Green Mountain gives nearly $1 million to fair trade group

Green Mountain Coffee gave a $50,000 grant and a three-year commitment of $925,000 to TransFair U.S.A., a third-party certifier of fair trade products.

The Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Foundation was established and is led separately from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. founder and chairman Bob Stiller. The grant will help TransFair USA’s effort to grow the fair trade movement and establish hundreds of fair trade towns across the United States by 2013.

Fair trade is a multi-stakeholder effort to develop an alternative form of global trade that cultivates greater social justice and equity for farmers, workers, and artisans. It promises fair prices, safe working conditions, worker empowerment, market access and community investment. The Fair Trade Towns USA campaign is headquartered at and sponsored by TransFair USA.

“For many years, GMCR has supported the Fair Trade movement because we believe that our highest quality coffees come from coffee-growing communities with a healthy quality of life. By choosing Fair trade coffees – and now 72 other Fair Trade products – consumers can help support sustainable development and community empowerment for farming and artisan communities around the globe. We believe Fair Trade Towns USA can be an effective model for educating consumers on how easy it is to make a positive difference in the world through the products we purchase,” said Bob Stiller, Founder and Chairman, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. and President of the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Foundation.

Fair Trade Towns USA’s ultimate goal is to raise consumer awareness, grow the availability of Fair Trade products, and drive sales in order to help lift millions of farming families out of poverty. The specific criteria to be officially recognized as a Fair Trade Town include showcasing Fair Trade products available in local stores, an active citizen support network, business engagement, and local government support. These criteria are designed to empower citizens to develop a permanent platform in their communities for continued outreach and advocacy.