Our fabulous new Fairtrade chocolate petals will soon be making their debut…Sarah and the design team spent an evening “dressing” them at a recent photo shoot…They’ll come in two gorgeous flavours – raspberry and rose in white choc and strawberry and geranium in milk choc, and will be dressed to kill in trendy hand bag shaped packaging. Exciting times!

The findings of last night’s Panorama programme purely strengthen our resolve to use Fairtrade ingredients in our products, as it is only through the stringent controls that the Fairtrade system has in place that the existence of the worst forms of child labour can be prevented.

We believe that all children have a right to protection and access to education. And we recognise that where deep seated poverty is rife, it is often the children who are at greatest risk of exploitation and forced labour in dangerous and abusive conditions. This is unacceptable.

It is for this reason that we are 100% committed to the principals of Fairtrade and the work of the Fairtrade Foundation and the Fairtrade Labelling Organisations. The Fairtrade movement is working hard to eradicate child labour and the poverty that underlies it. The FAIRTRADE mark on products such as ours guarantees a better deal for farmers, it ensures independent scrutiny of cocoa farms, provides full traceability in the supply chain, and applies thorough standards which prohibit the use of child labour.

The system of independent auditing against standards and the suspension of non compliant societies of farmers from the Fairtrade system means that measures are in place to ensure that cocoa from these groups does not enter the Fairtrade supply chain, and therefore into Plush products.

“When people purchase products carrying the Fairtrade Mark they do so because they want to play their part in improving terms of trade in favour of poor or disadvantaged producers and because they want producers in developing countries to receive a fair price for their work so they can tackle poverty for themselves.� Extract from The Fairtrade Foundation Written response to BBC Panorama.

For more information visit www.fairtrade.org.uk

Maria Pabla Cacerez, from the community of 25 de Diciembre,  is part of the Manduvira Cooperative in Paraguay,  just one of the sources of Fairtrade sugar used in Plush Chocolates. Interviewed earlier this year, Maria explains why Fairtrade is so important for her and her community.

“I’ve been a member of Manduvirá Co-operative for 3 years, producing sugar cane and now sesame too. At the moment I’m weeding my sesame; I planted it with the money I got from the Fairtrade premium. It’s really important because the income for that comes when there isn’t any money from sugar cane. I’m on my own, a single mother – there’s no-one I can ask for money. The Fairtrade money came just when I needed it and I’m using it where I need to.

I’m the secretary of the local committee in my community, 25 de Diciembre. There are 29 members and every year we elect a new president, secretary and treasurer. Only two of the members are women, and some of the men are getting on a bit…sometimes you have to say things 4 or 5 times for them to take it on board! My job is to take minutes, and if anything’s missing at the meeting I bring it. Today I’m bringing a folder to the cooperative with the names and ages of all the children. The co-operative uses some of the Fairtrade premium to buy school kits, clothes and medicines to give out the children of the members. You can see there really is a need, they don’t have anything. Some families have 8 or 9 children. Without the kits they can still go to school but they’re all over the place – if the teacher says ‘do this and bring it for tomorrow’ they just can’t.

I really like Fairtrade, that’s why I’m working within it and I will be until I die. What would I say to consumers? Please buy! We are working hard and making sure there’s no chemical contamination. Our plan to have a factory in the future is really important. It will be good for a lot of people.” Interviewed in 2009.

Maria Pabla Cacerez, from the community of 25 de Diciembre is part of the Manduvira Cooperative in Paraguay

Burford Garden Company in Oxfordshire have just launched their Christmas food shop with Plush products taking centre stage. Looking fabulous!

Handcrafted Baubles filled with our delicious truffles are particularly gorgeous

Plush went down a treat at the recent World Fairtrade Fair in Cardiff…best seller of the day was..our marvellous Organic and Fairtrade caramels…

Plush at Cardiff World Fairtrade Fair