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'Drink (Environmentally) Responsibly' Urges The Rainforest Alliance And Millstone Coffee

'Drink (Environmentally) Responsibly' Urges The Rainforest Alliance And Millstone Coffee

Published 04-15-04

Submitted by P&G

NEW YORK - With Americans drinking more than 400 million cups of coffee per day, few other products have as much impact on the Earth. Coffee is the second most traded commodity, behind oil, and employs more than 25 million farmers. And, while many of us make food choices based on our own health, Earth Day serves as an opportunity for consumers to consider the health of the Earth when making food purchases. Since April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the Earth and their responsibility toward it.

Leading environmental organizations are helping consumers make that choice through certification programs for products that support Earth-friendly farming. Since its establishment in 1987, the Rainforest Alliance has certified dozens of products - from guitars, furniture, and ornamental foliage to coffee, chocolate, and oranges - that meet comprehensive, detailed standards for protecting rainforest biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability.

The Rainforest Alliance is a leading certifier of sustainable coffee and evaluator of farms according to its rigorous environmental and social standards. Last year, Millstone Coffee launched its Millstone Rainforest Alliance Certified Signature Roast as part of its new Signature Collection line of coffees offering products of exceptional quality that also support quality of life for farmers. Millstone Rainforest Alliance Certified Signature Roast is a medium-dark roast from the slopes near Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Like all Millstone Coffees, Rainforest Alliance Certified Rainforest Roast uses only the top 15 percent of premium Arabica beans.

Rainforest Alliance certifies coffee for Ben & Jerry's Coffee Ice CreamTM, as well as bananas for Chiquita® . One hundred percent of banana farms owned by Chiquita are Rainforest Alliance Certified.

The Rainforest Alliance and its partners in the Sustainable Agriculture Network have certified more than 200,000 tropical acres in the production of bananas, oranges, cocoa, and coffee. The number of certified coffee farms is quickly growing. In the last six months, the Rainforest Alliance added another 17,800 acres to its total of 67,074 acres dedicated to coffee cultivation.

"Earth Day is a day for us to emphasize the importance of conservation and sustainability, as well as celebrate the progress we have already made," said Tensie Whelan, executive director, Rainforest Alliance. "It's a day for us to re-think what we consume, and consider products that are better for people and all life on Earth."

Companies, cooperatives, and landowners that participate in Rainforest Alliance programs must meet rigorous standards for protecting the environment, wildlife, workers, and local communities. Rainforest Alliance Certified products have to be produced in harmony with wildlife, promote healthy ecosystems, protect forests and rivers, and ensure soil and water quality. In addition, the Rainforest Alliance requires that all workers on certified farms receive fair wages, dignified housing, and access to education, medical care, training, and recreational facilities.

For a complete list of Rainforest Alliance Certified products and farms, visit the Rainforest Alliance's Web site at www.rainforest-alliance.org and click on "Marketplace." Millstone's Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is available online at www.millstone.com or by phone at 1-800-SAY-JAVA.

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P&G defines our commitment to sustainable development as "ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come." We have a long heritage as a sustainability leader and we remain committed to improving consumers' lives through P&G brands and by contributing to the sustainability of our planet and the communities in which we live and work.

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