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5. VALUES-LED SOURCING
Values-Led Sourcing In order to make ice cream that’s a force for positive change, Ben & Jerry’s continues to search for ingredient suppliers who are aligned with our Company’s mission and core values. These are suppliers who, through their business practices or through their products, are expanding economic opportunities for the disadvantaged, leading the way to a more sustainable environmental or agricultural practices, or serving the cause of peace and justice. We call this project “Values-Led Sourcing” (VLS). At times, we’re unable to find the quality we need in such VLS ingredients; supplies might not be up to our specifications or costs exceed what we can sustainably afford, but we can say that in 2008, 38 percent of the raw material spend (i.e., ingredients, dairy, packaging) for our North American production went to initiatives that we believe are aligned with our values. In Europe, 42 percent of our total ingredient spend (figure excludes packaging) went to initiatives aligned with our values. We anticipate that next year’s VLS percentage will rise significantly after we complete the phase-in of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paperboard for our United States pint packaging and the transition of virtually all our European dairy purchasing to our Caring Dairy supplier. Next year will also mark the introduction of a globally Fair Trade certified Chocolate Macadamia flavor, which will feature several VLS ingredients. Some of the Values-Led Sourcing companies, organizations and ingredients that are a part of our supply chain include: Milk & Cream The St. Albans Cooperative has been our partner and primary supplier of cream and condensed milk ingredients in the United States for many years. The Co-op is a Vermont organization made up of some 500 family farmers. Ben & Jerry’s pays a premium to farmers of the Co-op for a pledge not to treat the cows that produce our milk and cream with rBGH, a synthetic growth hormone. We buy milk and cream for our European production from Dutch family farmers. In May 2008, we completed the transition to purchasing all of our dairy ingredients from farmers in the CONO Cooperative, our partner in Ben & Jerry’s Caring Dairy program. All of these dairy ingredients are supplied without the use of rBGH, since this hormone has not been approved for use on dairy cows in the European Union. Taking the lead on sustainable dairy is one of our Social Mission priorities. Read more about how we’re working to accomplish our goals here. Brownies The brownies in several of our flavors, including Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Half Baked®, Magic Brownies®, and Bohemian Raspberry® come from the Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY, our partner since 1988. The bakery is owned by the Greyston Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to support low-income people and families on the path to self-sufficiency. Greyston’s programs reach over 2,000 people a year! Fair Trade Ingredients The Fair Trade movement (called Fairtrade outside North America) is an effort to help small-scale farmers in developing countries compete and thrive in the global marketplace. Ben & Jerry’s believes that the idea of Fair Trade aligns nicely with our Company’s core value to promote social and economic justice. That’s why we’ve sought Fair Trade/Fairtrade certification for several of our products. The Fair Trade/Fairtrade logo is an assurance that farmers who grow key ingredients used in our ice cream are paid a fair price for their harvest, are members of democratically organized cooperatives, and are pursuing sustainable farming practices.
Peanuts Some of the nut products we use in our ice cream in the United States are supplied by the Superior Nut Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This company has a strong environmental commitment, and has been recognized with an Environmental Merit Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its tropical forest plantation in Central America. The plantation sequesters as much carbon dioxide every year as the company emits in its manufacturing operations. Blueberries Ben & Jerry’s Berried Treasure™ sorbet in the United States is made with blueberries that come from Wyman’s, a family-owned Maine business. Wyman’s pursues leading environmental practices and is a member of the Sustainable Food Lab, a leading-edge industry group pursuing sustainable solutions in the food industry. Eggs We are about one third of the way towards achieving our goal of using only Certified Humane Cage-Free eggs in the United States by 2010. We are already sourcing all of our eggs used in our European ice cream from third-party certified ‘free-range’ suppliers. These standards ensure that laying hens have wholesome, nutritious food, access to clean water, and adequate space to engage in normal behaviors, among other criteria crafted by veterinary professionals. Strawberries Some of the strawberries in our Strawberry ice cream sold in Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops were sourced from Stahlbush Island Farm in Corvallis, Oregon, or Mike & Jean’s Berry Farm in Skagit County, Washington. Both companies follow sustainable farming practices in the use of pesticides and herbicides and are excellent stewards of the environment. However, we discontinued these supplier relationships in 2008 and we do not have a VLS supplier to replace them for 2009. Outside of our Values-Led Sourcing initiatives, all of the suppliers for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream are expected to follow practices consistent with the Code of Business Principles of our parent company, Unilever. This code includes: continuous improvement in managing environmental impacts, safe and healthy standards for workers, and a firm commitment to human rights, among other things. Unilever is also a signatory to the U.N. Secretary General’s Global Compact of 1999, which commits the company to support and respect human rights within our sphere of influence. |
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