Following Child Labor Criticisms, Kit Kat Plans For 100 Percent Sustainably-Sourced Cocoa By 2016

Nestlé will move to source the cocoa for its Kit Kat line from entirely sustainable sources, the Switzerland-based candy conglomerate announced in a statement Monday, August 31.

Kit Kat is officially the first global chocolate brand to make such a change.

"We're delighted to be a flag bearer for the industry, as the first global chocolate brand to announce such a move," announced Sarah Martinez, head of confectionary for Nestlé. "Sustainable cocoa sourcing helps safeguard the livelihoods of farming communities and delivers higher-quality cocoa beans. This announcement will only strengthen consumer trust in KitKat as a responsible brand."

Although Nestlé made no mention of the reasoning behind this decision, the announcement is likely in response to years of increasing criticism over the production of unsustainable cocoa, which relies on child labor.

According to the Fair Labor Association, visits to 200 Nestlé supplier farms found that workers included four children under the age of 15, and seven between the ages of 15 and 18.