Nestle UK and Ireland has pledged to double its commitment to Fairtrade making its two-fingered Kit Kat bar certified by January.
Nestle's four-finger Kit Kit has been using Fairtrade certified cocoa since 2010, and its latest commitment will see the Swiss confectioner purchase an additional 5 300 tonnes of Fairtrade cocoa from the Ivory Coast.
Most well-known chocolate brands have been committing to certified fair trade cocoa in recent years, in a bid to end the child labour and abuse in poor cocoa-growing regions.
Earlier this month, Hershey’s bowed to pressure to become more ethical in its sourcing of cocoa, committing to 100 per cent fair-trade cocoa across all its products by 2020.
Nestle has pledged to invest GBP65 million over ten years on plant science and sustainability initiatives to support small scale cocoa farmers globally.
The Nestle Cocoa Plan which was launched in 2009, and the new farmer co-operatives will benefit from the certification when they join the scheme.
"Today's news is the next step on our journey toward a sustainable supply of quality cocoa and our commitment to certify all our Kit Kats in the UK & Ireland," Ciaran Sullivan, managing director of Nestle Confectionery UK & Ireland, said.
"Farmers in the Nestle Cocoa Plan receive benefits such as new plantlets, farmer training and new schools for their communities. Ivorian farmers badly need our support and this move will help even more cocoa farmers and their families build a positive long term future," he added.
In November last year Nestle announced it would conduct an investigation into the presence of child labour in its business, following accusations children are employed on cocoa farms that supply to its factories.