TODO: Figure out what the title should be

An Open Letter to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters From Equal Exchange

05.21.2012 - 07:00AM

In a rare business-to-business plea Equal Exchange has released an open letter to Larry Blanford, the CEO of fellow New England specialty coffee company, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) in the form of a full-page color ad in today’s Sunday edition of the Burlington Free Press (Vermont) that strongly encourages the multi-billion dollar brand to withdraw its support from the controversial certification agency, Fair Trade USA (FTUSA).

Equal Exchange is the Massachusetts-headquartered business that introduced Fair Trade coffee to American grocery stores and coffee shops in the 1980s and 90s and who today remains the largest North American enterprise dedicated exclusively to buying and selling Fair Trade products. GMCR, based in Waterbury, VT, was itself an ‘early adopter’ and has been offering Fair Trade coffee for 14 years. To their considerable credit GMCR recently became the world’s largest purveyor of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, handling more than 26,000,000 pounds of Fair Trade coffee annually. They have also donated generously to support various economic development efforts in coffee growing communities.

However, while acknowledging these accomplishments, in today’s ad Equal Exchange challenges GMCR to “open your eyes…to the controversy raging…” and “leave Fair Trade USA” in light of recent unilateral changes enacted by the agency.

Without input from stakeholders, on January 1, FTUSA abandoned the global Fair Trade system (Fair Trade International, aka FTI) and loosened eligibility rules to allow large coffee, cocoa and sugar plantations to receive Fair Trade certification. That would put these large estates in direct competition with the hundreds of small-farmer co-operatives around the world who co-created the Fair Trade movement and have been the core of Fair Trade for over 25 years. This was a FTUSA proposal that the 20+ other global members of FTI, including the farmer representatives, had overwhelmingly rejected previously. FTUSA also withheld from FTI the dues it owes for 2011, funds that it is now using to compete with FTI in the US certification market.

Equal Exchange, the small-farmer co-operatives, and many other Fair Trade pioneers and advocates believe these and other recent acts by FTUSA gravely undermine the very purpose of Fair Trade and constitute a betrayal of the small-farmer co-ops. Consequently they also undermine the important social and economic progress that GMCR’s support of Fair Trade and small farmers has to date made possible. The open letter goes on to state,

“Fair Trade, a product of years of sweat, sacrifice and risk, belongs to the farmers. But Fair Trade USA has abandoned the legitimate system, not paid its dues, and changed the rules...” Rink Dickinson & Rob Everts, co-presidents, Equal Exchange

In different forums Equal Exchange has been challenging the path taken by FTUSA, including a recent private meeting with Larry Blanford and others at GMCR. Because of GMCR’s large volume of Fair Trade sales, and the licensing fees it pays for use of the FTUSA seal, it is the largest single source of revenue for FTUSA and a critical pillar of support. Those funds, and the benefits of being associated with the popular GMCR brand, are aiding FTUSA’s efforts even as it pursues a course apart from the rest of the global Fair Trade movement. Therefore Equal Exchange is using this ad, and a subsequent ad that will run on Thursday, May 24^th, to publicly encourage GMCR to end its relationship with FTUSA and rejoin the global system of certifiers that FTUSA recently left.

About Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange has been a pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade since 1986 and is a full service provider of organic coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, bananas and other products. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting more than 40 small farmer co-operatives in 25 countries around the world. In keeping with its Fair Trade mission Equal Exchange is a democratically governed, employee-owned co-operative, one of only a few in the US. Equal Exchange has been honored for its social entrepreneurship by Fast Company magazine, The Financial Times, WorldBlu and others.

For more information:

http://www.equalexchange.coop/small-farmer-campaign

http://www.equalexchange.coop

Food Authenticity Encouraging Sustainable Supply Chains

04.27.2012 - 08:40AM

Food authentication techniques are gaining popularity, partly because of growing concerns about fraud involving organic and sustainable foods. Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) finds this development is encouraging sustainability by providing greater traceability across the supply chain.

The market for organic and eco-labelled foods has grown from almost nothing to over USD 60 billion within 20 years. High market growth rates and the premium associated with sustainable foods have attracted unscrupulous businesses looking to profit from ethical consumerism. Indeed, the number of fraudulent incidents involving food products has mushroomed in recent years. Last month, an American broker was jailed for 2 years for passing off conventional corn as organic. Since February 2011, the USDA has reported 12 incidents of fake organic certificates; the origins of these fake certificates - Asia, Africa, Middle-East, Caribbean and Europe - demonstrate how international food fraud has become.

Since organic products have audit trails and traceable certificates, incidents of fraud are relatively low compared to conventional food products. The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) of the UK estimates that fraud could be affecting up to 10% of all foods bought by consumers. At the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit (www.sustainablefoodssummit.com), the agency will highlight the analytical tools available to combat the various forms of food fraud: counterfeiting, mislabeling, species substitution, geographic origins, concealment, adulteration, etc. Case studies will be given on how to authenticate food products - such as olive oil, wine, seafood, rice, honey and meats - in terms of their geographic origins and production methods.

The growing prominence of food authenticity is making analytical techniques, such as mass spectrometry and chromatography, crossover from chemical labs to quality assurance departments at food companies. Such techniques can detect pesticide residues and toxins in foods. New technologies are emerging like DNA fingerprinting and isotope analysis that can authenticate food products by their chemical compositions. Such technologies can detect genetically modified organisms, adulteration and verify seafood and meat species. Isotope analysis can trace meat products to within 5 miles of where the livestock was raised, and state whether the animals were reared free-range or in cages. Food products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) can also be verified.

To maintain the integrity of sustainable foods, some certification agencies are using a combination of analytical techniques and new technologies. Ecocert is monitoring its supply chains for organic and fair trade products by using fingerprinting methods, mass spectrometry and Earth Observation techniques. The latter involves satellites taking ‘spectral images’ of agricultural fields to monitor agro-chemical usage. The Italian certification agency ICEA is using social networks to augment analytical methods, whilst others are forming strategic alliances to track organic certificates via online databases.

As will be shown at the Sustainable Foods Summit, food authentication techniques are also promoting sustainability. By providing traceability to food manufacturers and retailers, they are encouraging production of organic and eco-labelled products. By reducing incidents of food fraud, consumer trust in sustainable foods is strengthened. They can also encourage shorter and tighter supply chains, removing unnecessary intermediaries. A major challenge however, is the separation and integration of supply chains in an increasingly global food industry.

Food authenticity is a focal theme of the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit, taking place in Amsterdam on 7-8th June. The summit will cover the range of analytical techniques and technologies to authenticate food products. FERA UK, Ecocert, ICEA, as well as leading sustainable food companies will be participating.

About the Sustainable Foods Summit

Organised by Organic Monitor, the aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues in a high level forum. The sixth edition of this international series of summits will take place in Amsterdam on 7-8th June 2012. More information is available from www.sustainablefoodssummit.com

About Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. We have been tracking the global organic products industry since 2001. Our business services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com

EcoVadis Chosen By HEINEKEN For Sustainability-Rating Platform

04.04.2012 - 06:33AM

The EcoVadis platform allows HEINEKEN to monitor risks within the supplier base spanning more than a 100 countries, and at the same time to identify innovative sustainability practices of suppliers. The EcoVadis platform will allow HEINEKEN buyers all over the world access to easy to use, reliable sustainability ratings. These ratings cover 21 environmental and social criteria, and measure compliance with the key elements of HEINEKEN's Supplier Code.

At the end of 2005, HEINEKEN adopted its first Supplier Code dedicated to supply chain responsibility aiming at sourcing products and services in a responsible manner by requiring suppliers to operate in accordance with the principles set out in HEINEKEN's Supplier Code.

In 2011, HEINEKEN decided to reinforce this policy through a collaborative platform allowing the evaluation and improvement of environmental and social performance of its key suppliers and selected the EcoVadis platform for this purpose. HEINEKEN and EcoVadis also collaborated to develop specific questionnaires and scoring models covering specific malt, hops and grains categories. After a successful pilot program covering 150 strategic suppliers in 2011, the EcoVadis solution is now being rolled out on a global basis.

"The development and rigorous implementation of Sustainable Procurement policies is a key element of HEINEKEN's Brewing a Better Future agenda. HEINEKEN has a strong preference to only do business with organisations that share our values of Respect for the Planet and ethical Business Principles. Our buyers' discussions with suppliers have included environmental and social issues since 2005, but after recently benchmarking against other companies' standards we chose to raise the bar, increasing our expectations and updating our Supplier Code. Acknowledging that driving our CSR standards into and through our supply chain is both about assuring current performance as well as driving improvement, we invested time in finding a CSR performance measurement platform that could meet all our requirements," declared David Spacey, Global Procurement Director at HEINEKEN.

"After extensive review of alternatives we have chosen to utilise the EcoVadis platform which offers an excellent combination of self-assessment, 360 degree supporting evidence evaluation and inter-industry competitor benchmarking. The ease of access and usability for both our large supplier base and our global procurement community was also a key factor," Spacey continued. "We did not want to deploy a generic assessment but also address the specific lifecycle challenges of each of our core spend categories, and the EcoVadis platform is a great solution to support this initiative with our suppliers but also with our global procurement community."

EcoVadis Managing Director and co-founder Pierre-Francois Thaler adds: "We are very happy to collaborate with HEINEKEN, which is the first brewer to have engaged in such an advanced Sustainable Supply Chain programme, going beyond the traditional Social Compliance approaches. Through this collaborative platform, HEINEKEN and EcoVadis also wish to give the possibility to other big FMCG companies to participate in order to improve the environmental and social conditions of supply chains."

About HEINEKEN

HEINEKEN is a proud, independent global brewer committed to surprise and excite consumers with its brands and products everywhere.

The brand that bears the founder's family name - HEINEKEN is available in almost every country on the globe and is the world's most valuable international premium beer brand. The Company's aim is to be a leading brewer in each of the markets in which it operates and to have the world's most valuable brand portfolio. HEINEKEN wants to win in all markets with HEINEKEN and with a full brand portfolio in markets of choice.

The Company is present in over 70 countries and operates more than 140 breweries with volume of 214 million hectolitres of group beer sold. HEINEKEN is Europe's largest brewer and the world's third largest by volume. HEINEKEN is committed to the responsible marketing and consumption of its more than 200 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. These include Amstel, Birra Moretti, Cruzcampo, Desperados, Dos Equis, Foster's, HEINEKEN, Newcastle Brown Ale, Ochota, Primus, Sagres, Sol, Star, Strongbow, Tecate and Zywiec.

Our leading joint venture brands include Cristal, Kingfisher, Tiger and Anchor. In 2011, revenue totaled €17.1 billion and EBIT (beia) was €2.7 billion. The number of people employed is around 70,000. HEINEKEN N.V. and HEINEKEN Holding N.V. shares are listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. Most recent information is available on www.theHEINEKENcompany.com.

