Green Mountain Coffee, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) announced today that six of the Company’s certified organic coffees have received Fair Trade certification from TransFair USA. The Company signed a licensing agreement with TransFair USA in May of this year, to purchase and promote Fair Trade coffees, which guarantee small-scale coffee farmers a fair price for their crop.
Green Mountain Coffee has purchased coffee from, and supported a variety of projects with, cooperatives that are now on the Fair Trade registry. The Company’s initiatives to improve the quality of life and the quality of coffee over the past ten years have included the construction of a processing mill and hydroelectric plant in Peru; supporting Coffee Kids(TM) projects in Mexico; funding the organization and organic certification of 100 farmers in Aceh Province in Sumatra; and supporting a women’s health care project in Oaxaca, Mexico. Early this year, Green Mountain Coffee expanded this support by signing the licensing agreement with TransFair USA.
The recently certified Fair Trade organic coffees from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters include: Organic Peruvian Select(TM), Organic Mexican Select(TM), Organic Sumatran Reserve(TM), Organic House Blend(TM), Organic Viennese Cinnamon(TM), and a new premium blend, La Esperanza(TM) (available only via catalog and web site). Conservation International has endorsed Green Mountain Coffee’s line of Fair Trade certified organic coffees for the manner in which they have been grown. The line is now available at selected Green Mountain Coffee wholesale customers, through the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters mail order catalog, and on the company’s web site: www.GreenMountainCoffee.com
Green Mountain Coffee, Inc. is a leader in the specialty coffee industry. The Company roasts high-quality arabica coffees and offers over 60 varieties including single-origin, estate, certified organic, Fair Trade, proprietary blends, and flavored coffees that it sells under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters(R) brand. The majority of Green Mountain Coffee’s revenue is derived from its wholesale operation which services restaurant, supermarket, specialty food store, convenience store, food service, in-room hotel hospitality, university, airline, train, and office coffee service customers. Green Mountain Coffee also operates a direct mail operation and e-commerce website (http://www.GreenMountainCoffee.com) with secure on-line ordering for customers from its Waterbury, Vermont headquarters.
