From today, Smooth Roast, Rich Roast and Columbia now carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval, as 30% of the coffee contained in the drinks originates from sustainably managed Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. To earn this important seal, farms must make improvements in the way they operate, including reducing pesticide use, improving water safety, ensuring workers have decent housing and access to clean water, as well as education and medical care for themselves and their families. Wildlife and water, forests and soils must also be protected.
This work with the Rainforest Alliance is the latest step in Mars Drinks’ ‘Thirsty for Change’ programme. It is designed to work with customers in order to help reduce collective environmental impacts with a specific focus on helping others. As these fresh-ground coffees are some of FLAVIA®’s most popular drinks, considerable numbers of offices and workplaces across the country will benefit from serving drinks that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal. This is a significant achievement for the Rainforest Alliance’s vision of ‘growing a greener world’.
Founded in 1987, the Rainforest Alliance is an international environment organisation with more than 20 years of experience in sustainable forestry, agriculture, and tourism. As a result of its efforts, thousands of farmers, foresters and tourism professionals around the world have the tools and techniques necessary to protect wildlife, and the rights and welfare of workers and their communities.
Tensie Whelan, President of the Rainforest Alliance commented “The Rainforest Alliance welcomes Mars Drinks’s commitment to sustainability. By sourcing increasing amounts of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms they are supporting a programme that is making a real difference in coffee growing communities, as well as offering consumers a cup of coffee that doesn’t just taste good, it does good as well.”
Daniel Vennard, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director commented “Through our ‘Thirsty for Change’ programme we have made a meaningful commitment to help our customers, the environment and our partner suppliers, including the farmers who produce our drinks’ ingredients. One of our core business principles is ‘Responsibility’:
To learn more about FLAVIA®’s Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and Mars Drinks’ ‘Thirsty for Change’ programme, please visit: www.marsdrinks.com and click on the ‘Thirsty for Change’ banner and then ‘Your workplace’.
Editors Notes:
1: FLAVIA®
2: Created in 1955, Mars Drinks is the hot drinks division of the Mars Incorporated family, a global company with a turnover of over $18 billion in foods, drinks, snack food and pet care. Mars®, Snickers®, Bounty®, Maltesers®, Pedigree®, Whiskas®, Uncle Bens®, KLIX® and FLAVIA® are just a few of our most famous brands. Mars Inc. aims to be the global leader in all of its activities. In keeping with this philosophy, Mars Drinks is the market leader in drinks vending systems in its markets, namely UK, France, Germany, USA and Japan. A business with a turnover in excess of $350 million, we produce over one billion drinks per year with our two brands: FLAVIA® single portion fresh beverages; and KLIX® in-cup beverages. For further information please visit: www.marsdrinks.co.uk or www.mars.com/
3: What is Rainforest Alliance Certified™? The livelihood of more than 25 million people depends on coffee cultivation. Following crude oil, coffee is the most highly traded commodity in the world. Coffee plantations where the rainforests have been conserved are a blessing for wildlife. Coffee bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal comes from plantations that protect these forests along with rivers, wildlife and the people.
Workers on these plantations and their families are treated respectfully, paid appropriate wages, receive medical treatment and have access to education. The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal ensures that these coffee plantations are managed in accordance with strict standards for social and environmental sustainability set by the Sustainable Agriculture Network whose members include the Rainforest Alliance and leading conservation organisations. For further information please visit: www.rainforest-
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