Cheltenham (08/07/08) - Kraft Foods UK and Ireland has been awarded a ‘Big Tick’ in Business in the Community’s prestigious Awards for Excellence for Kenco’s work with the Rainforest Alliance.

The Big Tick is given to companies that can demonstrate the positive impact of their business practices and is a highly respected endorsement.

It recognises Kenco’s work with the Rainforest Alliance, which by the end of 2008 will see 75% of the beans for its entire freeze-dried coffee range sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. Kenco's ultimate goal is to source its entire coffee range from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms by 2010, as supply becomes available.
Kraft's Gloucestershire-based health4schools programme has also won a re-accreditation for its 2007 ‘Big Tick’ in the ‘Investing in Young People’ category.

Kenco's work was among four projects to be nominated as one of the best examples of ‘Big Tick’ winners in the Supply Chain category and considered to become a ‘National Example of Excellence.’

Nick Bunker, vice president and managing director Kraft Foods, UK & Ireland, attended a special reception at Downing Street hosted by The Rt. Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, to congratulate all finalists for their achievements.
  
Nick Bunker said: 'We are delighted to have won Big Ticks for Kenco's work with the Rainforest Alliance and for our health4schools programme. We are extremely proud of the positive impact that both programmes make and would like to thank our employees and partners for making them happen.'

ENDS
 
Note for editors

• Business in the Community is a charity that mobilises business for good. They inspire, engage, support and challenge companies on responsible business. It has more than 850 companies in membership.
• The Big Tick is awarded to companies able to demonstrate excellence in the way that they organise and integrate their responsible business practices and who can show a positive impact both on society and on the business.
• Kenco's parent company, Kraft Foods (NYSE:KFT) is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2007 revenues of more than $37 billion. Kraft has been working with the Rainforest Alliance since 2003 and is the largest buyer of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified ™ farms.
• The Rainforest Alliance is an independent, international non-profit NGO that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behaviour.   The Rainforest Alliance pioneered the practice of setting standards and certifying well-managed forests nearly 20 years ago, and developed comprehensive principles and standards for sustainable agriculture shortly thereafter. For more information visit: www.rainforest-alliance.org.
• health 4 schools, the initiative to promote healthy diet and active play to school children and communities in Gloucestershire is now in its fourth year. 100 Gloucestershire schools now benefit from the programme, which means it now reaches approximately 24,000 primary and secondary pupils. It was awarded a ‘Big Tick’ in the 2007 ‘Investing in Young People’ category and has been awarded a re-accreditation in 2008.