Sainsbury's launches charitable chocolate

The supermarket, which is the UK's top Fairtrade retailer by value, has ordered 40 tonnes of cocoa from Ghanian farmers co-operative Kuapa Kokoo to produce over eight million white chocolate squares.

The Fairtrade market has proven a profitable sector in recent years and was estimated to be worth £230 million by the end of last year, experiencing some 265 per cent growth between 2002 and 2006 alone. What is more, market analyst Mintel predicts Fairtrade will see sales crashing through the half a billion pound mark (£547 million) by 2011.

The Kuapa Kokoo co-operative co-owns Divine Chocolate - previously known as the Day Chocolate company - which produces the Divine chocolate brand range and recently underwent a structural overhaul to place a greater share of the company in the hands of the growers.

Sainsbury's customers currently spend £55m on Fairtrade products every year. Adding further to its ethical credentials, Chocpix will also contain Fairtrade sugar sourced from Malawi.