About EcoVadis

EcoVadis operates the 1st SaaS collaborative platform helping major companies assess their suppliers' environmental and social performance. EcoVadis combines an information system and a network of CSR analysts in order to provide buyers with simple and reliable information covering 150 purchasing categories, 150 countries, and 21 indicators (ranging from CO2 emissions to child labour. EcoVadis solutions can help businesses reduce risks and improve their suppliers' performance. 50 major international groups use EcoVadis to assess their suppliers' CSR performance. In a study, UNEP/Global Compact mentioned that "Businesses should use databases like EcoVadis...for they collect and distribute data about suppliers and they provide buyers with an integrated supplier assessment tool focused on Sustainable Development indicators." www.ecovadis.com

Intel, HP, GE Foundation Create Fund to Encourage Participation in Conflict-Free Smelter Program

04.03.2012 - 09:00AM

RESOLVE today announced the launch of a new, independent fund designed to promote early participation of smelters and refineries (smelters) in the Conflict-Free Smelter (CFS) Program. This fund, with initial financial contributions led by Intel and in collaboration with HP and the GE Foundation, seeks to support the early smelter adopters of the CFS Program that demonstrate compliance with the Program protocols as established by the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition® (EICC®) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI).

The fund is being called the CFS Early-Adopters Fund (Fund). RESOLVE, an independent non-governmental organization that helps design and incubate solutions to natural resource, health, and development challenges, will serve as the independent program and financial manager for the new Fund.

The CFS Program was established to independently determine smelters who are sourcing conflict-free minerals. More information on this important multi-sector program can be found at www.conflictfreesmelter.org.

The CFS Early-Adopters Fund recognizes early adopters of the CFS Program by offsetting a portion of the transition or start-up costs associated with passing a first-year audit. Smelters that are found compliant with the CFS Program protocol are eligible for the incentive as long as assets are available in the Fund. The incentive will be one-half the cost of the first successful audit, up to $5,000 for each eligible smelter company.

RESOLVE’s Solutions Network will manage this pilot program and the financial disbursement. While being managed by RESOLVE, the Fund will be incorporated into the work of the EICC and GeSI joint Extractives Workgroup and the CFS Program processes, which will enable more companies to easily contribute to the Fund and encourage responsible sourcing. Approximately one year into the pilot program, RESOLVE will invite key stakeholders to review the program results and help determine how to further strengthen efforts to support capacity building in the supply chain for conflict-free minerals.

“Early leadership from electronics companies helped catalyze development of the Conflict-Free Smelter Program, and once again we see leaders like Intel, HP and the GE Foundation taking action to make a difference in the world supply chain,” said Stephen D'Esposito, President of RESOLVE.

This Fund is part of a growing fabric of programs designed to build capacity to respond to the challenge of conflict minerals. The EICC, GeSI, these same sponsoring companies and others also support the Public Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (http://www.resolv.org/site-ppa/), a multi-stakeholder effort to support capacity-building programs for miners in the DRC and surrounding countries who want to participate in conflict-free programs. The EICC and GeSI also developed the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template as a common means for the collection of sourcing company due diligence information related to conflict minerals. Companies may adopt the use of the Template as an element of their conflict minerals due diligence program to assist in the verification of responsible sourcing practices.

“The EICC, GeSI, and other responsible companies recognize that progress on these challenging issues will result from a multi-pronged approach that includes action in the marketplace, by governments and through the tireless work of civil society leaders in the DRC and globally,” said Stephen D’Esposito of RESOLVE.

“We are committed to working with stakeholders to test programs like this and inform, refine and strengthen the policy and voluntary efforts on such issues.”

*****

About RESOLVE:

RESOLVE (www.resolv.org) is a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit that builds strong, enduring solutions to environmental, social, and health challenges. RESOLVE helps community, business, government, and NGO leaders get results and create lasting relationships through collaboration. RESOLVE is an independent organization with over thirty years of success. RESOLVE’s Solutions Network (http://www.solutions-network.org/) is a voluntary, virtual network supported by RESOLVE’s collaborative experts and network of technical and strategic partners. The Solutions Network mobilizes leaders in business and civil society to incubate and test ideas and turn them into self-sustaining environmental, social, and health solutions, including support for voluntary governance initiatives (http://www.resolv.org/voluntary-governance).

About Intel:

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

About the GE Foundation:

GE Foundation is the philanthropic organization of GE. The Foundation provides grants and invests in initiatives that work to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems. In coordination with our partners, we support U.S. and international education, developing health globally, the environment, public policy, human rights, disaster relief and community success around the globe. The Foundation also supports GE employee and retiree giving and involvement in GE communities through employee programs such as the GE Foundation Matching Gifts Program.

UL Responsible Sourcing Introduces Corrective and Preventive Action Tool To Help Manage Workplace Improvements

03.26.2012 - 01:53PM

UL’s Responsible Sourcing group, a leading global provider of corporate responsibility auditing and consulting services, today announced the introduction of its Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) System to help manage and track improvements in manufacturing processes and responsible workplace systems throughout the supply chain.

The CAPA System is an online workflow management tool that helps companies communicate workplace improvements to their business partners, educate staff and suppliers about workplace systems, track and document the closure of audit findings, and streamline management of the corrective action process.

“Our new online CAPA System has been designed to facilitate collaborative problem-solving between global brands, their vendors and manufacturing sites,” said Ryan Lynch, project manager, UL Responsible Sourcing. “The tool addresses the challenge of managing a huge number of complex, site-specific workplace challenges within large-scale supply chain risk management programs.”

By making data centralized and easily viewable, providing real-time status reports, and keeping corrective actions on track, the CAPA System will be of great value to companies that want to positively impact the integrity of their supply chain.

About UL Responsible Sourcing

UL Responsible Sourcing is a leading global provider of corporate responsibility auditing and ethical sourcing consulting services, which include monitoring, training, research, and program development. With offices in over 30 countries across five continents, UL Responsible Sourcing has the reach to provide audit services in over 140 countries around the world. UL Responsible Sourcing is part of UL Verification Services, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Additional information about UL Responsible Sourcing may be found at www.strquality.com/Responsible-Sourcing.

About UL

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) is a premier global independent safety science company with more than 117 years of history. Employing more than 6,800 professionals in over 96 countries, UL has five distinct business units—Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, University, and Verification Services—to meet the expanding needs of our customers and to deliver on our public safety mission. Additional information about UL may be found at www.UL.com.

BJ's Wholesale Club Commits to Offering Sustainable Seafood

03.13.2012 - 02:05PM

BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. today announced its commitment to members and the environment by implementing a new sustainable seafood policy ensuring all seafood products sold in BJ’s Wholesale Clubs are sourced from seafood suppliers identified as sustainable or on track to meet sustainability standards by 2014. In partnership with leading non-profit organizations including Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP, www.sustainablefish.org), the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC, www.msc.org) and the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA, gaalliance.org), the company is taking measureable steps to safeguard the ocean’s natural resources while continuing to provide consumers the highest quality fish and seafood available.

To reach this goal, BJ’s is working with new and existing suppliers to find and assist in implementing methods that protect aquatic species and habitats. The company’s new seafood guideline for wild-caught fish ensures fish are caught legally and that suppliers remain within their catch quotas. Additionally, the guidelines encourage fisheries and suppliers to use up-to-date technology that makes harvesting less destructive to other aquatic species, such as dolphins and turtles, and less damaging to ocean habitats, including coral reefs.

For farmed fish, suppliers must limit the use of chemicals, provide fish plenty of room to swim and implement safeguards that prevent farmed fish from escaping or affecting wild fish. All BJ’s seafood partners from fresh fish to frozen “value-added fish,” including fish sticks and breaded/seasoned fillets, must take steps to source seafood in accordance with BJ’s guidelines.

“Our goal is to continue to provide safe, quality seafood at an excellent value for years to come and without compromise,” said Scott Williams Manager of Product Development and Quality Assurance for BJ’s Wholesale Club. “As a large volume buyer of seafood, it is BJ’s responsibility to help protect the oceans and waterways and have a minimal impact on the long-term health of our ecosystems.”

BJ’s has already implemented a number of quality improvements to its seafood program including DNA testing on all fresh and frozen fish, chemical free seafood that does not include artificial ingredients including sodium tripolyphosphate which is often used to retain water in shrimp, and moving tilapia production to a modern farm that meets GAA standards. Additionally, all canned fish sold at BJ’s are required to comply with the International Sustainability Foundation Guidelines (ISF).

“BJ’s sustainable seafood program is commendable, and is an important step in improving the health of global fisheries and ensuring seafood availability for future generations,” said Dick Jones, Director of Major Buyer Engagement for Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP).” SFP is pleased to partner with BJ’s and assist them in evaluating and improving fisheries and fish farms by using the most current science and practices that are recognized as the best in the industry.”

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI), which is committed to sustainable seafood management, also recognizes BJ’s commitment to sustainable seafood.

“Implementing a sustainable seafood program and encouraging responsible aquaculture positions BJ’s Wholesale Club as a leader in the retail industry,” said John Connelly, President of National Fisheries Institute “Sustainability programs like the one instituted by BJ’s Wholesale Club protect our ocean’s most precious resources and helps ensure that consumers can enjoy nutritious, healthful fish for future generations.”

BJ’s Wholesale Club believes that investing in sustainable seafood programs benefits consumers, retailers and suppliers and will continue to offer members the quality and value they have come to expect from BJ’s. BJ’s house brand of seafood which includes tilapia fillets, sea scallops, wild caught sockeye salmon fillets and extra large shrimp, are sold under the label of Berkley & Jensen and can be found at 195 BJ’s clubs in the United States. For more information on BJ’s sustainability partnership, please visit www.bjs.com/seafood.

About BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ's is dedicated to providing members with high-quality, brand-name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores. BJ's carries the most product variety of any wholesale club with more than 7,000 items, including supermarket-sized staples, USDA “Choice” meats, all-natural and certified organic products and stock-up items. BJ's is the only wholesale club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience, offers the most payment options including EBT. Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States. The Company operates 195 clubs and 107 gas stations in 15 eastern states. Learn more and shop online at BJs.com or for exclusive content visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub and Twitter.com/bjswholesale.

About National Fisheries Institute

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to education about seafood safety, sustainability, and nutrition. From vessels at sea to your favorite seafood restaurant, our diverse member companies bring delicious fish and shellfish to American families. NFI promotes the US Dietary Guidelines that suggest Americans include fish and shellfish in their diets twice per week for longer, healthier lives.

NFI and its members are committed to sustainable management of our oceans and being stewards of our environment by endorsing the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Fisheries. Our investment in our oceans today will provide our children and future generations the health benefits of a plentiful supply of fish and seafood tomorrow.

From responsible aquaculture, to a marketplace supporting free trade, to ensuring the media and consumers have the facts about the health benefits of fish and shellfish, NFI and its members support and promote sound public policy based on ground truth science.

