The article in the url below is an interview with Craig Sams, the founder of Green & Black’s, the organic chocolate maker that was bought by Cadbury’s in 2005:
“The Green & Black’s Maya Gold Fairtrade brand, produced by a group of smallholders in Belize, was launched in 1994 and recently reached its 15th anniversary. With regard to organic dark chocolate, [Sams] adds: “I figured if I wanted it there would probably be 10,000 or 15,000 people out there who would want it and it started to be an interesting business proposition and worth investing in.””
Sams believes that social enterprises, by definition, encourage stronger bonds among stakeholders:
“The lower capital base, “encourages co-dependency with all the stakeholders in your business”, and the result is a more “collaborative and cooperative approach”.”
In addition to detail about the firm’s founding and current operating principles, Sams provides insight regarding the takeover by Cadbury’s. While acquisitions of social enterprises by multi-nationals are increasingly common, as some large firms find it is easier to buy their CSR-sheen than build it themselves, the number of successful partnerships is relatively rare:
“Sams concedes that “things could have gone wrong” in selling to a multinational, and believes Cadbury’s own high ethical standards and its willingness to retain the Green & Black’s ethos and allow it to inform its core business, for example with regard to organic farming and the recent decision to switch Dairy Milk to Fairtrade, have been crucial.”
Take care
David
Bill Werther & David Chandler
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
© Sage Publications, 2006
