International Attendance At UTZ Award Event At IKEA

    ATLANTA, GA, May 07, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The 2009 UTZ CERTIFIED Sustainability Achievement Awards honored the IKEA Group, the international home furnishing company, as well as their entire supply chain including farmers, traders, and roasters; UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside honored the IKEA Group for being the first retailer in the US to offer 100% certified and traceable coffee, at this year's Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) 21st Annual Exposition held at the Georgia World Congress Center. The awards event boasted international attendance from more than 12 countries including Indonesia, Eethiopia, Mexico, Kenya, Colombia, and Brazil. IKEA's coffee traceability system was developed by UTZ CERTIFIED, one of the world's leading non-profit organizations dedicated to creating a sustainable, open, and transparent marketplace for agricultural products.

"It was a pleasure to attend the sustainability awards event at IKEA," said Karugu Macharia, Coffee Support Network Agronomist, Kenya. "The diversity of the attendees was inspiring. We had producers, roasters, and importers from all over the world here to honor a company that has truly taken the lead in their commitment to sustainable farming and transparency in their supply chain."

IKEA created a beautiful event for a very multicultural group of delegates and presentations were given in both Spanish and English. Among the attending honorees was Nick Bocklandt, owner of Finca El Nuevo Volcan farm in Guatemala. Bocklandt was one of the founding farm members of UTZ CERTIFIED, and has been a long-time pioneer in the field of coffee sustainability.

"UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside is thrilled to honor our partner IKEA for their extraordinary commitment to sustainability, transparency, and traceability," said Graham Mitchell, UTZ CERTIFIED - North America Manager. "IKEA has positioned itself as a clear leader of sustainable supply chain management among retailers and businesses of all sizes. They serve as a terrific example of the difference a company can make when they commit to transparent traceable solutions."

In addition to the IKEA Group, the four other honorees for 2009 were:

• Lofbergs Lilla was honored for their role in introducing the Swedish coffee flavor profile consistently to IKEA's European and US Stores. Lofbergs has demonstrated leadership and commitment to quality worldwide and has made many positive environmental changes in production, packaging, and transportation. Lofbergs strives to develop better conditions in coffee producing areas to improve the lives of those producing coffee, and is a co-founder of International Coffee Partners (ICP), a group of coffee experts working with different projects in coffee producing countries around the world to help producers be able to live off their crops and improve living conditions.

• Ahold Coffee Company dates back to 1887, and has been a leader in sustainable coffee for many years. As a co-founder of UTZ CERTIFIED, Ahold worked to develop and implement the UTZ Code of Conduct in collaboration with coffee manufacturers to establish an independent assurance system for ensuring compliance with social standards, environmental aspects, and food safety.

• The Bushenyi Project was founded in 1998 with 300 farmers. It has since grown to 4,500 farmers living on and tending to mixed farming plots. Bushenyi is committed to helping more small holders become UTZ CERTIFIED to adopt more sustainable practices. Improvements made as a result of certification include: new tree nurseries, added to improve environmental conditions, farming equipment is now offered to free of charge to improve quality. Kawacom has become a strong financial supporter of Mengo Hospital (one of the largest centers for children with disabilities) and the Rhino Fund in Kampala. Roy Lugone, Managing Director of Kawacom said, "I believe UTZ CERTIFIED is a highly reputable organization that cares not only for the farmers, but for the environment as well, through use of its safe and modern responsible farming practices."

• Finca El Nuevo Volcan is one of the first UTZ CERTIFIED farms. One of the co-founders of UTZ, owned this farm and had already implemented a 'Good Inside' way of working. El Nuevo Volcan was one of the first to get the independent certification for good agricultural practices with respect for the people and the environment involved. Today, 1250 people live and work on their own land in El Nuevo Volcan. They have access to a health center, education, church, and day care.

Since 2002, UTZ CERTIFIED has set the world standard for professional coffee growing and sourcing, with care for local communities and the environment. UTZ CERTIFIED cooperatives, estate farms, and producer groups comply with the UTZ Code of Conduct and independent third-party auditors inspect them. UTZ CERTIFIED acts as a credible tool for coffee farmers, cooperatives, and producers to demonstrate their coffee production in a professional way. Farmers and growers show they comply with socially and environmentally appropriate growing practices and efficient farm management. In addition, UTZ CERTIFIED's tool provides roasters and brands with the ability to incorporate and credibly demonstrate responsible sourcing practices for their entire coffee production process.

About UTZ
UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside is dedicated to creating an open and transparent marketplace for agricultural products. Founded in 2002, UTZ has been an innovative pioneer in the field of certification and traceability of coffee supply chains. Based on this success, UTZ is developing sustainability models for other sectors, primarily cocoa, tea, and palm oil, among others. UTZ CERTIFIED's vision is to achieve sustainable agricultural supply chains in which farmers are professionals implementing good practices, industry takes responsibility by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products, and consumers buy products that meet their standard for social and environmental responsibility.

About IKEA
Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings and accessories of good design and functional living solutions at prices so low that the majority of the people can afford them. Currently there are more than 285 IKEA stores in 36 countries, including 46 in North America (11 in Canada; 35 in the US). IKEA has eight distribution centers in North America, with the most recent opening in Tacoma, WA. IKEA also just recently opened its first US Swedwood manufacturing plant in Danville, VA. IKEA has been named to Business Week's List of The Best Global Brands (August 7, 2006) and for four consecutive years, Working Mother magazine's annual list of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers." IKEA was listed in March 2007, on Fast Company's Fast 50, for its environmentally responsible products, as well as five consecutive years, Training magazine's annual list of top companies that excel at human capital development.

Additionally, IKEA has been on FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for three straight years. IKEA recently received the Foreign Policy Association Award for Global Corporate Social Responsibility. IKEA incorporates environmentally friendly efforts into day-to-day business and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment including UNICEF, Save the Children and American Forests. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to www.IKEA-usa.com.

Contact: Michele Smith
Tel: 916.230.8569
E-mail: [email protected]

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