Vegan, Gluten-Free Nachos? Beanfields is Leading The Way

02.27.2012 - 09:00AM

Drawing on their Vegan and Non-GMO farming roots, Beanfields, LLC is inviting all snackers to experience socially responsible, allergen-free snacking in a different, more delicious way. Beanfields Bean & Rice chips, best known for being nutrient-packed, family-owned and values-based, is launching its latest flavor extension in America’s #1 flavor, Nacho—with a twist. They are vegan, gluten- and corn- free. It will be the first chip to bring all the flavor of cheese without the dairy.

The official launch of the [Vegan] Nacho chips will be at the Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural foods trade show, March 8-11, 2012 at the Anaheim, CA Convention Center. A 6 oz. bag of Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips retails for $2.99 - $3.99, and is found in over 500 natural food stores in 20 western states. The 1.5 oz. snack size bags retail for $1.19 - $1.49.

Non-GMO Project verified products continue to be one of the fastest growing segments in the natural and organic food industry (1), while gluten-free sales continue to boom despite the weak economy—commanding over a billion dollars in annual sales (2).

“We set out to re-create the taste of the world’s largest selling tortilla chip flavor, nacho, without using any of the FDA’s 8 most common ingredients that trigger food allergies, including dairy” said Reed Braude-Glidden, Beanfields Founder and President. “A difficult task that some thought impossible.” Beanfields’s next move: they turned to Dr. Jonathan Gordon, the food scientist behind the dairy-free flavor of Silk Soy Milk. Beanfields Co-Founder and Vice President, Roy Glidden, says he “knew that if anyone could create an all-natural, mouth-watering, dairy free nacho flavor for our chips, it would be Gordon.

Beanfields’ Nacho Bean & Rice Chips are a cheesy tasting snack alternative that provide better nutrition, less environmental impact and is suitable for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, are looking to avoid dairy, or maintain a Vegan lifestyle.

Evolving the Chip
Beanfields takes wholesome and nutritious beans and blends them with long grain rice to create delicious snacks that are loaded with fiber and protein. In fact Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips contain double the fiber and protein of most corn tortilla or potato chips.

Consumers can feel good about buying these fun-to-eat chips. Every 1 oz. serving of Beanfields chips (about 13 tortilla chips) contains 4 grams of complete protein and 4 grams of fiber – that’s as much fiber as a ½ cup serving of raisin bran, and as much protein as a 4 oz. glass of milk. The new nacho chip raises the bar yet again on the taste you can expect from a healthy snack.

About Beanfields Beans & Rice Chips
Beanfields, LLC is on a mission to combine social responsibility and award-winning taste. Their philosophy is simple: that great tasting snacks should also be good for you, good for our families, good for our farmers and good for the planet. Beanfields uses only USA farmed beans and rice, exhibiting their commitment to USA farmers and jobs. All their chips are Non GMO Project verified to not contain genetically modified ingredients and each batch of chips are independently tested for the presence of gluten. For more information about our Bean & Rice Chips, please visit http://www.beanfieldssnacks.com/

Beanfields store locater and on line shopping is available at (http://www.BeanfieldsSnacks.com/where_to_buy.php).

(1) http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/may2011/nonGMOgrowingnaturalfoodcategory.php
(2) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/29/uk-food-glutenfree-idUSLNE78S00W20110929

UK Grocery Retailing: Back to the Future?

02.16.2012 - 10:06AM

Last night, Sainsbury’s chief executive, Justin King, spoke of how UK consumers have not neglected their beliefs in the pursuit of value for money. Despite the current strain on household incomes, consumers still want products that are sourced sustainably and as such, businesses need to embed corporate responsibility into their operations.

Addressing the annual City Food Lecture at the Guildhall in London last night, Justin King said:

Conventional thinking might suggest that in times of economic hardship, the consumer is only interested in saving money. That is important of course, but we know they are looking for more.

Consumers want to buy products that are value for money and give them quality and the high ethical standards they have come to expect.

As the CEO of the world’s largest Fairtrade retailer, and the UK’s largest Freedom Foods retailer, I can confirm that consumer interest in ethically sourced products has not only been maintained, but has grown.

In the UK, sales of Fairtrade food products alone rose 36%, from £749 million in 2009, to over £1billion in 2010.

And sustainable fish sales grew 16.3%, from £178 million in 2009 to £207 million in 2010.

A key element in the consumer relationship with retail is trust. Many consumers want to do the right thing and rely on us to help them to do this on a day-to-day basis.

They expect businesses to exert a positive influence on each component in our supply chain.

Today, consumers enjoy greater transparency and access to information than ever before. Increasingly this is through the use of technology and social media where consumers can compare information and talk to each other about products.

We have – I believe – all moved on from the days when we published an annual report about our corporate responsibility achievements, produced almost as an after thought and certainly quite separate from our main business reporting.

CR today has to be embedded in your business and be part of ‘the way we do things’. And consumers expect us to demonstrate our CR values every day and to communicate with them directly about them.

And let me be clear. This is a competitive issue. We all strive to out-do each other because it is important to our customers and our suppliers. Consumers benefit from this competition.

CR needs to be looked at in the round – perhaps it should really be called Corporate Sustainability.

Sustainability has three aspects : economic, social and environmental. Businesses need to make a positive impact on the economy, on the environment, and on society.

At Sainsbury’s we have our 20by20 Sustainability Plan which we announced last autumn and is key to our business strategy.

There are 20 targets, to be met by the year 2020. They are designed to help us make a positive impact on the economy, the environment, and society. To move us on from simply addressing any negative impacts of our business to actually making a positive difference.

We should all do more to get politicians and commentators to recognise the value our sector delivers for the economy along the whole supply chain, and therefore within the communities of which we are all a part.

For further information please contact:
Sainsbury’s Press Office: 020 7695 7295 or press_office@sainsburys.co.uk

Notes:

The City Food Lecture is an annual fixture in the City of London and food industry calendars. Held at the Guildhall, it is organised by the seven City Livery Companies whose roots are in the food industry – the Worshipful Companies of Bakers, Butchers, Cooks, Farmers, Fishmongers, Fruiterers and Poulters.

Further information is available at http://www.cityfoodlecture.com/index.html

Hershey Will Offer Certified Chocolate Following Consumer-Driven Campaign

02.01.2012 - 11:26AM

The Hershey Company announced yesterday that it will make its first commitment to sourcing independently certified cocoa for its Bliss line by the end of 2012. The announcement was made days before International labor Right Forum was scheduled to run a Super Bowl ad highlighting Hershey’s use of child labor and follows a multi-year campaign that generated over 100,000 letters to Hershey, including from 50,000 supporters on Change.org, asking Hershey to improve its cocoa sourcing practices.

The “Raise the Bar, Hershey Coalition,” a group of responsible cocoa advocates led by Global Exchange, Green America, and International Labor Rights Forum, started the campaign after identifying Hershey as behind its competitors on addressing child labor, forced labor, and other abuses in the cocoa industry.

"It’s great to see Hershey's take this first step towards accountability in their supply chain. We will continue to push them to ensure a better price for cocoa farmers so they can stop depending on forced child labor," said Judy Gearhart, Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum. "The threat of a Super Bowl ad certainly increased the pressure, but Hershey’s new agreement is really the result of thousands of consumers, students, church congregations and community groups writing to them over the past two years.”

The Raise the Bar, Hershey Coalition has been increasing pressure on Hershey, including launching a petition on Change.org, creating “brand-jamming” photos and videos of Hershey products, blanketing the company’s Facebook wall in messages, organizing rallies at Hershey’s flagship stores, and delivering more than 100,000 letters from concerned consumers to Hershey’s corporate headquarters on Halloween.

“The Raise the Bar, Hershey! Coalition is excited to see Hershey listening to consumer demand for ethically sourced cocoa,” said Elizabeth O’Connell, fair trade campaigns director for Green America, “but we also recognize there is much more work to be done to fight child labor and other abuses in the cocoa industry, and we will continue to encourage Hershey to develop ethical sourcing practices.”

“The growth and ultimate success of Raise the Bar, Hershey’s petition on Change.org is incredible,” said Change.org Director of Organizing Amanda Kloer. “Hershey responded to consumer pressure with a significant improvement in cocoa sourcing transparency. It’s been empowering to watch this group of concerned organizations and individuals use Change.org’s tools to fight for changes at the Hershey Company.”

In response to Hershey’s announcement, eighth grader Jasper Perry-Anderson has created a follow-up campaign on Change.org, asking the Hershey Trust to ensure the Hershey Company expands its commitment to certified cocoa to all its products in the future.

Live signature totals from Raise the Bar, Hershey’s campaign:
http://www.change.org/petitions/hershey-raise-the-bar

Journalists interested in contacting Hershey’s public relations staff should try:
Andy McCormick, Vice President, Public Affairs
(717) 534-5739
amccormick@hersheys.com

Kirk Saville, Spokesperson
(800) 468-1714
ksaville@hersheys.com

The Raise the Bar, Hershey! Coalition is led by the following organizations:

GREEN AMERICA is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. www.GreenAmerica.org

GLOBAL EXCHANGE is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. www.GlobalExchange.org

INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. www.LaborRights.org

For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about
Change.org is the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change — growing by more than 500,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.

Hershey Expands Responsible Cocoa Community Programs in west Africa

01.30.2012 - 09:28AM

Certified Products: Hershey to source cocoa for Hershey's Bliss chocolates from Rainforest Alliance Certified
Ivory Coast Investment: Hershey to expand company's innovative CocoaLink mobile phone program to farmers in Ivory Coast
Farmers & Families: HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW Farm and Family Development Center to Open in Ghana
Long-Term Commitment: Hershey to invest $10 million by 2017 to redue child labor and improve cocoa supply in West Africa

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today announced its plan to reinforce cocoa sustainability efforts by accelerating farmer and family development in West Africa, where 70 percent of the world’s cocoa is grown.

Over the next five years, Hershey will expand and accelerate programs to improve cocoa communities by investing $10 million in West Africa and continuing to work with experts in agriculture, community development and government to achieve progress with cocoa farmers and their families. By 2017, Hershey’s public and private partnerships will directly benefit 750,000 African cocoa farmers and over two million people in cocoa communities across the region.* Because cocoa farms are family farms, improving farming increases family income. Today, West African farmers can increase their cocoa output by 50 percent through modern methods. Doing so will increase school attendance and improve community health.

Hershey has worked with farmers and development organizations for more than 50 years. Most cocoa farmers live on small, isolated family farms. They are eager to improve their farming methods and The Hershey Company is investing in major programs to make them better farmers. Today’s announcement builds on the company’s cocoa expertise and partnerships and will focus on increasing the income of the region’s two million cocoa farmers and ensuring long-term cocoa sustainability for the region and for Hershey’s global product line. More information about Hershey's cocoa sustainability efforts is available at: www.HersheyCocoaSustainability.com.

