CINCINNATI, Jan. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger (NYSE:
KR), in partnership with Fair Trade USA, announced today that its Simple
Truth® brand will expand in 2018 to offer more Fair Trade
Certified™ products. The Simple Truth® brand's current
portfolio of Fair Trade products spans multiple commodities,
including coffee, cocoa, coconut, tea, sugar and agave, and leads
the private label grocery industry in Fair Trade offerings.
Kroger presently carries nearly 300 Fair Trade Certified™
products representing 60 brands.
To earn the Fair Trade certification, farms must meet and adhere
to a rigorous set of social, environmental and economic standards.
Once certified, farmers and workers earn a premium on top of every
sale which goes into a community-managed bank account. These funds
are then used on projects in areas like healthcare, education,
water and food security to foster advancement in the community.
Since the inception of the Simple Truth® brand in the fourth
quarter of 2012, Kroger has purchased Fair Trade Certified™
ingredients, and these global supply partnerships positively impact
the lives of farmers in countries like the Philippines, Colombia and Dominican Republic. In 2016, Kroger purchased
1.2 million pounds of certified ingredients.
"Kroger's partnership with Fair Trade USA supports our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste
vision and allows us to Live Our Purpose: to Feed the Human
Spirit," said Gil Phipps, vice
president of Our Brands. "The Fair Trade model supports
income sustainability, environmental stewardship, empowerment and
the well-being of every participating farming community. As
customer interest in Fair Trade products grows, Kroger is proud to
be leading the industry with our Simple Truth® offerings and
increasing our product selection every year."
Kroger's Fair Trade purchases have benefited many farmers and
their families. At Peter Paul, a coconut producer in the Philippines, nearly 250 young people have
received scholarships for continued education. At FIECH, a coffee
cooperative in Mexico, farmers are
using their community development funds to diversify their crops,
improve farming practices and launch a micro-lending program to
help natives start new businesses to support their families.
"Kroger's commitment to Fair Trade is a powerful example of
responsible sourcing in the retail industry," said Ken Redding, Chief Commercial Officer at Fair
Trade USA. "The impact is felt
across the many Fair Trade communities where they source and
reflects Kroger customers' growing desire to shop their
values."
Simple Truth® and Simple Truth Organic® can be found exclusively
at The Kroger Co. Family of Stores, and the brands make it easy for
customers to find delicious and affordable organic, free-from and
natural foods.
In 2018, Simple Truth® will expand its Fair Trade collection by
introducing 10 new products.
About Fair Trade USA
Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit
organization that promotes sustainable livelihoods for farmers and
workers, protects fragile ecosystems, and builds strong,
transparent supply chains through independent, third-party
certification. Its trusted Fair Trade Certified™ label signifies
that rigorous standards have been met in the production, trade and
promotion of Fair Trade products from over 80 countries across the
globe. Recognized as a leading social venture by the Clinton Global
Initiative, the Skoll Foundation and Ashoka, Fair Trade
USA also provides critical
capacity-building programs at origin, and educates consumers about
the power of their purchase. Visit www.FairTradeCertified.org for
more information.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co., we are dedicated to our purpose:
to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are 453,000
associates who serve nearly nine million customers every day in
2,793 retail food stores under a variety of local banner
names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Our
Family of Companies operates an expanding ClickList offering – a
personalized order online service – in addition to 2,258
pharmacies, 783 convenience stores, 307 fine jewelry stores, 222
retail health clinics, 1,472 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food
production plants in the United
States. Our Company has been recognized as one of America's
most generous companies for our support of more than 100 Feeding
America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness,
the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community
organizations including schools. As a leader in supplier diversity,
we are a proud member of the Billion Dollar
Roundtable.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.