Josephine Fairley

Jo Fairley is co-founder of Green & Black's, the premium confectionery range now owned by Cadbury's. Jo and her entrepreneur husband set out to market the world's first organic chocolate. They decided on 'green' to represent their environmental and social ethos, and 'black' to represent their particularly high-quality cocoa beans.

Green & Black's immediately picked up a host of awards for entrepreneurial and ethical achievement. They were amongst the first to highlight the social responsibility of food producers, and the first UK business to earn the Fairtrade mark. The fortunes of the Maya Indians in Belize who grow the cocoa have since been transformed, with seven times more village children attending secondary school.

Jo tells how 20,000 young people carrying flaming torches lobbied supermarkets to stock Maya Gold - generating eight valuable minutes of news coverage; but they also had plenty of white knuckle moments. What happens when the cocoa beans are stuck in a volatile tropical country, with the port blockaded, and a major retailer threatens de-listing unless the consignment is delivered on time?

Jo's presentations show the determination needed and the risks involved in building a business and exploiting a niche market. She also demonstrates the power of branding, how business can be both ethical and highly successful, and why you should never underestimate the intelligence of the consumer.

Jo Fairley is author of more than a dozen books, including the Green Beauty Bible, contributing editor to the Mail on Sunday YOU Magazine and chair of a Soil Association committee. Unwilling to retire, she and Craig now run an organic bakery and a health centre.

JLA Client Comments

"Jo met the brief and event objectives 100%. She handled everything with the up-most professionalism and her comments were enlightening." Jergens Naturals