Comments for Bitter Chocolate

Comment on Divine Chocolate Wins at Chicago Luxury Chocolate Salon by Duane Rotan

Duane Rotan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:14:02 +0000

Yet another interesting read, keep em coming!

Comment on A Cocoa Comeback in Latin America by Carmelo Carlsten

Carmelo Carlsten — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:53:37 +0000

Nice Website. You should think more about RSS Feeds as a traffic source. They bring me a nice bit of traffic.

Comment on Cadbury Announces Plans for first Social Premium Disbursement by Michael

Michael — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:38:24 +0000

Not quite. The social premium not necessarily part of the sales price. In Ghana it is separate. Since the COCOBOD is the sole exporter, the fairtrade exporter (Cadbury) pays the agreed upon sales price to the COCOBOD, but the social premium is transferred directly to the cooperative. For Kuapa Kokoo, that is the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Trust.

Of course, it is PR for Cadbury, what else. But it is a large amount of money and Cadbury has committed to fairtrade. The large U.S. corporations won’t even touch fairtrade.

Comment on Cadbury Announces Plans for first Social Premium Disbursement by Randy H

Randy H — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:28:21 +0000

This seems like a PR move on Cadbury’s part, acting as if they’re disbursing extra funds, or supporting specific projects. As I understand it, cooperatives vote how to spend the funds, and they funds are really just part of the total sale price. Cadbury’s really milking the PR around this whole thing. I haven’t seem another company with fairtrade certification self-promote…your thoughts? Sure it raises awareness and thus hopefully enlists peer companies to go fairtrade but their commitment is limited and they’d do well to expand it before tooting their horn more.

Comment on Some Background on the Ivorian Crisis by Some Background on the Ivorian Crisis « Bitter Chocolate | Cote today

Some Background on the Ivorian Crisis « Bitter Chocolate | Cote today — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:58:02 +0000

[...] Here is the original: Some Background on the Ivorian Crisis « Bitter Chocolate [...]

Comment on Invisible Hand Is Confused by April

April — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:15:28 +0000

I just love reading these posts. So informative. Thanks!

Comment on Motion Graph of Cocoa Production Data by there

there — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:44:55 +0000

seriously, this blog is cool . I think im gonna stick around and read about 4 more of your posts. Later alligator

Comment on Jamaica to Boost Cocoa Production by Mercadees

Mercadees — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:39:50 +0000

HELP! I can not find anything about Rat Trap Jamaica! I have a HUGE project due in like 5 weeks all about Jamaica! It has to be made into a book. Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment on Today is World Day Against Child Labor by Addewlype

Addewlype — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:05:33 +0000

Great post, amazing looking website, added it to my favorites!!

Comment on UK’s Kit Kat to go Fairtrade by Where does Nestle take Fairtrade? « Divine Delights

Where does Nestle take Fairtrade? « Divine Delights — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:11:38 +0000

[...] trade are conflicted over this development – see Rob Greenland’s blog , but many, such as Michael Niemann and Joe Turner are concerned about where these global companies will take [...]

Comment on UK’s Kit Kat to go Fairtrade by Mike Brady

Mike Brady — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:06:24 +0000

Some other key facts. This only involves Nestlé’s 4-bar KitKat in the UK and Ireland and so just 1% of Nestle’s cocoa purchase.

The cost of the Fairtrade premium for this cocoa is less than £400,000 according to Fairtrade Foundation figures. Nestlé is currently spending £43 million promoting Nescafé coffee in the UK. So for less than 1% of this sum it has gained global media coverage, most of which suggests it is making a significant contribution to improving lives in Ivory Coast, when, in reality, it is part of the problem for failing to deliver on its promise to end child labour and slavery in its cocoa supply chain by 2006.

Not only that, it has the UK Minister for Trade and Development defending it at the UN when questioned on Nestlé’s record in developing countries.

Not a bad return on its investment.

See:
http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2009/12/nestle-kitkat-minister.html

Comment on UK’s Kit Kat to go Fairtrade by Tweets that mention UK’s Kit Kat to go Fairtrade « Bitter Chocolate -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention UK’s Kit Kat to go Fairtrade « Bitter Chocolate -- Topsy.com — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:43:44 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Divine Chocolate, Charlotte Borger. Charlotte Borger said: As always Michael Niemann has something interesting to say on developments in #fairtrade http://bit.ly/6HU3Wx [...]

Comment on More Bonuses for Ghanaian Cocoa Farmers by stuart

stuart — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:37:12 +0000

dont waste your time reading this.

Comment on Robert Steinberg dies by Scotty from Harvard

Scotty from Harvard — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:04:42 +0000

I just wanted to thank you very much for this ensightful article. I have already bookmarked your site, when I have more free time I am going to have to do some further research. Well back to my dreaming of Panama or back to the books – I wonder which one is going to win out.

Comment on Cocoa and Climate Change by Dacnet

Dacnet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:44:53 +0000

Climate Change made the typhoons in the south pacific very destructive. Typhoon Ketsana made a lot of mess in Philippines and Vietnam *

Comment on Cocoa and Climate Change by Cacao, Agriforestry and Climate Change « Kokoleka O’Ka Aina

Cacao, Agriforestry and Climate Change « Kokoleka O’Ka Aina — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:26:17 +0000

[...] Diversified Agriculture, Trees Leave a Comment Michael Niemann’s blog Bitter Chocolate has a great post today about cacao, forestry, and Francois Ruf’s concept of “Forest Rent…. It’s well worth checking [...]

Comment on The State of Child Labor in Ghana by bodydetoxlady

bodydetoxlady — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:40:18 +0000

i think we should be more vigilant against Child Labor. child labor have an increasing trend these days specially in third world countries.

Comment on Get Ready for Reverse Trick-or-Treating by Sara

Sara — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:34:41 +0000

Sorry Michael .. it’s only just dawned on me that I got you mixed up with George Monbiot!

Comment on Get Ready for Reverse Trick-or-Treating by Sara

Sara — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:40:03 +0000

Hi George,

Is there a similar campaign running in the UK? This is something that I’d like to look at Dubble getting involved with next year if there is.

Many thanks,

Sara

Comment on Mars UK Shrinks Galaxy Bar by Michael Szyliowicz

Michael Szyliowicz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Thanks for posting the latest news on the Mars Galaxy Bar. It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to paying more and getting less. Usually that isn’t a good combination when selling a product, especially when consumers are used to getting more for the same price.