PRESS RELEASE

Mars Capitulate to STOP THE TRAFFIK Chocolate Campaign...
Stop The Traffik are delighted to announce that only one month into their 'March on Mars' campaign, Mars has already committed to certifying its entire cocoa supply by 2020'.

As a first step, one of Mars' leading brands, Galaxy bars, in the UK and Ireland, will be certified 'from early 2010, through the Rainforest Alliance as, 'free from trafficked and exploited labour'.

The Mars announcement follows that made by Cadbury's last month promising that its Dairy Milk Bar will be Fairtrade by this autumn. Stop the Traffik welcome this bold move by Mars but are unswerving in their resolve to continue campaigning to ensure the whole industry delivers on its commitments. Attention now turns to Nestlé to see if they have any response to their competitors pledging to end child exploitation in their supply chain.

Steve Chalke MBE, Founder of Stop The Traffik and Special Advisor to the United Nations on Human Trafficking commented -
"We congratulate Mars on taking this significant step towards rectifying the travesty of human rights that is people trafficking within the chocolate industry." But, he added, "together the consumers of world must now hold Mars and the other manufacturers to account to ensure that they deliver on their promises in the agreed time scale or even sooner."

Chalke's challenge relates to a similar promise made by Mars and others within the chocolate industry eight years ago to end forced child labour by summer 2005. Stop The Traffik and other grass root activists are, this time determined that life will change for the better for cocoa farmers and the children of West Africa.

Ruth Dearnley, STOP THE TRAFFIK's CEO said -
"This first step by Mars is proof that the tide is turning and that the chocolate industry is finally realising that it has to take the demands of hundreds of thousands of consumers seriously. There is, however, a long way to go. 2020 is eleven years away and Mars still need to be clear about what they mean by 'certifying their entire cocoa supply'. Can they guarantee that it will all be traffic free? Unfortunately, we have heard empty commitments and clever words before. The world is watching to make sure that this time promises are real and are kept."

STOP THE TRAFFIK is an international coalition of organisations working together to fight the crime of people trafficking. It is comprised of over 1000 member organisations in 52 countries including NGOs, corporations, schools, colleges, faithgroups and various other community groups.

For more information contact Bex Keer at bex.keer@stopthetraffik.org or visit www.stopthetraffik.org
Press enquiries
Bex Keer: 020 7921 4250
bex.keer@stopthetraffik.org