"Through my time at Cadbury's I saw that the company is only as strong as its weakest link and all the departments have the responsibility of the company on their shoulders. Their actions affect the development of other departments and there is a chain reaction that ensues" Fellow 2009

Fellows spent two weeks with Cadbury in Brazil. Below are some of their thoughts and experiences.

Sam

No chocolate. Unbelievable. That was my first question - where is it all? They had a pretty solid answer about high barriers to entry in a competitive chocolate market dominated by two large firms. I can`t complain. The program has many talks, workshops and visits that will show us exactly how a multi-national company functions and how much effort is needed to sustain it. Already we have been stressed the importance of brand image and the lengths that Cadburys goes to make sure that they turn "consumers into fanaticals". An ambitous target although they have a credible plan that centres around staying environmentally sustainable.

Over the last few days Cadbury Brasil has fully taken on the challenge of six eager, yet slightly sceptical English students. Our first week has been predominantly spent in the `creative room´ having various talks from the wide range of the departments that occupy the three top floors that Cadbury own of their Avenue Paulista building...All the employees are very well educated in their field and I feel grateful to be given an insight into just how much effort and co-ordination there is to running a multi-national company. We have conversed with almost all of the departments discovering how they are all interlinked. I have been trying to work out which is least indispensable, but so far have not found an employee whose presence and talent is wasted. Although I am aware I may have been given corporate-rose-tinted glasses, a 200 year old company with such prestige and honour demands the benefit of the doubt somewhat.

One of the most interesting issues I have discovered from my time at Cadbury is the trust. All of the companies Cadbury interact with appreciate that they are not the expert on many aspects of the retail chain and so submit a lot of control regarding placement, marketing and pricing to the experts here at my company. I suppose it comes from a mutual understanding that it is in both of the companies interests to have a successful partnership, I was just unaware of the scale of the cross-over.

George

On arrival at the plant, we were greeted by the plant manager and given a talk on the how they operate, and the measures they take to ensure they are as environmentally friendly as possible. It was followed by a tour of the factory, which was the stuff most people our age used to dream about, and I still do. The machinery and efficiency of the operations was something to behold, with so many sugar filled treats being produced at a quite frightening rate. We were able to grab a few sweets and gums off the line, still warm, and often unfinished. They were designated 'tasting area's' where we all indulged in a variety of goods; some available for public consumption, others not. 

A visit to the 'Waste Water Treatment Plant' was an important insight into the reality of how Cadbury deals with its environmental responsibility. All the waste and water that is used in the entire plant is treated so that it can be clean enough to be safely pumped back into local rivers. The water is far cleaner than the rivers that it's pumped into, and so Cadbury can be confident that it has almost no negative effect on the local environment. It's had vast cuts in it's CO2 emissions  and energy levels as well, and there were many clear efforts being made to make recycling prominent throughout the plant. The numbers they were dealing with made me realise the huge responsibility that large businesses have to make similar efforts, as their impact on the state of the planet is dangerously big.

My most anticipated part of the schedule was next, as we joined some of the students of the Bate Bola scheme. In the first years of the plant in Bauru, local youths would jump the walls to play football on the factory grounds. Cadbury turned a blind eye for a while, but soon they started stealing products from the factory. Instead of punishing these youths harshly, they decided to confront the situation in a quite remarkable fashion, by organising a football school on the plant. This project then blossomed, as it then set up a school in this area, providing an education for many children in the area, including computer classes. It's now an established part of the

                  Fellows at Bate Bola project

community, which has become increasingly dependant on the scheme, but remains hugely grateful to Cadbury. We took the bus to an area of Brazil that seemed awfully third world; without tarmac roads, and favela-esque housing. However, in amongst this squalor was a school which seemed to symbolise all that was good about Brazil. It was like a beacon of hope for the community, with a vast array of activities for the young to get involved with, like music, dance, football, computing along with the more traditional subjects. Everyone involved with the scheme seemed so proud to be a part of it, and it's importance can't be put into words, and I'm sure it has an immeasurable influence on the lives of all the community, especially the children. We were given performances in dance, music and art, all of which we got involved with, and my drumming lesson from a 6 year old boy won't be forgotten in a hurry.
      The entire experience was a fitting way to end our time in Brazil, and we're all hugely grateful to Cadbury for the wonderfully planned programme that they organised for us.