PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fred Meyer and Green
Mountain Coffee have joined forces to offer customers the largest selection of
Fair Trade and organic certified coffees of any major grocery retailer in the
United States.
"Fred Meyer is proud to be taking Fair Trade organic certified coffee to a
new level never seen before in grocery retail," Nancy Lisac, vice president of
nutrition for Fred Meyer, said. "We have 131 nutrition centers inside Fred
Meyer stores now offering customers a selection of up to 17 different Fair
Trade organic certified coffees."
Now more than ever Fair Trade and organic certifications play important
roles in the coffee world. A collapse in world coffee prices over the past
five years is destroying many coffee-growing communities. Fair Trade
guarantees small-scale family farmers a fair price for their coffee. More
than 80% of Fair Trade coffees are grown organically without the use of
synthetic chemicals.
Green Mountain Coffee has installed new display sets at all the Fred Meyer
nutrition centers in five western states. The sets include new displays,
packaging, and products, as well as the integration of coffees formerly
marketed under the Frontier(R) Organic Coffee brand name into the Green
Mountain Coffee Roasters line of Fair Trade and organic certified coffees.
Green Mountain Coffee, Inc., acquired the Frontier Organic Coffee business
from Frontier Natural Products Co-op of Norway, Iowa, in June 2001, making
them one of the nation's largest providers of certified Fair Trade and organic
coffees.
Fred Meyer now offers from six to 12 Green Mountain Fair Trade organic
certified coffees in self-serve bulk bins depending on the size of the store,
plus five pre-packaged selections and environmentally friendly coffee filters
in all the nutrition centers. The Fair Trade organic certified coffees
include three single-origin coffees, five blends, three dark-roasted coffees,
four decaffeinated coffees, and one flavored coffee. All four of the
decaffeinated coffees apply the Swiss Water(R) Process (SWP), which is an
additive-free method of removing caffeine that uses water to seep out the
caffeine prior to roasting.
"Fred Meyer is passionate about quality, and we know that quality food
products are only as sustainable as the farming families that produce them,"
Lisac said. "Fair Trade certification ensures that small-scale farmers
receive a living wage and our consumers receive the best quality coffee."
The Fair Trade Certified label is provided by TransFair USA, a nonprofit
organization and the only provider of third-party certification of Fair Trade
products in the United States. TransFair visits the farmer cooperatives and
partners with participating coffee companies to ensure the coffee is high
quality, was grown responsibly, and that the farmers who grew the beans
received a fair price for them.
Paul Rice, president and chief executive officer of TransFair USA, is
particularly excited about the agreement between Fred Meyer and Green
Mountain. "Fred Meyer's new line of Fair Trade Certified coffee will
dramatically increase both the number of farmers that benefit and the number
of consumers that have a chance to make a difference with their choice of
coffee," Rice said. "Fred Meyer is far ahead of the curve in realizing what
their consumers are looking for and making a very real commitment to provide
and support socially responsible products."
Don Barberio, national supermarket category manager for Green Mountain,
said, "Our Fair Trade and organic certified line of coffees has found a
natural home at Fred Meyer. The high quality of these coffees, their new
packaging, and the beautiful displays are consistent with the distinctiveness
and ambiance that Fred Meyer offers consumers. I look forward to a long-term
relationship with this high-quality merchandiser."
The Green Mountain Fair Trade organic certified coffees carried in bulk at
Fred Meyer include: Organic Breakfast Blend, Organic Breakfast Blend Decaf,
Organic Espresso Blend, Organic Espresso Blend Decaf, Organic Peruvian
Select(TM), Organic Rain Forest Blend(TM), Organic Turkish Roast, Organic
French Roast, Organic French Roast Decaf, Organic Mocha Java, and Organic
Northwest Blend. Organic Sumatran Reserve(TM) is available in both bulk and
pre-packaged. Organic House Blend(TM), Organic House Blend(TM) Decaf, Organic
Mexican Select(TM), and Organic Viennese Cinnamon(TM) (pre-ground) are only
available pre-packaged.
Fred Meyer Stores is based in Portland, Oregon and features 132 large
multidepartment stores in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Utah that
offer one-stop shopping for a wide range of food, apparel, and general
merchandise products. Nutrition centers located inside all but one of the
stores are staffed by natural foods experts who have grown the business over
the past 30 years to now generate sales that make the department the third
largest natural foods chain in the country. Fred Meyer is a division of The
Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), which is one of the largest food retailers in the
United States.
Green Mountain Coffee, Inc. (Nasdaq: GMCR), is a leader in the specialty
coffee industry and has been recognized by Forbes Magazine for the past two
years as one of the "200 Best Small Companies in America." The company roasts
high-quality arabica coffees and offers over 75 coffee selections including
single-origin, estate, certified organic, Fair Trade, signature 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 that serves supermarkets, convenience stores, offices, and
other locations where fine coffees are sold. Green Mountain Coffee also
operates a direct-mail business and an e-commerce website
( http://www.GreenMountainCoffee.com ) with secure online ordering for
customers from its Waterbury, Vt. headquarters. Green Mountain Coffee seeks
to make the world a better place for present and future generations by
operating in an environmentally and socially conscientious manner. The
company contributes at least five percent of its pre-tax profit annually to
support socially responsible initiatives, many of which it has supported for
over 10 years.
TransFair USA, a nonprofit 501c organization, is the only Fair Trade
certification organization in the United States Since it was founded in 1998,
TransFair has certified over 13 million lbs. of Fair Trade coffee, and
generated more than $10 million in additional income for small coffee farmers.
TransFair also certifies Fair Trade Coffee and Tea. For downloadable images,
visit http://www.transfairusa.org/update/images.html .
SOURCE Fred Meyer; Green Mountain Coffee; TransFair USA
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Related links:
http://www.transfairusa.org
http://www.GreenMountainCoffee.com
http://www.fredmeyerstores.com
CONTACT:
Rob Boley of Fred Meyer, +1-503-797-7176; or
Rick Peyser of Green Mountain Coffee, +1-866-881-7475; or Kenya
Lewis of TransFair USA, +1-510-663-5260
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