Making a Difference Every Day Is as Simple as Enjoying a Cup of Yuban
TARRYTOWN, N.Y., March 15, 2006 – For more than 100 years, Yuban has been synonymous with a rich, distinct, uncompromised cup of coffee. Now, Yuban gives coffee lovers a chance to make a difference every day, simply by enjoying the great taste of Yuban. That's because Yuban is now Rainforest Alliance Certified™, which guarantees that a minimum of 30 percent of all coffee beans in each product is certified sustainable. This certification makes Yuban the largest branded supporter of Rainforest Alliance Certified sustainable coffee in the world, and the only national brand whose full line of roast and ground coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified.
By simply savoring a cup of Yuban coffee, people across the country can help protect the environment and support the people and wildlife in coffee-growing regions in Central and South America.
Sustainable coffee is grown in conditions that put equal emphasis on economic, social and environmental issues. Farms earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal by significantly reducing their use of herbicides, investing in better water and soil management, and providing their workers with improved training, housing, health benefits and education. Hence, the sustainable coffee beans in Yuban help:
- conserve approximately 23,000 acres of rainforest habitat in Central and South America. The Rainforest Alliance is helping farmers change their land-use practices, setting standards for the long-term use of resources without compromising them for future generations.
- benefit approximately 46,000 people in Central and South America. Specifically, the premium paid for high-quality Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee enables farmers to invest in improvements such as better housing for workers, medical care, and education for their children.
- conserve the habitats of thousands of species of plants and wildlife. A sustainably certified coffee farm can be a refuge for a variety of wildlife, from birds and butterflies to bats and wild cats. In fact, many migratory birds that flock to backyards across North America each spring spend the winter on shade-grown coffee farms in Central and South America.
"This certification enables us to provide sustainable coffee to millions of people, who can share in our commitment to protect the environment and support the people and wildlife in coffee-growing regions," said Gregory Nesmith, Brand Manager, Yuban. "It's an opportunity to truly make a difference every day, simply by making a great cup of coffee."
"Every cup of Rainforest Alliance Certified Yuban coffee consumed in the United States is a vote for species conservation, forest protection and the improved livelihoods of thousands of farmers in Central and South America," says Sabrina Vigilante, Rainforest Alliance Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development. "We are thrilled that such a well-known brand has demonstrated this level of commitment to sustainability."
As one of the leading brands in Kraft Foods' coffee portfolio, Yuban is the latest addition to the company's ongoing commitment to sustainable coffee. Since 2004, Kraft Foods has more than quadrupled its purchase of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans, and in 2006, has committed to purchasing between 20 and 26 million pounds.
"Kraft has been working in various parts of the world to promote sustainability for over 10 years," said Annemieke Wijn, Senior Director, Commodity Sustainability Programs, Kraft Foods. "Through our commitment to purchase substantial and increased volumes of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans each year, we can help grow the overall demand and expand the global market for sustainable coffee, which benefits more farming communities."
Yuban products will continue to be made with 100 percent Arabica beans – the highest quality coffee beans available, sourced from some of the finest beans grown in Central and South America. Yuban coffee can be purchased at grocery and mass merchandise stores throughout the country. For more information about Yuban Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee, visit www.Yuban.com. For more information about the Rainforest Alliance, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.
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Since its discovery by a young coffee merchant in search of the perfect blend for his annual Yuletide Banquet, the rich, full-bodied flavor of Yuban coffee continues to embody the essence of coffee. Today, Yuban is a flagship brand for the coffee category of Kraft Foods Inc., the world's second-largest food and beverage company. For more than 100 years, we've been dedicated to helping people around the world eat and live better. Hundreds of millions of times a day, in more than 155 countries, consumers reach for their favorite Kraft brands, including Kraft cheeses and dinners, Jacobs, Gevalia and Maxwell House coffees, Oscar Mayer meats, DiGiorno pizzas, Oreo cookies, Ritz and Wheat Thins crackers and chips, Philadelphia cream cheese, Milka and Côte d'Or chocolates, Honey Bunches of Oats cereals, Good Seasons salad dressings and Tang and Capri Sun refreshment beverages. They've also started adding our Tassimo hot beverage system, South Beach Diet line and a growing range of better-for-you Sensible Solution products to their shopping baskets, continually expanding their list of Kraft favorites.
About the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance works to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Companies, cooperatives and landowners that participate in our programs meet rigorous standards that conserve biodiversity and provide sustainable livelihoods.
As the first organization in the world to utilize market forces to conserve tropical forests, launching a sustainable forestry division in 1989 and a sustainable agriculture division in 1991, the Rainforest Alliance pioneered a worldwide certification movement. Nearly 71 million acres are now managed according to the highest standards through the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program. The Rainforest Alliance has recruited over 1,000 companies in this effort and improved the quality of life of some tens of thousands workers and their families. The Rainforest Alliance's sustainable agriculture certification program has certified more than 4,500 farming operations, including plantations and cooperatives, and more than 473,000 acres of farmland. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org/coffee
CONTACT:
Amy Coles
acoles@hunterpr.com
Caryn Van Dask
cvandask@hunterpr.com
(212) 679-6600
Larry Baumann
Kraft Foods
(914) 425-3890
larry.baumann@kraft.com