Hershey is extending our commitment with new programs to drive long-term change in cocoa villages where families will benefit from our investments in education, health and economic opportunities,” said J.P. Bilbrey, President and CEO, The Hershey Company. “Our global consumers want The Hershey Company to be a leader in responsible business practices and in finding smart ways to benefit cocoa communities. We are excited and humbled by this opportunity to create positive change in West Africa.

Later this year, U.S. consumers will be able to purchase products with 100 percent cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Rainforest Alliance Certified farms have met comprehensive sustainability standards that protect the environment and ensure the safety and well-being of workers, their families and communities. Hershey’s Bliss® chocolates are available to U.S. consumers at more than 35,000 retail outlets. In addition, Hershey is working with the Rainforest Alliance to source cocoa from certified farms in Latin America and Africa for Hershey’s premium brand,Dagoba.

While working with farmers to improve long-standing agricultural practices, Hershey and the Rainforest Alliance will also help them prepare for the future. For example, Hershey and the Rainforest Alliance will collaborate to provide cocoa farmers with training to help them address global climate change and adapt to its impacts. As part of an overall strategy to eliminate child labor, Rainforest Alliance inspectors will monitor and audit practices on farms supplying certified beans to Hershey, including instances of unsafe or illegal child labor.

The Rainforest Alliance will use training programs to reduce child labor and increase school attendance. These programs will be coordinated with industry and government initiatives. We support Hershey’s comprehensive approach to sustainability, through educating cocoa farmers on best practices and improving conditions for cocoa farming communities in West Africa,” said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. “We are thrilled to be working with Hershey to bring their sustainability commitments to life, from cocoa farms in West Africa to store shelves across North America.

During the past decade, The Hershey Company and its public and private partners have invested in developing new agricultural practices that are helping West African farmers double the yield on their cocoa farms, which in turn increases their family’s income.

In 2011, Hershey introduced an innovative mobile phone program in Ghana, known as CocoaLink, to reach thousands of farmers with practical messages about growing cocoa and family health. Today, more than two-thirds of cocoa farmers in Ghana are using low-cost mobile phones in their households. CocoaLink is a first of its kind partnership program developed with World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

Based on the success of the company’s CocoaLink mobile phone project in Ghana, Hershey said today it is planning to expand the network into the Ivory Coast. Through CocoaLink, cocoa farmers receive text and voice messages that enable them to improve farming practices, understand issues related to pests and adverse weather conditions, improve labor practices and ask questions of cocoa experts in real time. In the next phase of CocoaLink, Hershey plans to work with the Rainforest Alliance to incorporate important messages about conservation and climate change into the program. Through CocoaLink, Hershey and its partners are committed to reaching 100,000 Ghana cocoa farmers by 2014. The Ivory Coast has approximately 600,000 cocoa farmers and industry data indicates that about half are already using mobile phones.

Introducing HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW Farm Program
Improved farming practices directly enhance family, community and education in cocoa villages. For example, supplying farmers with high-yielding seedlings, better planting and pruning practices, organic fertilization and biocontrol of insect pests are all technologies that are embraced in Ghana’s cocoa region. More than 50 percent of farm family income in his region comes from cocoa, so every extra pound of cocoa is extra cash for the family budget.

For these reasons, Hershey and its partner, Source Trust, today announced a new initiative known as HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW. Through this initiative, Hershey will create a farmer and family development center in the heart of Ghana’s central cocoa region. Source Trust is a non-profit organization set up to help farmers improve their livelihoods through better crop yields and quality, achieved through sustainable farming practices. The program will start this year and involve more than 5,000 cocoa community members, in addition to more than 1,000 farm families.
Through HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW, Hershey and Source Trust will:

Establish 25 community-based farmer organizations to improve the living standards of 1,250 cocoa farm families through good agricultural, environmental, social and business practices training; access to improved planting material; and finance for farm inputs with the goal to double productivity yield and farm income over four years.
Assist the Government of Ghana to meet the goals of Ghana’s 2009-2015 National Plan of Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL).
Bring high-tech learning to rural farm villages through technology centers that can be used by schools, farmers and the wider community. HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW programs will be based on interactive curriculum to train cocoa farmers on good agricultural, environmental and social practices. HERSHEY LEARN TO GROW will also support GPS mapping of farm acreage so that farmers will use the right amount of fertilizers and pesticides for maximum yield and sustainability.

By accelerating its cocoa programs in West Africa over the next five years, Hershey believes the company and the industry can achieve significant progress in helping farmers and improving social conditions. Hershey intends to invest approximately $10 million in West Africa to improve cocoa farming, community health and in reducing the worst forms of child labor.

Through both its own and partner programs, Hershey estimates the company will directly impact 750,000 cocoa farmers and indirectly benefit more than two million West Africans by 2017. Hershey will regularly update its progress on these programs through its Corporate Social Responsibility public reporting.

In addition to the initiatives announced today, Hershey is a founding member of a public-private partnership involving the global cocoa and chocolate industry and the U.S. Department of Labor. The partnership has created a new Framework of Action to significantly reduce the worst forms of child labor in Ghana and the Ivory Coast by 2020.

*Estimate based on continuing support at current levels for cocoa sustainability programs in West Africa through 2017. On average, each cocoa farmer lives in a family with five other members. These programs are based on long-term partnerships with organizations that include USAID, USDA, USDOL, Cote d’Ivoire Cocoa Committee, numerous local and global NGOs, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition, the Hershey supported CocoaLink mobile phone program is projected to reach 250,000 West African farmers during this period.

About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa., The Hershey Company has operations throughout the world and more than 12,000 employees. With revenues of nearly $6 billion, Hershey offers confectionery products under more than 25 brand names, including such iconic brands as Hershey's Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Bliss, Hershey's Special Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, and Ice Breakers. Hershey also offers premium and artisan chocolate products under such brands as Scharffen Berger and Dagoba through the Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is focused on growing its presence in key international markets such as China and Mexico while continuing to build its competitive advantage in the United States and Canada.

For more than 100 years, The Hershey Company has been a leader in making a positive difference in the communities where its employees live, work and do business. Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of the company’s global business strategy, which includes goals and priorities focused on fair and ethical business dealings, environmental stewardship, fostering a desirable workplace for employees, and positively impacting society and local communities. Milton Hershey School, established in 1909 by the company's founder and administered by Hershey Trust Company, provides a quality education, housing, and medical care at no cost to children in social and financial need. Students of Milton Hershey School are direct beneficiaries of The Hershey Company's success.

About the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

About Source Trust:
Source Trust is a not-for-profit organization set up to help farmers improve their livelihoods through better crop yields and quality, through sustainable farming practices. Source Trust’s projects pave the way for long-term, sustainable cocoa production, while enhancing farmers’ business prospects.

Source Trust is funded by premiums paid by chocolate makers. These premiums are invested in the farming communities which supplied the chocolate maker’s cocoa. Projects delivered by Source Trust include farmer training on good agricultural practice, cocoa seed nurseries and planting material, farm inputs on credit, Village Resource Centers, Malaria Prevention and Community Infrastructure.

SC Johnson Helps Families Learn More About the Products They Use Every Day

01.26.2012 - 02:12PM

/PRNewswire/ - SC Johnson announced today the release of its Exclusive Fragrance Palette that was more than two years in the making. This fragrance palette provides a comprehensive list of the fragrance ingredients found in the company's products and is accessible to consumers through www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com, the company's relaunched ingredient disclosure website. The goal is to help families learn more about the ingredients that are in products they use in their homes every day, and to help consumers feel confident about the fragrances found in SC Johnson products like Windex®, Glade® and Pledge®.

"We want all of our ingredients to be transparent, so consumers can make their own, informed choices on what to purchase," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "We also want to earn the trust and confidence every day of the people that buy our products because we work hard on our ingredient choices and strive to continually improve our products."

In March 2009, SC Johnson announced that it was going beyond an industry-wide "Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative" in a number of ways, by committing to make ingredient information available in three ways (online, on pack and by phone); by committing to list all of the ingredients included in its products, including dyes, preservatives and fragrance ingredients; and by committing to make the information available in English, Spanish and French. Today, SC Johnson announced the completion of this commitment through the release of its Exclusive Fragrance Palette.

Our Exclusive Fragrance Palette
Fragrances are both creative and complicated. Many companies develop their fragrances from a list of more than 3,000 fragrance molecules published by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), which shows fragrance ingredients used in consumer goods worldwide, all of which have passed IFRA's standards.

SC Johnson takes the review of fragrance ingredients a step further. Fragrance ingredients are evaluated not only under the IFRA standards, but also under SC Johnson internal requirements. These internal requirements may look at the same criteria as IFRA, such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity, but the SC Johnson standard may take a stricter or different view of an ingredient. In some instances, additional factors are considered such as consumer confidence with ingredients or other scientific viewpoints. As an example, in early 2009, SC Johnson committed to removing the phthalate DEP from its fragrances in response to consumer concerns, even though DEP has been extensively researched and has been deemed safe by various scientific bodies. This was the only phthalate used in its fragrances and the company is meeting its commitment to remove it. The end result is SC Johnson's Exclusive Fragrance Palette, which is smaller and more exclusive than the IFRA list.

Ingredient Website Offers Better Resources
As part of the release of the palette, SC Johnson is also introducing an enhanced website, designed to provide families with the product and ingredient information they are looking for, including features such as a fragrance education section, comprehensive product definitions, FAQs, links to other resource websites and more.

The ingredient website will offer additional resources for families looking to learn more about what's in the products they use in their homes. Enhanced product definitions will describe ingredients and the role they play in products. FAQs offer easy to understand answers to the most commonly asked questions and in keeping with the company's commitment to transparency, the website offers links to alternate sites containing ingredient information, educational materials and more.

Enhanced Labels
Beginning in 2012, SC Johnson will start rolling out product labels that list ingredients using their International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients names (INCI), a naming system used by the personal care products industry that is recognizable and familiar to many consumers. The move will be completed over several years.

A History of Doing What's Right
SC Johnson's ingredient leadership extends the company's long history of doing what's right for people and the planet. In 2001, SC Johnson internally developed its ingredient selection process called its Greenlist™ process. SC Johnson's Greenlist™ process classifies raw materials according to their impact on the environment and human health. The company's goal with the Greenlist™ process is to increase year-on-year the percentage of ingredients used in its products that are rated "Better" or "Best" by the Greenlist™ process. In 2001, the total "Better" or "Best" ingredients by weight of raw materials used in the company's products was 18 percent. In 2010, this reached 51 percent. SC Johnson's Greenlist™ process is patented by the company and the company received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award in 2006 for its Greenlist™ process.

About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care and pest control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR. MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 126-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54396-sc-johnson-exclusive-fragrance-palette-ingredient-disclosure

Give Fair Trade Chocolate for Valentine's Day This Year

01.13.2012 - 04:11PM

(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Now is the time to order Fair Trade chocolate for St. Valentine's Day. Purchases from CRS' two Fair Trade chocolate partners can be made online with gifts delivered
to your home, parish, school or work. A gift of Fair Trade chocolate through CRS partners benefits poor farmers who grow cocoa beans and the CRS Fair Trade Fund, which provides innovation grants to expand Fair Trade markets for producers in the developing world.

