A Brighter Tomorrow for Kenyan Farmers - Mars Drinks extends Cooperative project -

April 14, 2009 - PRLog -- Ongoing funding is being donated as part of the Mars Drinks Brighter Tomorrow at Origin (http://www.brightertomorrow.info/Ndumberi-Initiative-Homepage.htm) program. Projects work to improve coffee quality, thereby increasing the price gained for the end products, while also facilitating environmental and health benefits for the farmers.

The Mars Drinks project aims to rehabilitate the Wet Mills infrastructure at the Cooperative in phases to improve the quality of the coffee cherries produced, which will then be developed into coffee beans. A focus will be on coffee shading, encouraging farmers to plant more indigenous trees that are threatened by extinction. The shade will act as a haven for birds and other fauna, while also helping to improve coffee quality.

In addition, 37 farmers in Kandara will be trained on the best practices of growing coffee. These ‘promoter’ farmers will be able to coach nearly 2,000 farmers taking part in the Brighter Tomorrow at Origin project. Mars Drinks is also funding the construction of 28 permanent metal drying tables, which should last longer with minimal maintenance.

“A large percentage of coffee in Kenya is produced by small cooperatives rather than large coffee estates”, explains Daniel Vennard, sustainability director at Mars Drinks. “These smallholders and cooperatives often don’t have the resources required to develop productive facilities and sustainable farming techniques. Brighter Tomorrow at Origin aims to help improve conditions and enhance the quality of their product, thereby commanding a higher price for their yield.”

Brighter Tomorrow at Origin is part of the Mars Drinks ‘Thirsty for Change’ programme (http://www.marsdrinks.com/mars-drinks/en/Sustainability/). This aims to take an all encompassing approach to sustainable business - sourcing ingredients from sustainable farms, developing recycling initiatives, as well as delivering innovative energy efficient products to workplaces around the world.

Successfully established three years ago, Brighter Tomorrow at Origin expresses the Mars ‘five principles’ of working: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom, in terms of coffee sourcing. To find out more, visit the website: http://www.marsdrinks.co.uk/sustainability.htm.

For further information, contact: Toni O’Sullivan, tosullivan@thebluedoor.com,
01252 899969
Editors Notes:

Mars Drinks is a segment of Mars, Incorporated, a private, family-owned company founded in 1911 and employing 70,000 associates in 67 countries worldwide.  Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA, Mars, Incorporated is one of the world’s largest food companies, generating global revenues of $30 billion annually and operating in six segments that produce some of the world’s leading brands.  In addition to the Drinks brands above, popular Mars, Incorporated brands include: in the Chocolate segment, M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY ®, MARS®, MILKY WAY®, and TWIX®; in the Petcare segment, PEDIGREE ®, WHISKAS ®, SHEBA ®, CESAR ® and ROYAL CANIN ®; in the Wrigley segment, ORBIT ®, EXTRA ®, STARBURST ®, DOUBLEMINT ®, and SKITTLES ®; in the Food segment, UNCLE BEN’S ®, DOLMIO®, ELBY®, MASTERFOODS ® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; and in the Symbioscience segment, COCOAPROTM, WISDOM PANELTM MX, and SERAMIS®.

For more information please visit www.mars.com.

Brighter Tomorrow at Origin is the name for the FLAVIA programme of work with Farmers in Kenya. It has a similar objective to Fairtrade, however it operates slightly differently. Rather than paying a standard price (as with Fairtrade) Mars Drinks works with the farmers from each Cooperative to help them improve the quality of their product, in turn allowing them to command a higher price for their whole yield. Mars Drinks sources its coffee directly from the Cooperatives.