Ben & Jerrys Embraces Fair Trade

Though I may get some flack from my editors for writing about Ben & Jerry’s as backpacking food, I think it’s a legit claim based on my personal consumption of the stuff post hike. Not to mention that I know backpackers who are passionate enough about Ben & Jerry’s that they’ve packed it into camp on dry ice for the ultimate treat at the end of a long, hot hike. So, now that it’s settled that Ben & Jerry’s can be considered backpacking food (not to mention ski racing food–the newest flavor is named after Hannah Teter–Maple Blondie), I am pleased to announce that by the end of 2013, 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.

Fair Trade premiums pay farmers a better salary, helping them reinvest in their farms and communities. The label means that certified farmers are using environmentally sound practices to grow and harvest their crops in a sustainable way. Ben & Jerry’s commitment means that every one of its ingredients that can be sourced Fair Trade Certified now or in the future will be. In the factory, the company will be converting 121 different chunks and swirls made from eleven different ingredients including cocoa, banana, vanilla, fruits and nuts. The change will positively impact 27,000 farmers.

Ben & Jerry’s was the first ice cream company to use Fair Trade Certified ingredients (it started in 2005). Now it’s the first ice cream company to make a significant commitment to Fair Trade internationally.

-Berne Broudy

Ben & Jerry’s Fair Trade Scoop