Divine Chocolate -- Place Valentine's Day orders by Monday, February 6.

At the heart of Divine's delicious chocolate, there is a unique story. Not only do the Kuapa Kokoo farmers of Ghana receive a Fair Trade price for their cocoa, they also own 45% of the company and share in the profits from the chocolate.

Divine's chocolate hearts collection comes in milk, dark and white chocolate.

Equal Exchange Chocolate -- Place Valentine's Day orders by Monday, January 30.

Equal Exchange organic, fairly-traded gourmet chocolate bars are a rich and delicious treat that supports small-scale farmers and their families. The bars combine Swiss standards in chocolate-making with cocoa beans from small-farmer co-operatives in the Dominican Republic,
Panama, Peru, and Ecuador. Also fairly traded organic sugar from co-operatives in Paraguay and fairly traded vanilla from Madagascar.

Mention CRS Fair Trade when placing orders and a percentage of the purchase will be donated to the CRS Fair Trade Fund. Visit: www.crsfairtrade.org for more information.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarianagency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agencyprovides assistance to people in need in nearly 100 countries, without
regard to race, religion or nationality. For more information, pleasevisit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org.

Editors Note: High resolution photographs of chocolate products areavailable from susan.walters@crs.org

Ethical Sourcing Forum 2012_Driving Change, Supplying Value: Featuring a newly added session

01.13.2012 - 01:32PM

BSR's HERproject has demonstrated the power of providing women's reproductive health education in the workplace to transform individual lives, workplaces, and communities. The HERproject model of leveraging international buyers, local factories, and locally based nonprofit health service providers has been highly successful in increasing the health knowledge of female factory workers and delivering business efficiencies and cost savings to participating factories.

Join Marcus Chung from Talbots, a company participant in HERproject and supporter of other women's empowerment efforts in its supply chain, and Racheal Yeager from BSR, global manager of HERproject, to learn about the program, successes and challenges, and how it can serve as a model for factory-based women's empowerment programs beyond health. This session will also explore the business case for women's empowerment and HERproject return-on-investment studies, which have found a $4:$1 return from educating female factory workers' about their health. Pending audience interest, the session can also explore broader themes of women's needs in the developing world, and how retail companies and the factory workplace can meet those needs.

For the complete agenda and to register: visit http://www.ethicalsourcingforum.com/esf-new-york-2012/

$850: Corporate Rate Thru 02-12-2012 (Save $250)
$500: NGO/ Academia Rate

When
Thursday March 29th, 2012- Friday March 30, 2012

Where
Sentry Centers
810 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10036

The Seventh Responsible Sourcing Summit: Refocusing the Lens on Human Rights

01.10.2012 - 09:00AM

Target Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Yahoo! Inc. and the Hewlett-Packard Company are just some of the iconic brands that will be on hand at the Seventh Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit: Refocusing the Lens on Human Rights, to be held in Los Angeles, February 9, 2012.

The event has attracted a notable assemblage of distinguished organizations from both the public and private sector, which will shed light on today’s most provocative issues facing the global supply chain arena.

One of the featured sessions during the event will explore how companies are bringing John Ruggie’s Human Rights Guiding Principles to fruition. Specifically, The Coca-Cola Company, Yahoo! and Shift—an independent, nonprofit center for business and human rights practice—will provide concrete examples that illustrate how cutting-edge entities are incorporating suggestions from the Ruggie Framework into their everyday global operations.

In response to popular demand, The Responsible Sourcing Summit will take a look at the next chapter in the California Transparency in Supply Chains regulatory saga. Denise Webster, Senior Trading Law Manager, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market; Cheryl Queen, Vice President Corporate Communication, Compass Group North America and Luna Lee, Human Rights Associate, EILEEN FISHER, Inc. examine how their respective companies are going beyond compliance.

To bring further understanding of human trafficking and slavery, the summit takes a close look at the proliferation of migrant workers in the global supply chain. Rachelle Jackson, Senior Director of Sustainable Practices at UL Responsible Sourcing unveils the results of a groundbreaking study on migrant workers, which will pinpoint their susceptibility to falling prey to slavery and human trafficking.

Africa-based Michèle Brülhart, Global Traceability Manager, UL Responsible Sourcing will be on-hand to provide a general update on Conflict Minerals regulations. In addition, she will deliver a from-the-field perspective on how to understand the effectiveness of certification programs. Ms. Brülhart will specifically take a look at the pitfalls—and potential solutions—in tracing raw materials through today’s complex supply chain.

Promoting sustainability and generating a positive impact on the bottom line is easier to achieve as a community, rather than as an individual company. Zoe McMahon, Director Social & Environmental Sustainability and Compliance, Hewlett Packard; Scott Lercel Director of Social Responsibility & Sustainability at Target and Gregory Yahr, Government Relations Representative, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) will examine collaborative industry efforts that are facilitating the vital process of going green.

Compliance is front-and-center for many supply chain and CSR practitioners. With this in mind, the Responsible Sourcing Summit is showcasing a session on the surge in anti-corruption enforcement activity. Aaron Murphy, author and partner at Latham & Watkins LLC will share important information about the increased global efforts in combatting corruption, specifically looking at the U.K. Bribery act and the new Securities and Exchange Commission’s whistleblower ruling.

Mobile Technology Applications to Replace Eco-Labels?

01.06.2012 - 10:05AM

Advances in mobile technology are increasing the number of consumer products with smart barcodes. Although this development is encouraging more sustainable products, Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) believes the implications are far reaching and could eventually lead to the demise of some eco-labels.

Eco-labels currently play an important role in marking sustainable products. Indeed, green symbols and logos are becoming ubiquitous on foods, cosmetics, household cleaning products, textiles, furniture and even toys. However, some consumers are becoming disillusioned with eco-labels because of the shortcomings of many standards and lack of transparency. For instance, the proliferation in food eco-labels is causing consumer confusion whereby many cannot distinguish between Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and other eco-labels. A growing number of consumers are now turning to mobile technology applications to meet their informational needs.

Mobile devices enable consumers to get a wealth of information on products from their Quick Response (QR) barcodes. Consumers seeking sustainable products can get details on the product’s environmental, social and even economic footprint whilst shopping. Some brands allow consumers to use the barcodes to ‘track and tell’ the product origins. Indeed, the technology is becoming popular on fruits & vegetable products as they allow consumers to meet the growers.

Organic Monitor sees US-based GoodGuide as a frontrunner in mobile technology applications. By downloading the smart application on their mobile phones, consumers can get details on various health, environment and society parameters of their products. The GoodGuide gives ratings for almost 100,000 consumer products and companies. As will be shown in the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit, Horizon Organic milk has lower environmental rating record then Nesquick strawberry milk. In the personal care sector, Nature’s Gate natural baby shampoo is more toxic than a Johnson & Johnson’s conventional shampoo. By rating products on various criteria, it highlights the shortcomings of many sustainable products.

As consumers become information savvy, they are demanding more from sustainable products. Organic - the world’s largest eco-label for consumer products - has grown to represent a USD 60 billion industry spanning foods, textiles, cosmetics, flowers and related products. Although organic is the most sustainable form of agriculture, production standards do not factor in CO2, H20 and energy footprints. Thus, an organic apple from Latin America can have a higher environmental impact than a locally grown conventional one. Similarly, a fair trade coffee can give a positive social contribution to the African grower but still have an adverse effect on the environment.

The major advantage of mobile technology is that it can give a holistic picture of a product’s sustainability credentials. Whereas the shortcoming of most eco-labels is that they look at some ethical / ecological aspects in isolation. By ‘naming and shaming’ brands, product rating systems like those of the GoodGuide also encourage companies to develop more sustainable products. Thus, companies with organic products are now looking at social aspects, whilst those with fair trade products take environmental considerations more seriously. The technology is also making other sustainability indicators like carbon emissions and packaging footprint prominent.

Consumers are likely to benefit from greater transparency and accountability from brand owners; however a question mark hangs over the future of existing eco-labels. With over 500 symbols and logos representing sustainable food products, many consumers are lost in the maze of eco-labels. To these consumers, mobile technology gives an exit route whilst maintaining their green purchasing behaviour.

About the Sustainable Foods Summit
The growing use of mobile technology for sustainable food products will be featured in the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit, taking place in San Francisco on 17-18th January. Dara O'Rourke, Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of GoodGuide, will be giving the opening keynote on January 18th as well as a seminar on the GoodGuide methodology and rating system.

Organized by Organic Monitor, the aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues in a high level forum. More information is available from www.sustainablefoodssummit.com

About the Organizer
Organic Monitor is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. In 2011, we celebrated 10 years of encouraging sustainable development. Since 2001, we have been providing a range of business services to operators in high-growth ethical & sustainable industries. Our services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com

Summit Explores De-Commoditization of Food Ingredients

12.09.2011 - 12:58PM

The de-commoditization of food ingredients by sustainable development is a major focus of the Sustainable Foods Summit (www.sustainablefoodssummit.com), taking place in San Francisco on 17-18th January 2012.

Growing consumer demand for sustainable products is leading many ingredients to become de-commoditized. A growing share of food commodities – such as coffee, tea and bananas - are now marketed as value-added (sustainable) products. Organic Monitor finds the same development is now occurring for ingredients.

Sustainable ingredients are gaining currency as growers look at value-added production methods to raise income, whilst food & beverage companies consider ways to reduce their environmental and social footprints. Companies are also looking at sustainable ingredients because of the growing importance of sustainability reporting as well as pressure from the media and retailers.

Most strides have been made with coffee, the second largest traded commodity in the world. Almost 10 percent of coffee in North America and Europe is now certified according to organic, fair trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified or similar standards. Major brands and retailers have made pledges to source sustainable coffee, with many making social investments in developing countries.

Sustainable sourcing is also becoming important for cocoa, vanilla, sugar and other ingredient commodities. Large chocolate manufacturers, such as Cadbury’s and Nestlé have made commitments to source fair trade cocoa. UTZ Certified extended its ‘Good Inside’ program to cocoa in 2007. With large companies like Cargill and Mars coming on board, cocoa could become the most traded sustainable food ingredient in the world.

Converting existing supply chains to organic, fair trade and other sustainable ingredients can be a lengthy and sometimes complex process. It can thus be easier to set up new supply chains for such ingredients, as many suppliers of novel ingredients have discovered.

Organic Monitor research finds that many novel ingredients from Africa and Latin America are increasingly produced by sustainable methods. African specialties – including baobab and shea butter – are mostly fairly traded from women’s cooperatives. Argan oil, described as ‘liquid gold’, is almost entirely produced accorded to organic cultivation methods.

Intensive media coverage about the destruction of rainforests has been a factor behind the emergence of Amazonian sustainable ingredients. The American company Sambazon is sourcing organic açaí berry products from over 10,000 family farmers in the Amazon. As well as becoming the world’s largest supplier of açaí ingredients, the company makes a range of finished products. New sustainable ingredients like Inca inchi oil are also emerging from the region. They are invariably fairly traded and / or certified organic.

