Sustaining fairness

Dairy Foods,  May, 2008  by Donna Berry

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Sustainability is the buzz word these days. In fact, about 30% of U.S. consumers buy products based on health and sustainability attributes, according to the Natural Marketing Institute.

The dairy industry is showing a united front in its efforts to address sustainability. Recently the United State's three national dairy organizations--Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)--announced an initiative to bring together all players in the dairy supply chain to address sustainability. Efforts will encourage industry innovations, improve environmental performance and position the industry for future marketplace demands.

"The dairy industry recognizes the growing number of people who care about the health and environmental impact of the products they buy," says Tom Gallagher, DMI's CEO. "We must do all we can to ensure that consumers know that the dairy industry is committed to improving their lives, both nutritionally and environmentally."

Here's an easy way to get started: Formulate using Fair Trade ingredients.

Fair Trade certification is currently available in the United States for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, honey and vanilla. Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.

Fair Trade includes paying farmers a fair price for their goods. But it is much more than an exchange of money. It includes sustainability. Harmful agrochemicals and genetically modified organisms are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers' health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

Further, workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited. With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings and organic certification.

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"Fair Trade is rapidly moving from its idealistic boutique-like beginnings to a significant trend in the food and beverage industry," says Rick Brownell, vice president vanilla products, Virginia Dare, Brooklyn, N.Y. "No longer confined to small, entrepreneurial companies, large multinational corporations have begun to introduce Fair Trade products. The Fair Trade movement has benefited from the adoption of a universal Fair Trade label, which certifies that the producer receives fair pricing for ongoing sustainability and appropriate quality of life."

Rich Benson, director of research and development for Barry Callebaut North America, Chicago, adds, "A recent international consumer survey commissioned by Barry Callebaut found that ethical considerations are increasingly part of the purchase decision. Many consumers are willing to pay a premium for a product that is socially responsible and ensures that local cocoa farmers receive a fair price.

"We produce a number of products that use Fair Trade-certified raw materials and thus carry the Fair Trade label. Depending on the demand, we're committed to increasing the share of our Fair Trade-certified products," says Benson.

On the vanilla side, "Virginia Dare has taken a lead role in promoting Fair Trade-certified vanilla products," says Brownell. "Virtually all vanilla grown throughout the world is produced on small, family farms in developing countries. These growers have little access roads and communications, much less global consumer markets. Virginia Dare welcomes the opportunity to support these farmers and the resources they require for sustainable production."

Virginia Dare offers a broad range of Fair Trade vanilla extracts and concentrates. "The company works closely with the growers to ensure the availability and consistent quality of the final flavors and extracts," says Brownell. "Fair Trade ingredients, including vanilla extract, cocoa, chocolate, tea and coffee are readily available. They can be used to add value to ice cream, flavored milks, yogurts and ready-to-drink tea, to name just a few examples. Transfair USA's website can guide dairy producers through the process of obtaining Fair Trade certification for their own products."

Until fairly recently, TransFair USA had been the only Fair Trade certifier in the United States. Now, a new, complimentary standard for Fair Trade certification has been developed and made available to the U.S. market through the large and well-known organic certifier, the Institute for Marketecology.