Dunkin' Donuts to sell new espresso
beverages using Fair Trade Certified™ coffee
TransFair USA and Oxfam America Praise Effort to Support
Coffee Farmers and Provide Consumer Choice
Randolph, Mass. (April 25, 2003) - Dunkin' Donuts will
become the first national brand to sell espresso beverages
that are made exclusively with Fair Trade Certified™ coffee.
The company's decision is the latest step by Dunkin' Donuts
to support coffee quality and sustainability amid troubling
times for many coffee farmers.
Beans for all Dunkin' Donuts espresso beverages, including
cappuccino and latte, will be certified through TransFair
USA, the only independent certifier of Fair Trade products
in the U.S. The Fair Trade model guarantees farmers a price
of $1.26 per pound for coffee. This enables farmers to make
a sustainable living and encourages them to invest in quality
coffee crops.
"Our philosophy has always been to make high quality coffee
accessible to as many people as possible," said Ken Kimmel,
Vice President, Dunkin' Donuts Concepts. "Driving demand
for quality helps farmers, and Dunkin' Donuts sells three
million cups of quality coffee per day. Buying Fair Trade
coffee for espresso beverages is another step we can take
to strengthen relationships with the farmers who grow our
coffee."
"Working with Fair Trade cooperatives in Central and South
America will give us the opportunity to do what we do best
- forge great relationships and deliver great coffee to
our customers," said Rob Stephen, Dunkin' Donuts Coffee
Product Development Manager. Stephen, who is a board member
of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, added, "This
is important work and we look forward to doing it."
"This landmark announcement is a major step forward for
efforts to help coffee farmers, and to protect quality coffee
supplies for the years to come," says Paul Rice, CEO and
President TransFair USA. "It's critical that key industry
retailers embrace the Fair Trade model and acknowledge the
important role they can play to help solve the current crisis
of low prices driving coffee farmers out of business. Dunkin'
Donuts is setting an excellent industry example with this
move."
Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser added, "Oxfam
is proud to salute Dunkin' Donuts in their decision to sell
and promote fair trade certified coffee - a commitment that
will benefit the many coffee growers facing hardship while
also providing a superior cup of coffee to consumers." Oxfam
is a humanitarian agency that works in most coffee producing
countries. "The decision to buy Fair Trade Certified coffee
is making an important and tangible difference in people's
lives. Together we can change the world one cup at a time,"
said Offenheiser.
Dunkin' Donuts espresso line of beverages, including cappuccino
and latte, will be introduced in stores beginning in September.
By the spring of 2004, an estimated 3,100 stores nationwide
will be selling these beverages. Fair Trade espresso coffee
is expected to represent approximately two percent of total
Dunkin' Donuts coffee bean purchases. This meets the suggested
benchmark set by Oxfam International in a recent report
on the worldwide crisis for coffee farmers.
About Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is the largest coffee and baked goods chain
in the world, selling high quality coffee, bagels, donuts
and other related baked goods since 1950. Dunkin' Donuts
has more than 5,500 stores in the United States and 31 other
countries. For more information, visit www.dunkindonuts.com.
About TransFair USA
TransFair USA, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is the sole Fair Trade
certification organization in the U.S. Since its founding
in 1998, TransFair has certified over 23 million lbs. of
Fair Trade coffee, returning more than $18 million in additional
income to small-scale coffee farmers. TransFair also certifies
Fair Trade tea and cocoa. To learn more, visit www.transfairusa.org.
About Oxfam America
Oxfam America is a Boston-based international development
and humanitarian agency working in Africa, Asia, and the
Americas to create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger
and social injustice. Consumer education and governmental
and corporate policy change have been the focus of Oxfam's
work in addressing the humanitarian coffee crisis and its
potential solutions. For more information, please visit
www.oxfamamerica.org.
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