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Kraft Foods has been working in the area of coffee sustainability for over a decade and announced a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance in 2003. Since then, this relationship has benefited more than 400,000 farmers and their families and communities on more than 85,000 hectares of farmland in developing countries.

Kraft believes that integrating sustainability within its supply chain is the best long-term way to help coffee farmers. By working with producers to transform the way coffee is grown, a sustainable future for coffee farmers – and a continuous supply of quality coffee beans – can be supported. This view is shared by the Rainforest Alliance who enable farmers to improve their farming practices – and thus their incomes and quality of life – whilst protecting the environment. On Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, forests and wildlife are preserved and farm workers are treated with respect. They have access to clean water, medical care and education for themselves and their families.

Kraft started by supplying sustainably grown coffee to 500 McCafes and 6,400 McDonald’s restaurants in Europe in 2007. Currently, 10 of their coffee brands carry the Rainforest Alliance seal. In Switzerland, they now produce all of their Medaille d’Or brand coffee with beans supplied from Rainforest Alliance Certified ™ farms. In 2010, they launched two new coffee varieties made with Rainforest Alliance Certified beans – their Jacques Vabre Récolte Bio coffee in France and their Gevalia Monsoon Storm coffee in Sweden. Tassimo their proprietary hot beverage system, is strongly committed to using 100 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified beans in its entire coffee range in the future. Currently, their Kenco coffees for Tassimo in the UK use 100 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified™ beans while their Gevalia brand coffees in Nordic market use more than 60 percent.

Today, Kraft is the world’s largest buyer of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. They purchased more than 34,000 metric tons in 2009 and bought another 50,000 metric tons in 2010. They have increased their volume by 47 % in the last year.

Through this partnership, Kraft hopes to be able to assist in ensuring a sustainable market for the longer term and grow a better coffee future for everyone.