Mr. Paul Michaels, President
M&M/Mars Inc.
6885 Elm St.
McLean, VA 22101


Dear Mr. Michaels,

    We of Earth Ministry are writing to ask you to sell Fair Trade Certified chocolate. After learning about the Protocol to end abusive child labor on cocoa farms, we firmly believe Fair Trade is the best way for companies and consumers to ensure social justice for struggling cocoa farmers. In addition, Fair Trade will contribute significantly to building a global economy that is secure and sustainable - grounded upon the simultaneous building of natural, social and economic capital.

    Chocolate is particularly in the minds of our faith community around Easter. To be sure that the chocolate enjoyed in Easter festivities accords with the teachings of our faith, we are recommending that our members choose Fair Trade Certified chocolate over all other kinds. If M&M/Mars offered Fair Trade chocolate, our members and affiliates across the USA wouldnąt have to choose between their favorite sweets and their deeply held values.

    As you know the International Labor Organization, the US State Dept. and others have reported that 284,000 children work in hazardous tasks on West African cocoa farms, that about 66% of Ivory Coast child cocoa workers don't attend school, and that some Ivory Coast farms use abusive child labor. The cause of such problems is poverty annual cocoa revenues average $30-$110 per household member. Only Fair Trade guarantees the income the producers need to send their kids to school and pay their workers.

    Global Exchange and 200 other credible national groups formally asked M&M/Mars to sell Fair Trade chocolate two years ago. Since then, M&M/Mars has received overwhelming requests for Fair Trade including more than 1,000 letters from schoolchildren and over than 5,000 individual faxes. In February, a coalition of highly respected national organizations requested meetings with M&M/Mars to discuss Fair Trade purchasing, meetings that M&M/Mars unfortunately refused.

    Despite such appeals, M&M/Mars has declined to sell Fair Trade. While we acknowledge the intentions behind the Protocol, none ensures the minimum price producers need, and none involves the independent certification consumers want. Fair Trade incorporates all these, and it is easy for farmers and companies to get involved.

    As the worldąs biggest chocolate company, M&M/Mars has the responsibility and resources to sell Fair Trade. It is possible for M&M/Mars to start right now since Fair Trade co-ops sell only about 10% of their crop at Fair Trade terms right now.

    Thank you for responding to our request. Earth Ministry is a Christian, environmental non-profit in Seattle and has about 1500 members and works with 104 congregations located in the State of Washington. We look forward to hearing your plans to sell Fair Trade Certified chocolate, as do our concerned constituents and affiliates.


Sincerely,

Earth Ministry