. The other point I’d make is that of course, though Kitkat carries the FAIRTRADE Mark, you don’t have to buy it! I think it’s entirely consistent to support Fairtrade and go on boycotting Nestle. It would be interesting to know what others think. For more on the Nestle boycott and the relation to Fairtrade see:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/nestlefairtrade