Nabob Coffee Company Announces Commitment to sustainability and collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance
Toronto, ON – September 29, 2008 – Can a cup of coffee help provide schooling for a child? Go towards paying a worker decent wages? Help protect the environment? The answer is yes, if it’s a cup of Nabob Coffee, brewed with beans from Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM farms.
Now you can get a cup of coffee that not only tastes great but does great things too. The Nabob Coffee Company is committed to coffee that goes beyond great taste and now sources its beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, reflecting its dedication to a healthier planet. Canada’s number one premium coffee brand, Nabob, will continue to be made with 100 per cent Arabica beans for a rich, smooth cup of coffee.
“Through Nabob’s collaboration with Rainforest Alliance, we’re taking the first step in our commitment to sustainable practices,” said Bill VandenBygaart, Vice President Beverages, Kraft Canada. “Nabob has always been true to its high quality bean heritage and responsible sourcing practices, but now we stand for more. Nabob is joining Canadians in making people and the planet a priority.”
To support the company’s commitment to sustainability, Nabob Coffee offers blends made with coffee beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, as well as organic products. Currently, 30 per cent of Nabob Coffee beans are Rainforest Alliance Certified. This number will grow to 65 per cent in 2009 and will reach the goal of 100 per cent in the next two to three years.
“For the over 25 million people who depend on growing coffee for their livelihood, this is great news,” commented Rainforest Alliance President Tensie Whelan. “This commitment from Nabob Coffee will allow more coffee farmers, workers and their families to improve their standard of living and produce coffee in a sustainable manner.”
Sustainability Explained
Rainforest Alliance Certified farms meet a comprehensive set of criteria that promotes and guarantees improvements in agriculture and forestry. The organization’s independent seal of approval ensures that goods and services are produced in compliance with strict guidelines protecting the environment, wildlife, workers and local communities.
When it sources beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, Nabob Coffee is helping to support sustainable farming – a healthy and holistic approach that balances the three pillars of sustainability:
- Environmental: Protection of wildlife, conservation of natural resources, protection against deforestation (and/or proactive reforestation), and maintaining a variety of native plants to support the local ecosystem.
- Social: Workers and their families are well-treated and ensured a safe and healthy work environment with access to medical care, education and decent housing.
- Economic: Earnings increase as a result of more efficient farm methods, allowing farmers to invest in improved infrastructure and provide better wages for workers.
Minimizing the Footprint
In an effort to further lessen its impact on the environment, Nabob Coffee is also reducing its packaging. The new canister is recyclable, contains at least 50 per cent recycled materials, weighs 34 per cent less and will be Forest Stewardship Council CertifiedTM by early 2009 – ensuring consumers that by buying this product they are supporting responsible forest management worldwide. This change represents another way the company is helping to support sustainable business practices.
“This will be the first time that a Rainforest Alliance Certified product has been packaged in FSC Certified™ packaging – a double win for the environment and for consumers looking for products that allow them to lessen their ecological footprint,” continued Whelan.
Visit www.nabob.ca to learn more about Nabob Coffee and the Rainforest Alliance.
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For more information, please contact:
Noor Marzook
Edelman Public Relations
416-979-1120 ext. 239
Noor.Marzook@edelman.com
About Kraft Foods
For more than a century, Kraft (www.kraft.com) has offered delicious foods and beverages that fit the way consumers live. Today, we are turning the brands that consumers have lived with for years into brands they can’t live without. Millions of times a day in more than 150 countries, consumers reach for their favorite Kraft brands, including nine with revenues exceeding $1 billion: Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; Oscar Mayer meats; Philadelphia cream cheese; Maxwell House coffee; Nabisco cookies and crackers and its Oreo brand; Jacobs coffees; Milka chocolates; and LU biscuits. Kraft is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies with annual revenues exceeding $37 billion, more than 100,000 employees and more than 180 manufacturing and processing facilities globally. The company’s stock (NYSE: KFT) is listed on the Standard & Poor’s 100 and 500 indexes as well as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index. In Canada, company brands include Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese, Christie cookies and crackers, and Delissio pizza.