On 23 June 2020, Nestlé's KitKat was criticised for dropping its long-standing Fairtrade certification on chocolate bars in the UK and Ireland. The move was described as "profoundly disappointing". There are mounting fears that 27,000 small-scale cocoa and sugar cane farmers in the Ivory Coast, Fiji and Malawi - receiving a minimum protected price and financial bonuses - will be hardest hit by Nestlé's change in policy. A network of all Fairtrade-certified Ivorian producers have called on Nestlé to maintain its commitment to Fairtrade producers by considering the devastating effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nestlé said it would instead source its cocoa for KitKat bars from farms on Rainforest Alliance terms. The Swiss-owned giant also pledged support for affected farmers and denied allegations that the decision was a cost-cutting exercise.