Sustainable ingredients are becoming prominent in the food industry. However, there are major differences between their environmental and social footprints because of variations in sustainable production methods. Fair trade is popular because it creates positive social impacts, whilst organic is considered a highly ecological form of production. UTZ certified provides greater traceability and provenance, whilst Rainforest Alliance conserves biodiversity.

Consumers are increasingly seeking sustainable foods, yet a major question hangs over whether existing schemes (eco-labels) are meeting their rising expectations. Also, is the way forward, convergence of existing eco-labels in terms of environmental and social parameters? Or will existing eco-labels seek to keep their parameters separate, possibly leading to divergence? Such issues will be discussed in the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit.

About the Sustainable Foods Summit
The growing prominence of sustainable ingredients as well as convergence and / or divergence of food eco-labels are major themes of the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit, taking place in San Francisco on 17-18th January.

About the Organizer
Organic Monitor is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. In 2011, we are celebrating 10 years of encouraging sustainable development. Since 2001, we have been providing a range of business services to operators in high-growth ethical & sustainable industries. Our services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, summits, seminars & workshops. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com.

The Seventh Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit 2011: Refocusing the Lens on Human Rights

12.06.2011 - 08:00AM

The ethical supply chain Industry is abuzz with news of the upcoming Seventh Annual UL Responsible Sourcing Summit : Refocusing the Lens on Human Rights - being held in Los Angeles on February 9, 2012.

In addition to being an important source of cutting-edge content, the event is a robust networking platform that consistently attracts CSR and supply chain practitioners from all over the globe.

As an added attraction, UL Responsible Sourcing is the proud sponsor of the American Apparel and Footwear Association’s (AAFA) periodic Social and Environmental Committee meetings, to be hosted February 7th and 8th in Los Angeles. Combining these two events ensures a successful networking and learning opportunity for all attendees.

The 2012 UL Responsible Sourcing Summit will feature the following sessions:

The Moment of Truth: Can John Ruggie’s Human Rights Guiding Principles Spring to Life?

During his tenure, John Ruggie introduced a body of Guiding Principles, offering a framework through which governments and businesses can more effectively address the risk to human rights. This session, takes a look at those principles and examines how cutting-edge companies are bringing his recommendations to fruition, and presents insight on how companies are using his framework to mitigate the risk for human rights infractions in their supply chain.

In the Trenches: A Look at how Innovative Companies are Tackling Slavery and Human Trafficking

The need to combat slavery and human trafficking has become all-the-more pressing with the rise of regulatory scrutiny. Many supply chain managers however, are scratching their heads, and wondering just how to address this very complex problem. Get pragmatic tips on how companies are taking a stance against this global epidemic—and making their supply chains more secure in the process. This session delivers concepts directly from corporations that are implementing realistic tools to mitigate the threat of slavery and human trafficking.

The Raw Truth: Understanding the Effectiveness of Certification Programs

Each year companies deploy millions of dollars on certification programs, designed to give consumers the peace of mind that the products they are buying were sourced in an ethically responsible manner. Some of these programs certify raw materials, however, potential gaps in the chain of custody systems render it difficult to provide the required assurance that the end product indeed contains only ethically sourced inputs. This session is designed to help companies understand the critical points when tracing raw materials through long and complex value chains. Additionally, it contrasts certification programs from diverse industries, offering useful frameworks and pragmatic ideas for effective implementation.

Changing Tide: The Proliferation of Migrant Workers in the Global Supply Chain

There are more migrant workers today than ever before in recorded history. But despite its strategic prevalence, this continues to be one of the least understood populations in the workforce. This session sheds light into the unique characteristics of migrant workers, featuring a ground-breaking study that was spearheaded by Rachelle Jackson, Senior Director of Sustainable Practices at UL Responsible Sourcing. Gain an understanding of the benefits, and the risks of having migrant workers in your supply chain. Find out why they are most susceptible to slavery and human trafficking—and the implications that this may have on your business operations.

Stepped up Vigilance: The Surge in Anti-Corruption Enforcement

The U.K. Bribery Act and the new Securities and Exchange Commission’s whistleblower ruling are part of a marked trend toward increased scrutiny in corrupt business practices. U.S. authorities are allocating more resources to combat corruption and regulators launched a record 82 cases under the Foreign Corrupt Practices in 2010, resulting in numerous multi-million fines. This session examines various enforcement efforts that are underway in the fight against corruption. Learn about the new standards—and find out how to protect your business against damaging corruption scandals.

It Takes a Village: Harnessing Industry Standardization Efforts to Promote Sustainability and Strengthen Outsourcing Partnerships

Brands are quickly realizing that sustainability cannot thrive as a stand-alone effort. Decentralized sustainability projects create inconsistencies, confusion and major operational headaches for suppliers who find it challenging to meet the diverse requirements from clients. As such, companies are banding together to create industry-wide standardization procedures, helping them to achieve sustainability goals, while reducing costs and fortifying bonds with their outsourcing partners. This session shines a spotlight on some of the most intrepid sustainability standardization projects in the responsible sourcing arena. Find out how collectively, these groups are forging a path toward sustainable outsourcing practices—while improving the bottom line.

For more details, click on: The Seventh Annual UL Responsible Sourcing Summit: Refocusing the Lens on Human Rights.

DON'T MISS OUT ON OUR EARLY BIRD SPECIAL RATES—EXPIRES December 22, 2011.

For AAFA discount coupons, please contact Diana Trigo: diana.trigo@ul.com

Date: February 9, 2012
Location: The Marriott Hotel, 5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90045

UL Responsible Sourcing: Dedicated to helping clients build secure and socially responsible relationships with their supply chain partners.

For more from this organization: UL Responsible Sourcing.

Renewal2 Announces its First Exit from Portfolio Company Horizon Distributors

12.06.2011 - 08:00AM

Renewal2 Investment Fund is pleased to announce the fund’s first exit with the sale of its stake in portfolio company, Horizon Distributors.

Horizon Distributors is one of Canada's leading organic, natural and gourmet foods distributors, serving retailers and providing the best natural, organic, gourmet and eco-products. Renewal2’s shares in Horizon were successfully sold to the company’s majority owner, Ron Francisco and a gain was realized on the disposition of the investment.

Horizon was one of two portfolio companies that Renewal Partners contributed as part of their investment into Renewal2. The company was chosen as a portfolio contribution given its relative strength, size and long history of value creation for their shareholders.

In 1995, Renewal Partners provided a loan to Horizon’s predecessor and in 1998 became an equity investor when Horizon restructured from a co-op. Today, Horizon distributes across six provinces—supplying major grocery stores including Capers, Whole Foods Markets and the Overwaitea Food Group. Over the past years Horizon has continued to provide distribution opportunities for countless organic companies including other Renewal2 portfolio companies such as Alter Eco Americas and Seventh Generation.

“It is exciting to see our fund’s first exit but it is also comes with mixed emotions,” said Paul Richardson, President of Renewal2. “Renewal has been involved with the company for over 16 years and the management team and staff have been wonderful to work with over the years. We are extremely pleased with how far the company has come since our first investment and believe that this was the time is right for us to accept the purchase offer.”

For more information about Horizon Distributors, visit their website at www.horizondistributors.com

About Renewal2 Investment Fund
Based in Vancouver, BC, Renewal2 is a social venture fund that builds upon almost two decades of experience in successful high-impact investing. Renewal2 is dedicated to delivering financial returns by investing in leading environmental and social mission businesses in Canada and the U.S. www.renewal2.ca

Disclaimer: This is not an offer or solicitation to sell securities of, or financial interests in, the Fund. Investment in the Fund is limited to a restricted pool of investors, namely “Accredited Investors” and others not requiring disclosure by prospectus as defined under applicable securities laws

Women Change the World. Shop Different.

11.28.2011 - 08:00PM

Earth Divas announces the launch of Divas4Divas, a campaign mobilizing women to deploy holiday shopping as a powerful tool to lift women out of poverty in developing countries. The campaign encourages women consumers to exert their immense economic power to improve the lives of women and families around the world by patronizing fair-trade stores selling products crafted by women artisans.

"We want to inspire women around the world with a simple idea: Your shopping for the holidays can deliver significant benefit to women artisans living in poverty," said Ed Edmundson, founder of Earth Divas. "Increasingly, consumers want to know that their purchases are socially and environmentally responsible and bring value not only to themselves but also to the people who crafted them."

The Divas4Divas "pop-up" retail webpage makes it easy to find a variety of beautiful, fair-trade products made by women around the world. The creation of a vintage-inspired Diva4Divas badge will help spread the word through social media channels.

"We call on all women to join the Diva4Divas campaign by tweeting about it, posting the Divas4Divas badge on your blog, Facebook page and websites and shopping fair trade," said Jeanne Segal, chief evangelist for Divas4Divas. "Together, woman CAN change the world!"

Earth Divas is a social enterprise that returns 100 percent of its profits to women artisans in Nepal and India and a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

The National Retail Federation forecasts holiday retail sales to reach $465.6 billion this year and according to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending globally and that figure could climb as high as $28 trillion by 2014.

International Trade Centre and CSRwire Announce New Partnership

11.24.2011 - 09:00AM

From a recent collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, CSRwire is pleased to introduce a partnership which will extend free access to all CSRwire members for a period of three months to the suite of ITC’s market analysis tools. Benefits will include the information provided in ITC’s interactive Web tools – Standards Map, Trade Map and Market Access Map.

What is The Standards Map?

Standards Map – www.standardsmap.org – was developed by ITC’s T4SD (Trade for Sustainable Development) Program with the aim to enhance access to information on sustainability standards and increase opportunities for sustainable production and trade. It currently contains information on more than 50 sustainability standards and codes that collectively operate in more than 200 countries and certify or verify over 80 different sectors – including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining, textiles and manufactured products among others. New standards are constantly added to the system, and a total of 70 standards will be in the database by the end of 2011.

To understand which sustainability standards may be the most interesting to you, Standards Map allows you to…

Analyze standards by benchmarking them against others contained in the ITC database
Identify opportunities for product diversification and new niche markets
Review research on sustainability standards
Visualize standards requirements and scope by generating maps to view standards actual and potential geographical scope

How to benefit from this extraordinary offer?

To get three free months access to the Standards Map, please register to the ITC’s Market Analysis Tools on http://mas-admintools.intracen.org/accounts/Registration.aspx and insert the promotional code ITCGTW11. The offer is valid until December 23, 2011, so don’t hesitate and take a few minutes to become a new user of the interactive ITC’s Market Analysis Tools.

Feel free to share the good news and spread the word to other CSRwire Members.

For any query concerning the terms and conditions of the offer, please email standardsmap@intracen.org.

