Ben & Jerry’s just announced last week that they’ll being going totally Fair Trade by 2013. This is great news for the ice cream world, especially since Ben & Jerry’s is so darn popular.  The company plans to go Fair Trade across its entire global flavor portfolio. From Cherry Garcia to Chocolate Fudge Brownie, all of the flavors in all of the countries where Ben & Jerry’s is sold will be converted to Fair Trade Certified ingredients by the end of 2013.

Ben & Jerry’s was the first ice cream company in the world to use Fair Trade Certified ingredients starting in 2005 and they also have multiple other eco-minded practices in place, such as…

• Use of only Certified Humane cage-free farms by 2010.
• The company already make their ice cream treats with rBGH hormone free milk and cream from family farmers.
• Use of greener freezers where some of their product is sold.
• In 2006 the company began sourcing their new containers from a paper supplier that uses pulp from sustainably managed forests, and that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
• They have numerous other social and eco activities going on at their company as well.

Company co-founder Jerry Greenfield said, ”Fair Trade is about making sure people get their fair share of the pie. The whole concept of Fair Trade goes to the heart of our values and sense of right and wrong. Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting somebody else.”

Ben & Jerry’s Fair Trade commitment means that every ingredient that can be sourced Fair Trade Certified, now or in the future, is Fair Trade Certified. Globally, this involves converting up to 121 different chunks and swirls, working across eleven different ingredients such as cocoa, banana, vanilla and other flavorings, fruits and nuts. It also means working with Fair Trade cooperatives that total a combined membership of over 27,000 farmers.

This Fair Trade deal is pretty sweet news for eco-minded Ben & Jerry’s lovers all over the globe.

[image via Ben & Jerry’s]

Post from: Blisstree

Ben & Jerry’s are going Fair Trade