CANTON, Mass., July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As a coffee
leader, Dunkin' Donuts is committed to sustainable sourcing,
incorporating certified products in its coffee portfolio and
helping to make a positive impact on farming communities worldwide.
Today, the brand announced that it will continue to fulfill this
commitment by expanding its current work with the Rainforest
Alliance to have all Dunkin' Donuts' espresso beverages served at
Dunkin' Donuts U.S. restaurants and in approximately 16
international markets made with 100% espresso beans sourced from
Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms by the end of this year.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit
organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure
sustainable livelihoods so that the planet and people prosper
together. Rainforest Alliance certification helps to protect
wildlife; safeguard soils and waterways; and improve quality of
life for workers, their families and local communities.
Findings in the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) /
Rainforest Alliance Impacts Report, released early this year, show
that Rainforest Alliance certification benefits small-scale
producers. Smallholder farms applying the agronomic practices
outlined in the SAN Standard were found to increase productivity
and profitability, improve environmental quality and health, and
had increased access to training. In addition, certification helps
to improve working conditions and access to medical care and
schools for their children.
Espresso beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are the
latest in several recent introductions of products by Dunkin'
Brands, parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, that
carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal. In the U.S. and
select international markets, Dunkin' Donuts serves 30% Rainforest
Alliance Certified Dark Roast Coffee, and 30% Rainforest Alliance
Certified Iced Green Tea is available in select U.S. markets. In
2015, Dunkin' Donuts offered 30% Rainforest Alliance Certified
Colombian Packaged Coffee, the brand's first-ever single-origin
packaged coffee, for a limited time. Internationally,
Baskin-Robbins launched Lemon Black Tea Sorbet and Raspberry Black
Tea Sorbet, each made with 50% Rainforest Alliance Certified black
tea, as limited time offers in 2014.
Additionally, since 2010, Dunkin' Brands has granted more than
$260,000 to the Rainforest Alliance
to fund projects on coffee and tea farms in Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and India. With these funds, the Rainforest
Alliance has provided technical assistance and training programs to
coffee and tea farmers seeking to improve the sustainability and
productivity of their farms. The grants have also helped certify
more than 4,000 coffee farms, which now abide by comprehensive
economic, social and environmental criteria developed by SAN, and
provide training for farmers to assist them in better adapting to
climate change.
According to Christine Riley
Miller, Dunkin' Brands Senior Director of Corporate Social
Responsibility, "Dunkin' Donuts is committed to responsibly serving
our guests, franchisees, communities and the interests of our
planet. Rainforest Alliance encompasses the economic, social and
environmental aspects of sustainability to help farmers,
particularly small-scale farmers, achieve an increase in
profitability and productivity. We are excited to grow our work
with the Rainforest Alliance, and going forward we hope
to continue to increase the number of certified items -- both
coffee and other products -- we make available to our guests."
"We're proud to be working with a company that shares our vision
for a future where people and the planet can prosper together,"
said Alex Morgan, Director of
Markets Transformation for the Rainforest Alliance. "By
prioritizing sustainably sourced coffee, Dunkin' Donuts is renewing
their commitment to being environmentally, socially, and
economically responsible."
To learn more about Dunkin' Donuts,
visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts), Instagram
(www.instagram.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter
(www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts). To download and read Dunkin'
Brands' Corporate Social Responsibility Report, Broadening Our
Horizons, please visit http://dun.kn/CSR2014Report.
For more information on the work of the Rainforest Alliance
visit www.rainforest-alliance.org or follow them on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/RainforestAlliance), Instagram
(www.instagram.com/rainforestalliance), Twitter
(www.twitter.com/rnfrstalliance) and LinkedIn
(www.linkedin.com/company/rainforest-alliance).
About Dunkin' Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts
is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked
goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the hot
regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin
categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned a No. 1 ranking for customer
loyalty in the coffee category by Brand
Keys for 10 years running. The company has more than 11,800
restaurants in 44 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is part of the
Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For
more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.
About the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance
is an international nonprofit organization that works around the
world to conserve forests and natural resources while advancing
sustainable livelihoods. Rainforest Alliance collaborates with
foresters, farmers, businesses and workers to build healthy
communities, protect habitat, and rebalance the Earth, working
towards the vision of a world where planet and people prosper
together. To learn more about the Rainforest Alliance, visit
www.rainforest-alliance.org.
Lindsay Cronin
Dunkin' Brands
781-737-5200
Lindsay.Cronin@dunkinbrands.com
Brittany Wienke
Rainforest Alliance
646-452-1939
bwienke@ra.org
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SOURCE Dunkin' Donuts