Social Accountability International Announces Enhanced Corporate Programs Membership

11.17.2011 - 03:44PM

SAI is pleased to announce its newly enhanced Corporate Programs, which seek to enable more interaction and shared learning among all members.

Offered at no increased cost, this revised membership program provides companies with greater access to SAI's sophisticated supply chain management training – including Social Fingerprint® – multi-stakeholder input, and the ability to confidentially benchmark their programs against other members.

The changes are designed to benefit current members, which include companies from a range of industries, in addition to all incoming members. The three levels of Corporate Programs membership – Supporting, Explorer and Signatory – each will offer added services. Some of the new services for companies and their suppliers were developed in response to member input.

According to Craig Moss, Director of SAI's Corporate Programs & Training, the new membership program is a great opportunity for a company to help expand its professional development to tackle critical social issues in the supply chain.

"The enhancements in SAI's Corporate Programs aim to increase the cost-effectiveness of helping companies measure and improve the social performance of their supply chains," said Moss. "Several of the new services were created in response to input from our members, in particular those that will increase shared learning and allow companies to benchmark against each other."

All Corporate Program members will sign on to a Statement of Shared Mission, which states the philosophy of the program – to 'measure and improve' the management of social performance in a company's supply chain. Companies will express respect for SAI and its global SA8000® through placement of a public statement: "As a Corporate Member of SAI, we share the mission to improve working conditions in our supply chain, in accordance with performance criteria based on relevant ILO conventions and national law, utilizing management systems and multi-stakeholder dialogue."

All SAI Corporate members share the same commitment regardless of their Membership level. SAI recognizes that companies joining Corporate Programs vary in their existing performance levels. The goal of Corporate Programs is to promote improvement regardless of a company's level when it joins. There is no inherent performance difference by level of membership.

Specifically, SAI Corporate Members commit to:

Use a management systems approach to improve social performance in their supply chains.
Participate in the Social Fingerprint® Supply Chain Management program on an annual basis, consisting of:
1. Conduct self-assessment in six categories:
  1. Scope and Risk
  2. Aggregate Rating of Suppliers
  3. Annual Improvement of Suppliers
  4. Integration of Compliance & Sourcing
  5. Supplier Communications & Purchasing Practices
  6. Complaint Management & Resolution
2. Receive SAI independent evaluation of the 6 categories.
3. Review their Supply Chain Management rating, benchmarked against the aggregated scores of other companies, and then engage in dialog with SAI about development and implementation of an improvement plan.

Learn more about SAI Corporate Programs membership levels, services and pricing at http://bit.ly/vUE08Q.

Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established to advance the human rights of workers and the social responsibility of companies by promoting decent work conditions and labor rights through voluntary standards. SAI is among the world's leading supply chain management and CSR training organizations, and has provided training to over 20,000 people since its establishment in 1997. SAI developed one of the world's preeminent social standards – SA8000® – a recognized benchmark among the voluntary codes and standards initiatives. Over 1.5 million workers are employed in over 2,600 SA8000® facilities in 61 countries, across 65 industrial sectors. www.sa-intl.org

SAI is headquartered in the United States with field representation in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the United States. Subscribe to SAI’s e-Newsletter at www.sa-intl.org/news and follow SAI on Twitter @sa_intl.

Mars Joins Global Food Safety Partnership With the World Bank

11.13.2011 - 07:22PM

/PRNewswire/ - Today, Mars, Incorporated announced a $500,000 commitment towards creating a Global Food Safety Fund (the Fund) at the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Fund would be a public-private partnership managed by The World Bank. Partners have pledged an initial $1 million, out of a goal of $15-20 million over the next decade, towards expanding knowledge and understanding for effective food safety management around the world.

In recognition that food safety is a critical element of food security, poverty alleviation, and economic growth, Mars and The World Bank Group, in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Waters Corporation, created the Partnership to improve understanding and technical competencies that underpin the effective management of food safety throughout the global food supply chain. Mars recognizes the importance of building and maintaining consumer trust in food safety and will also provide support with its scientific and technical expertise, international best practices, trade knowledge and multinational presence.

"Together with the World Bank, Mars is proud to be a founding member of this much-needed initiative to expand knowledge and build capacity for further understanding of effective food safety management across the world," said Frank Mars, president, Mars Symbioscience. "The global food supply chain is becoming increasingly integrated, food safety issues in developing countries now have a global reach and a global impact and there is a need for international cooperation and leadership."

"Food safety issues increasingly bear a major impact upon economies, public health and food security around the world. Each impact has its own issues and consequences, and as the global economy becomes more interdependent, the impacts become heightened," said Sri Mulyani Indrawati, managing director, The World Bank. "The Fund will raise awareness of the importance of food safety capacity building, develop policy and economic analysis, identify best practices and mobilize and target funding for activities worldwide."

The Fund will be based on a three-part model pioneered by the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum involving government, industry and academia partners to focus on supporting broad global food safety efforts through three main pillars:

Developing, testing and validating programs in APEC that will result in customizable training modules for roll out to developing countries in Africa, South Asia, East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean and the Middle East;
Addressing high priority food hazards, contaminants and pathogens; and
Strengthening analytics and metrics, including laboratory competency and the evaluation of the performance of food safety systems.

The Fund will operate in the APEC region to develop pilot programs for the first three years and will continue to recruit additional private and public donors to assemble a budget of $15-20 million over the next decade.

The Global Food Safety Partnership gathered representatives including Pamela Bailey, president and CEO, Grocery Manufacturers Association; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, managing director, World Bank; Ambassador Demetrios Marantis, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; Robert Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic Energy and Agricultural Affairs; Frank Mars, president, Mars Symbioscience; Dr. Rohit Khanna, vice president, Worldwide Business, Waters Corporation and Nancy Lindborg, assistant administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920's, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the philosophy of a "mutuality of benefits" for all stakeholders – this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 65,000 Associates worldwide that are putting our Mars Principles in action to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYKO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™, WISDOM PANEL™ and SERAMIS®. For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars.

Conflict Minerals: An Emerging Supply Chain Issue

11.09.2011 - 12:44PM

From electronics to food packaging, managers with product stewardship, supply chain and environmental responsibilities across all industries stand to be impacted by the new conflict minerals regulation.

Join representatives from Intel Corp., Ford Motor Co., and Cabot Corp. for this encore web presentation as part of NAEM's Best of Forum series and discover how they are preparing for conflict mineral regulation from the beginning of the supply chain to the end retailer.

This issue could impact all manufacturers, so get ahead of the curve now!

Featuring presentations by:

Gary Niekerk, Director, Global Citizenship, Intel Corp.
Monique Oxender, Global Manager, Supply Chain Sustainability, Ford Motor Co.
Andrew O'Donovan, General Manager, Cabot Corp.

Group O Recognized as 2011 National Minority Supplier of the Year

11.09.2011 - 09:13AM

The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC®) has recognized Group O as its 2011 National Minority Supplier of the Year in the category of companies with annual sales of $50 million or more. Group O Founder and Chairman Bob Ontiveros accepted the award at NMSDC's annual conference in Atlanta.

"The measure of success in the global business environment is changing rapidly and business service providers like Group O must continue to innovate and offer differentiated solutions," said Gregg Ontiveros, CEO of Group O. "NMSDC is a leader in helping diverse suppliers work toward that vision and we're honored to receive this recognition."

In October, NMSDC recognized Group O among 16 regional winners. These companies were nominated by their corporate customers and divided into four classes based on annual sales. The award selection process evaluated the nominees based on business growth, development and performance, community service, and the ability to overcome challenges associated with the company owner's heritage or background.

"Under the leadership of Robert Ontiveros, Group O has evolved into one of the largest Hispanic-owned firms in the U.S.," said NMSDC President Joset Wright. "For nearly four decades, the company has grown steadily in size and capacity, and adjusted to meet the changing needs of its corporate customers. Its business success and support of the local community make it an excellent choice for our Class IV National Supplier of the Year."

About NMSDC

Providing a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses is the primary objective of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, one of the country's leading business membership organizations. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes. The NMSDC Network includes a national office in New York and 37 Regional Councils across the country. There are 3,500 corporate members throughout the network, including America's top publicly owned, privately owned and foreign-owned companies as well as universities, hospitals and other buying institutions. The Regional Councils certify and match 16,000 minority-owned businesses with member corporations that want to purchase their goods and services. For more information, visit www.NMSDC.org.

About Group O

Group O is a diversified service provider with solutions that optimize its clients' marketing execution, supply chain operations and strategic packaging needs. The company's Marketing Solutions group offers a full range of relevant loyalty and incentive programs, direct mail optimization services, and efficient consumer and trade fulfillment services. The Supply Chain Solutions group serves the heavy equipment and high-tech sectors with serialized, high-velocity and scalable forward- and reverse-logistics services, as well as strategic sourcing and procurement solutions. The Packaging Solutions group provides an extensive nationwide network of packaging materials, equipment, analytical and service offerings. Group O is ISO 9001:2008 and TL 9000-certified, and SAS 70 Type II-compliant. Headquartered in Milan, Illinois, Group O is the ninth-largest Hispanic-owned company in the United States and employs more than 1,500 employees. To learn more, visit www.GroupO.com.

Costumed Activists to Give Hershey More Than 100,000 Signatures Demanding a Commitment to Child Labor-Free Cocoa by Halloween

10.25.2011 - 11:13AM

Hershey customers and ethical cocoa advocates delivered more than 100,000 petition signatures to Hershey’s corporate headquarters today calling on the company to commit to buying ethically produced cocoa.

This delivery comes on the heels of three rallies that were held Saturday, October 22, at Hershey’s retail stores in New York City, Chicago, and Niagara Falls. At these events concerned consumers, teachers, and students collected signatures to be added to today’s total.

The petition drop was coordinated by Raise the Bar, Hershey!, a coalition of organizations fighting ongoing labor abuses such as child labor, forced labor and trafficking in the cocoa industry. The coalition and its 100,000 supporters are calling on Hershey to make a commitment to buying ethically sourced cocoa by Halloween, the US’s number one chocolate consuming holiday.

In addition to delivering the petition to the Hershey Executives, the nine members of Hershey’s Board were sent copies of the petitions with a call to use their position on the Board as a way to steer the company in the right direction to remain competitive. Many of the other major chocolate companies, including Mars, Nestlé, and Cadbury have made commitments to buying cocoa that has been certified to comply with international labor rights standards.

“A decade ago, Hershey signed an agreement to help fight child labor and other abuses in the cocoa industry,” said Elizabeth O’Connell, fair trade campaign director at Green America, a member of the Raise the Bar, Hershey! coalition. “Yet it has done far less than other chocolate companies to address these abuses. This Halloween, thousands of consumers are telling Hershey they’re fed up with cocoa tainted by the abuse of children.”

Signatures from the latest petition of the Raise the Bar Hershey campaign can be found at: http://www.change.org/petitions/hershey-raise-the-bar

Journalists interested in contacting Hershey’s public relations staff should try: Andy McCormick, vice president, public affairs, (717) 534-5739, amccormick@hersheys.com; or Kirk Saville, spokesperson, (800) 468-1714, ksaville@hersheys.com.

