30 August 2005, Cheltenham - Kraft Foods has today announced the launch to consumers of a new soluble coffee, Kenco Sustainable Development, made entirely from beans from certified sustainable farming sources.

Kenco Sustainable Development will be available in major UK retailers this autumn.
The new coffee is independently certified as being grown under sustainable conditions by the Rainforest Alliance, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that is an international leader in sustainable farming.

Rainforest Alliance standards help coffee farmers improve their farming practices - and so their incomes and quality of life - and protect the environment. On farms certified by the Rainforest Alliance, forests and wildlife are preserved, and farm workers are treated with respect and have access to clean water, medical care and education for them and their families.

By meeting standards of sustainability set by the Rainforest Alliance and monitored by local not-for-profit organisations, farmers can command a higher price in the market. Kraft Foods pays a premium based on the market price for certified coffee based on availability, quality and an appreciation of the beneficial way the coffee is grown. Currently the premium paid by Kraft Foods is in the region of 8-12 US cents per pound.

Through its partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, Kraft is committed to supporting sustainability in the coffee market in three important ways: by funding technical assistance and training to improve living and working conditions on coffee farms; by purchasing significant and increasing quantities of certified sustainable coffee to blend into its mainstream European brands; and by stimulating consumer demand through the introduction of 100% certified products under existing trademarks in key markets within Western Europe and the US.

Thibaud de Saint-Quentin, vice president and area director, Kraft Foods UK & Ireland, said that the new launch marks an exciting step in Kraft's commitment to grow a better future for coffee: "Kenco Sustainable Development is our first brand to be made with 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans and brings high quality, sustainably produced coffee into the mainstream marketplace.

“Kenco Sustainable Development has all the great coffee taste that our consumers expect from Kenco, combined with the benefits to farmers and their workers that spring from the Rainforest Alliance programme."

Tensie Whelan executive director of the Rainforest Alliance, said of the initiative, “Kraft’s commitment to purchasing sustainably grown coffee is making a positive impact on coffee growers throughout Latin America, in countries like Brazil, Colombia and El Salvador. The launch of Kenco Sustainable Development is a significant step in bringing sustainable choices within the reach of mainstream consumers.”

In 2004, the first year of its partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, Kraft bought 2,400 tonnes of certified coffee. Most of this was blended directly into Kraft's mainstream brands such as Maxwell House, Kenco and Carte Noire, in the UK and overseas. In 2005, this more than doubled to 6,400 tonnes, and has benefited more than 100,000 people in coffee growing areas and preserved more than 50,000 acres of forest in Central and South America.

These certified coffees will continue to be blended into Kraft's popular coffee brands in modest levels and also will be used for specialist 100% sustainable brands, such as Kenco Sustainable Development.

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Editor’s notes:
In addition to coffee, Kraft Foods markets many of the world’s leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Jacobs and Maxwell House coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Philadelphia soft white cheese, Oscar Mayer meats, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 155 countries. In the UK, the company’s brands include Philadelphia and Dairylea cheeses and Kraft salad dressings, as well as Terry’s Chocolate Orange, Terry’s All Gold and Toblerone chocolates.

Kraft Foods has been working in various parts of the world to promote sustainability for over ten years. We have made a commitment to purchase substantial and increasing volumes of sustainable coffee for blending into our brands since 2003.

Kenco Sustainable Development coffee was launched into catering and other Away From Home markets in 2004.

For more information on sustainable coffee visit www.kraftfoods.co.uk and for more information on the Rainforest Alliance’s coffee programmes, visit www.ra.org/coffee