Wholesome Sweeteners Surpasses Fair Trade $4 million Milestone!

For Immediate Release: September 29, 2011

Since pioneering the Fair Trade Certification process for sweeteners in 2005, Wholesome Sweeteners has paid more than $4 million in social premiums to benefit farming and beekeeping cooperatives in the developing world. Fair Trade premiums are paid over and above the price of the product and must be used by the co-op to benefit the community as a whole. As a member of a Fair Trade cooperative, farmers are given the opportunity to own land, send their children to school, and build thriving communities. Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy safe working conditions and living wages. Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, health care services, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.

Because farmers receive a fair price for their products, they are able to practice environmentally sustainable farming methods (no harmful agrochemicals or GMOS) that protect their health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

“This is such an important milestone for Wholesome Sweeteners,” says Pauline McKee, VP of Marketing and Company Co-Founder. We have worked hand in hand with our farmers and beekeepers for the last 6 years to make sure they not only produce the finest sugars and honeys but also have the tools to live a life with meaningful employment and living wages.  We are stewards of the land where our products are produced. It is our responsibility to help create a healthy, thriving and sustainable community for our cooperative families and future generations.”

Wholesome Sweeteners has worked closely with our farming and beekeeping cooperatives all around the world to help make a direct impact on their communities. Imagine life without the basic necessities of electricity and running water; many people would have a hard time. Social premiums paid by Wholesome Sweeteners helped bring safe drinking water and electricity to

our co-op’s village in Malawi. Villagers no longer have to walk miles for clean drinking water or live without basic necessities that are so common in the developed world.

In Paraguay, Fair Trade premiums paid by Wholesome Sweeteners help farmers buy tractors and trucks, and convert thousands of acres of conventional cane cultivation to organic cane cultivation, normally a 3-year process. And in Mexico, Fair Trade premiums support schools and clinics, and help communities maintain ties to ancient indigenous cultures while participating in the global marketplace.

As awareness of Fair Trade products and their benefits grow, Wholesome Sweeteners will continue to educate customers and champion the rights of farmers in developing countries. With Fair Trade products, customers can be sure that Every Purchase Matters!