The Raise the Bar, Hershey! Coalition is led by the following organizations:

GLOBAL EXCHANGE is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. For more information, go to www.GlobalExchange.org.

INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. For more information, go to www.LaborRights.org.

For more information on Change.org, please visit:
www.change.org/about

Change.org is the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change — growing by more than 400,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.

Kraft Foods Nurtures the Next Generation of Dominican Cocoa Farmers with Launch of Cocoa Partnership

10.17.2011 - 12:39PM

/PRNewswire/ - Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is launching its successful Cocoa Partnership to the Dominican Republic in a five-year commitment with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Working together, the Cocoa Partnership and USAID hope to increase the yield and quality of Dominican cocoa, while improving farmer livelihoods and communities. The program will reach 10,000 small-scale cocoa farmers of the Conacado cooperative with training on farming techniques, post-harvest practices and supplemental income opportunities.

The Cocoa Partnership – established by Cadbury in 2008 – has committed 45 million pounds Sterling (approximately $70 million) to invest in cocoa farming in Ghana, India, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean over 10 years. The program is already in 100 Ghanaian communities, with plans to double in size by year-end. The Partnership has forged successful alliances with The Ghana Cocoa Board and Kuapa Kokoo, a Fairtrade co-op comprised of 60,000 farmers and their families.

"As we've seen in Ghana, the Cocoa Partnership's success depends on the collaborations we establish," said Bharat Puri, Senior Vice President, Global Chocolate, Kraft Foods. "The challenges facing today's cocoa farmer cannot be solved by any one company or organization. Only by working together – public and private sectors along with farmers and civil society – will we be able to make the difference that's needed."

"Public-private partnerships like this one are a key part of USAID's development strategy in the Latin American and Caribbean region, because it has benefits for all the stakeholders," said Mark Feierstein, USAID's Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Small farmers earn more money, businesses have access to a higher quality product, and USAID leverages its resources so that we can reach more people. We couldn't ask for a better alliance."

Nurturing the Next Generation of Cocoa Farmers
The Dominican program will focus on nurturing the next generation of cocoa farmers. Of the 40-50 million people around the world who depend on cocoa for their livelihoods, only about five million are cocoa farmers today. And their numbers are dwindling. Most cocoa farmers are smallholders who face many challenges – low productivity, pests and disease, market inefficiencies and limited access to quality education and healthcare. Not surprisingly, fewer younger people are choosing to take up cocoa farming.

Increasing Organic Fairtrade Cocoa Supplies
Sustainable cocoa production in the Dominican Republic is important to Kraft Foods and important to the success of brands like GREEN & BLACK'S. Beyond farmer training, the Cocoa Partnership's expansion into the Dominican Republic will work to increase the supply of organic Fairtrade cocoa and provide an additional social premium for community investment and productivity improvements. Kraft Foods is already the world's largest buyer of Fairtrade cocoa and organic Fairtrade cocoa. And by the end of 2011, the entire GREEN & BLACK'S organic block bars and beverages will be Fairtrade-certified.

To learn more about Kraft Foods' agricultural sustainability efforts around the world – including video from a visit to Fairtrade cocoa-growing communities in Ghana, and downloadable high-resolution photos – please visit http://bit.ly/ijIp0n. And check out Kraft Foods' Creating a Delicious World Report at kraftfoodscompany.com/deliciousworld.

About Kraft Foods
The company and the Kraft Foods Foundation have donated more than $1 billion in cash and food to hunger-relief organizations over the past 25 years. Through support of partners, including Save the Children, Feeding America, INMED Partnerships for Children, Charities Aid Federation and CARE, the company and Foundation support programs in 46 countries and on almost every continent.

Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love. Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion. Twelve of the company's iconic brands – Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Tang and Trident – generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually. On Aug. 4, 2011, Kraft Foods announced plans to divide and create two independent public companies: a high-growth global snacks business with estimated revenue of $32 billion and a high-margin North American grocery business with estimated revenue of $16 billion, based on 2010 financial results, adjusted for divestitures. The transaction will take at least 12 months to complete, during which time plans regarding the structure, management, governance and other matters will be announced. A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index. Visit kraftfoodscompany.com and facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.

- make today delicious -

Ethical Sourcing Forum 2011

02.07.2011 - 01:57PM

Ethical Sourcing Forum 2011

March 30th-April 1st
Maximizing Sustainability IMPACT and Business Value

MORE THAN A CONFERENCE…

The Ethical Sourcing Forum offers a flexible platform where a highly interactive and tight-knit community of leading sustainability practitioners and achievers explore sustainability innovation and actionable solutions.

The Forum Platform is UNIQUE!

The ESF's mandate is to explore the potential of sustainability to maximize business impact. Forum presentations and discussions are geared towards discovering innovative pathways to both sustainability and business value.

The ESF's operating premise is that sustainability 'done right' (i.e., aimed at creating new efficiencies, improved quality, and focused on long-term material progress) has become a mainstay of smart, effective business practice. Potential Forum topics are chosen based on three key imperatives - their potential to deliver:
- Positive Impact
- Relevant and material information
- Actionable Insight

The ESF's hybrid, 'multi-channel' format offers a variety of plenary presentations, panel and round-table discussions, labs and workshops; at each Forum, delegates are presented with a 'menu' of agenda items from which to choose. The Forum's multi-channel environment means that delegates are privy to new ideas, insights and innovations; overviews of sustainability research and news with regard to the latest sustainability trends and best practice; interactive discussions and debates; opportunities to network and form collaborative partnerships, receive training (via specially scheduled workshops/ closed training sessions); the ESF offers MINI-LABS in which participants can explore new ideas, practices and get feedback from members of the community

The ESF is 'open-source.' We welcome presenters on a wide variety of environmental, ethical supply chain, investment and governance issues; our discussion topics are based on input from our Forum Community.

The next ESF NA presents an excellent opportunity to address emerging sustainability and ethical supply chain challenges. If driving innovation and delivering real change is your focus, then the ESF 2011 is sure to offer valuable learning and insight.

The ESF Community welcomes you - Review our Agenda and Join Us! http://www.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=4a8b8bec-a955-4e79-b19f-cb98578c9d6c

When:
Thursday, March 31, 2011 8:00 AM - Friday, April 1, 2011 4:00 PM

Where:
Sentry Centers 730 Third Ave 17th Floor
New York, New York 10017
212-753-5347

For more details, please email the Ethical Sourcing Forum at: Customerservices@intertek.com

Organicology

01.05.2011 - 03:58PM

A three-day gathering of the organic food community, including food processors and distributors, farmers, retailers, researchers, educators, chefs and policy activists. A robust agenda of educational intensives, dynamic workshops, networking and a trade show will feature informed and inspiring information and the latest scientific findings. Experts Andrew Kimbrell, Jim Hightower and Stephen Jones, Ph.D, will deliver insightful and engaging keynotes. Organicology is the only gathering of its kind that provides an in-depth, educational and interactive appraisal of a sustainable food future across the organic sector, including the impact of climate change on agriculture, news and views on the Farm Bill currently before Congress and the "50 Year Farm Bill" being advocated by leaders in the sustainable agriculture community.

The Ethical Sourcing Forum

03.02.2010 - 10:22AM

Two Major CSR Events in New York The Same Week!

First…The Economist Corporate Citizenship Conference,
New York, March 15-16

Next…Ethical Sourcing Forum
New York, March 18-19

NOW A DOUBLE DISCOUNT PROVIDES
A REASON TO REGISTER FOR BOTH!

As a 'Supporting Organization' for Economist Group's Corporate Citizenship Conference (March 15 & 16, 2010), Intertek Sustainability Solutions, host of the Ethical Sourcing Forum (March 18 & 19, 2010) is pleased announce: $300 off the registration price of each event for those who sign up for BOTH - a $600 savings!

Why the generosity?

Anabela Fonseca, Events Director for Intertek Sustainability Solutions remarks: "Many, especially those visiting New York from out of town, are thrilled to be able to go to two major corporate citizenship events in one week! We are pleased to be joining the Economist Group in offering discounts on registrations and to be helping those interested in the latest Sustainability and CSR trends and management tools make the most of their week here in New York."

Highlights of both events include:

Economist Corporate Citizenship Conference

The Economist's Matthew Bishop in conversation with President Bill Clinton

A discussion with Steve Case, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Revolution and Jean Case, Chief Executive Officer, Case Foundation

Moments of insight by Ben & Jerry's, Goldman Sachs, Seventh Generation, Zipcar and others

Addressing the international aid question with the Harvard Kennedy School and (RED)

Water.org, Method Products and Aveda tackle the green issue

Ethical Sourcing Forum

Matt Kistler, head of Walmart's sustainability program, discusses the company's "Sustainability Index"

Kistler and others (including a senior rep. from the U.S. Dept. of Labor) engage in a panel discussion on the "Arc of Sustainability Progress 2005-2015"

Scott Sharland, Executive Director of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and Monique Oxender, Global Manager of Supply Chain Sustainability at Ford Motor Company discuss the potential (and potential pitfalls!) of collaboration

Gildan Activewear (represented by Garry Bell, VP of Global Marketing) and Emil Efthimides , Environmental, Social and Governance data Manager at Bloomberg discuss the role of investment in driving CSR progress

Eco-Fashion Activist Summer Rayne Oakes demystifies sustainable design and introduces S4 - high fashion's hot new platform for sustainable sourcing

Experts in the 'Natural Step' process lead a Solve! Lab/Workshop on Backcasting: Developing Your Sustainability Roadmap

The combination of both the Economist Group's Corporate Citizenship Conference and Intertek Sustainability Solutions' Ethical Sourcing Forum amount to an amazing 'double-header' in New York for professionals and CSR aficionados.

Register now! Be a Part of this Major Week for CSR in New York City!
…Offer will expire as soon as we've reached capacity.

You can register for each event using the following links and entering the code INTK

Intertek Sustainability Solutions (ISS), a unit of Intertek Group (ITRK.L) - leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world - will host its 9th Annual Ethical Sourcing Forum (ESF) North America on March 18-19 in New York City, USA. ISS works with businesses to seamlessly integrate CSR and Sustainability with their brand and operations. We are proficient in delivering solutions dealing with immediate environmental and social concerns, but our ultimate value for clients has proved to be our ability to develop a portfolio of initiatives (such as stakeholder engagement programs and ethical supply chain management tools) that align social and environmental performance with business imperatives for maximum Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI).

Verification of Certification Activities in West African Cocoa Sector: Strategy Report

01.10.2009 - 12:00AM

Verification of Certification Activities in West African Cocoa Sector: Final Verification Report: Ghana

01.10.2009 - 12:00AM

Verification of Certification Activities in West African Cocoa Sector: Final Verification Report: Côte d‟Ivoire

01.10.2009 - 12:00AM