Guest guest Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 > Editor's Note: First Starbucks, now Nestle, the > world's largest food maker, is marketing fair trade > coffee. This development is met with cautious > optimism: that Nestle's fairly traded coffee is > certified under the " Fair Trade " label (as opposed > to developing a competing label which might > water-down standards) means a greater number of > coffee producers can see benefits in terms of > working conditions, environments and fair pay; but > Nestle's reputation of cutting corners to turn a > profit is cause for concern. > > > > October is fair trade month. See: > http://www.transfairusa.org/content/support/fairtrademonth05.php > > > > Planet Ark World Environmental News > > http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=32873 & newsdate=07-Oct-2005 > > > > Nestle Brings Market Muscle to " Fairtrade " Coffee > > > > LONDON - For coffee drinkers overwhelmed by choice > in the coffee aisles, add this: Fairtrade coffee > from the world's number one food group, Nestle. > > " Fairtrade " coffee, which up to now has mostly been > marketed by small groups trying to give impoverished > farmers a bigger cut of the pie than food giants > like Nestle, lands in British supermarkets with a > Nestle brand in two weeks' time. > > " From our point of view there is significant > consumer demand behind this launch, " said Fiona > Kendrick, managing director of Nestle's beverage > division. > > The " Partners Blend " soluble instant coffee made > from Arabica grown by smallholders in El Salvador > and Ethiopia will have the Fairtrade certification > guaranteeing certain developmental, employment and > environmental standards and a premium paid for the > farming community. > > " This is a turning point for Fairtrade in the U.K. - > the first time that one of the four major coffee > roasters has taken its first step in response to > rapidly growing consumer demand for products > certified by Fairtrade, " the UK-based Fairtrade > foundation's Executive Director Harriet Lamb told > Reuters. > > The foundation runs the scheme that allows companies > that market products with a " Fairtrade " label to > claim it has been produced in compliance with its > standards. > > The launch follows swiftly after Nestle's American > rival Kraft linked up with the Rainforest Alliance, > another ethical label, to introduce Kenco > Sustainable Development. > > These companies don't just have farmers' better > interests at heart, though. > > Britain, where organic foods are also very much in > vogue, is the world's largest Fairtrade market with > sales up 51 percent to 140 million pounds ($247.7 > million) last year and similar growth expected for > 2005 and 2006. It is only four percent of the U.K. > coffee market, but is one of the fastest growing > segments. > > " It's not just about cannibalising what is already > available in Fairtrade or in Nestle's range, " > Nestle's Kendrick said. " This is a mass market > product for consumers across the range. " > > > CAUTIOUS WELCOME > > Other companies and organisations involved in > Fairtrade gave the launch a cautious welcome. > > " This is an amazing success to get a big company > like Nestle on board but it is a challenge -- how do > you accommodate a company under that brand when so > many people are suspicious of it (Nestle)? " said > Oxfam's trade spokesperson Amy Barry. > > Oxfam helped found the Fairtrade Foundation in 1992. > > > Nestle has in the past been criticised for its > promotion of baby formula in developing countries > and is being sued in California by activists on > charges of child labour on West African cocoa farms. > > > Nestle critics such as the activist organisation > Baby Milk Action have issued statements warning that > Fairtrade's acceptance of a Nestle product could > tarnish the label's image. > > " Nestle recognises that Fairtrade has a useful role > to play in helping smallholder producers cope in > today's global economy, " the company said in a > statement regarding the launch. > > Retailing at 2.69 pounds per 100 grams, Nestle's > Partners Blend is priced in line with other > Fairtrade products such as those of Cafedirect. > > Phil King, finance director of Cafedirect, was > optimistic about retaining consumer loyalty, saying: > " We hope it won't take sales from us, but will > appeal to a wider range of customers. We see it as a > good move. We hope that if there is a degree of > unease about a large company coming in it will not > rub off on us. " > > Nestle said that depending on the success of its new > coffee it could expand its Fairtrade initiatives > into other markets. > > The Fairtrade Foundation is relieved Nestle has > signed up with it rather than using its own > competing labelling system. > > " The point is to set a standard that every company > can apply to so we stop a proliferation of claims, " > Fairtrade's Lamb said. " The main risk would be > everybody running around making claims for > themselves. " > > Story by Eleanor Wason > > Story 7/10/2005 > > Check out Planet Ark on the web at www.planetark.com > > > > > WHO WE ARE: This e-mail service shares information > to help more people discuss crucial policy issues > affecting global food security. The service is > managed by Amber McNair of the University of Toronto > in partnership with the Centre for Urban Health > Initiatives (CUHI) and Wayne Roberts of the Toronto > Food Policy Council, in partnership with the > Community Food Security Coalition, World Hunger > Year, and International Partners for Sustainable > Agriculture. > Please help by sending information or names and > e-mail addresses of co-workers who'd like to receive > this service, to foodnews > I have decided to do the CN Tower Climb for World Wildlife Fund. this link should take you to the 'sponsor a climber' page, where you can search by name for someone. search for my name (alison syer) and you should be able to find it. https://wwfcentral.ca/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx? & pid=232 & srcid=232 & tab=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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