From 1 May 2012, all coffee sold at Woolworths Cafés are certified Fairtrade. This will double the amount of Faitrade certified coffee on sale in South Africa and is another milestone on Woolworths ambitious Good Business Journey. The coffee sold by Woolworths café’s is already certified organic. Already organic Woolworths cafes have only served certified organic coffee for some time. The coffee is made from African Arabica beans, grown by small-scale farms in Tanzania who rely on traditional, sustainable farming methods that work in harmony with nature. And Fair-trade? Justin Smith, manager of Woolworths Good Business Journey explains: “Our goal was to do more than provide a market for the small-scale farmers who grow our café coffee. We wanted to empower this economically marginalized community and are delighted to be able to partner with Fairtrade, a leading not-for-profit organization that promotes development through trade supported by international social and environmental standards”. Woolworths partnership with Faitrade will enable the small-scale coffee farmers to: 1. Run more efficient, sustainable enterprises and to achieve better income in order to improve their working and living conditions. 2. Invest in critical community projects like schools, clinics and hospitals. 3. Continue to farm in a manner that protects the environment. “We’re very conscious of our impact on the environment and the societies in which we trade and we’re working with many experts including Fairtrade to make a difference wherever we can. Through the purchase of one of these cups of coffee from our cafés, our customers are helping us to make a difference,” concludes Smith. Ends Editor’s Notes Woolworths Good Business Journey: It is a comprehensive long term plan centered on six focus areas; accelerating transformation, driving social development, sustainable farming, responsible water practices, addressing energy and climate change, and waste management. Please visit www.woolworthsholdings.co.za for more information. What is Fairtrade? Fairtrade is the world’s leading certification system for sustainability and development through trade. The benefit of Fairtrade is in the creation of more opportunities for those farming communities who are economically disadvantaged. Fairtrade benefits small-scale farmers and farm workers by ensuring better trading, working and living conditions through Fairtrade Standards. The system provides a Fairtrade Premium that small-scale farmers (in the case of a co-operative) and farm workers (in the case of a commercial farm) can invest in projects to improve their lives. Fairtrade also supports sustainable production and protection of the environment for a better future. For more information visit: www.FairtradeSA.org.za or contact Arianna Baldo, Business Manager, 021 4488911, Arianna@FairtradeSA.org.za