Be too succesful and you get gobbled up. It's an age-old story repeated in Thursday's news of Cadbury buying organic choc maestro Green & Blacks (much like Dean Foods bought Rachel's Organics and Whole Foods Market bought Fresh & Wild). Depending on your point of view, it's either fantastic news that organic food's entered the mainstream or a heinous sell-out to a megacorp. I'm sitting on the fence 'til I buy my first bar of Cadbury's G&B Maya Gold.
I don't have as big a problem with Cadbury as say, Nestle, but it's just another case of a monopolising industry and being beholden to another big company. And if they start putting all the unecessary ingredients into the G & B range, that'll be the last I'll buy of them.
I live in hope for a day when all food is organically produced. My worry is that Cadbury's take over of G&B will mean that organic chocolate will only ever be a part of the product range, rather than the de facto standard.
Or like Unilever bought Ben and Jerrys, eh?
Cadbury or Nestle, it's no longer Green & Black's. It's another example of large scale buy-out and small scale globalisation. As such I no longer buy G&B chocolate. It's a pity but there's principle. There's other good small brands however.
I simply cannot believe it. The original Fair Trade company is now owned by Cadbury. Let's see how long it is until the FairTrade label becomes Purple and White, and the regulations change regarding Fair Trade.
Sad sad stuff.
no signs of change yet- i heard they will keep G&b running as a stand alone company, the founder even remains as the CEO... What other small companies btw.. are they fair trade?
Green & Blacks have lost their Fairtrade since taken over by Cadburys. No suprise a big monopoly attempts to squeeze out the profits and breaks all that G&B stood for - organic, decent independent company, and fair price to farmers.