Survey Shows 85% of Women Interested in Buying Charity Chocolate

According to the results of a survey released on January 12, 2011, by Morinaga & Co., a Japanese confectionary company, 84.6 percent of women are interested in buying charity chocolates. The company surveyed 600 men and women in their 20s to early 40s on their attitude toward the Japanese custom of giving chocolates as a Valentine's Day gift.

The survey asked respondents whether they would buy charity chocolates as a gift on Valentine's Day--"charity" chocolates being chocolates containing organic or fair trade ingredients or chocolates that are part of a program aimed at donating a portion of sales to ingredient producing countries to improve local working conditions or to aid local children.

Morinaga is conducting a campaign called "One Chocolate for One Smile" twice a year to improve educational conditions for children in cacao producing countries where more schools and facilities are needed. For every participating chocolate product that is purchased during the campaign, 1 yen (about 1.2 US cents) is donated to target countries through nonprofit organizations (NPOs). The target countries in 2011 are the Republic of Ghana and Indonesia.

Another initiative, called "100 Million's Valentine Project," will also start in 2011. Companies participating in this project will donate a portion of their sales proceeds to NPOs working to save children who are suffering from child-labor, poverty, and disease.

Molinaga & Co. official website
http://www.morinaga.co.jp/english/

Posted: 2011/04/18 06:00:15 AM