It was an easy prediction to make: that the recession would end talk of corporate social responsibility. Faced with the fear, or reality, of losing their jobs or homes, consumers would rush past the Fairtrade shelves and pick up something the family could afford. Companies, meanwhile, would concentrate on saving themselves rather than the planet.

That easy prediction has turned out to be wrong. Mars, the world's biggest confectionery company, has announced that its entire cocoa supply will be “produced in a sustainable manner” by 2020. Mars will work largely with the Rainforest Alliance, which encourages farmers to preserve their environment.

Mars's move follows the announcement last month by Cadbury, the UK confectionery group, that all the cocoa in Dairy Milk, Britain's biggest-selling chocolate, would be certified by Fairtrade, the organisation that works to ensure a minimum price for farmers.