Kesko, Finland, Nov 22, 2007 - (Hugin via ABN Newswire) - KESKO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 22.11.2007 AT 09.30 1(2)
Kesko Food's decision to change its Costa Rica coffee into UTZ certified Pirkka Costa Rica made UTZ certified coffee the most consumed responsible coffee in Finland and the K-food stores the leading sellers of responsible coffees in Finland.
Certified coffees, i.e. Fairtrade coffee, organic coffee and UTZ certified coffee, account for 4.9% of coffee sales in Finland. Of these, the share of UTZ certified coffee is over 80%.*
"Sales of responsibly produced, UTZ CERTIFIED and coffees subject to Fairtrade, have grown considerably here. During the past half of year, they have accounted for nearly 10% of all coffee sold by K-food stores and the sales of Fairtrade coffee alone have increased by 72%," says Ari Akseli, Kesko Food's Vice President responsible for commerce.
In addition to Pirkka Costa Rica, Pirkka Espresso and Pirkka Organic coffees too have UTZ certification. Pirkka Fairtrade coffee experienced changes in October.
"We wanted to facilitate choices related to ethical consumption by adopting sustainable methods for the production of nearly all Pirkka coffees, which are characterised by large volumes, low prices and high quality. This issue is particularly important in Finland where coffee holds a special place in consumers' hearts. We believe the good taste and the low price make ethical decisions easier," says Akseli.
More Fairtrade products to K-food stores Cooperation with the Association for Promoting Fairtrade in Finland will also produce more and more visible results in K-food stores. "We signed a cooperation agreement in February and the product development is now functioning well. Our target is to launch several new Fairtrade products next year," says Akseli.
Fairtrade and UTZ certified coffees have the same goal of sustainable development, but their operating practices and principles are different to some extent. Fairtrade coffees have a special emphasis on social responsibility and the price paid to growers for the coffee. Fairtrade is the only certification system that guarantees the price that covers the production costs of the coffee to all growers. In addition to this guaranteed price, the growers also receive a Fairtrade premium that is designated for social projects. In November, the Fairtrade system became the first certification system improving the conditions of growers in developing countries that has been accredited under the ISO 65 standard which relates to reliable certification of products.
The UTZ certification program is based on the demanding Code of Conduct, which aims at the wellbeing of people and the environment and helps growers become professionals in coffee growing. The certification proves that the coffee has been produced responsibly, with care for the local communities and the environment. Consumers can trace the UTZ certified coffee all the way to the coffee plantation by entering the coffee pack's "best before" labelling to the service available at www.pirkka.fi/ruoka/jaljitacoffee.
Photos can be downloaded at www.kesko.fi/materialbank at Current issues.
* source: Paulig's coffee seminar on 6 November 2007
Further information: Ari Akseli, Vice President, Commerce, Kesko Food Ltd, tel. +358 50 5023612
Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a Finnish retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers through valued products and services at competitive prices. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Russia.
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Kesko Oyj
http://www.kesko.fiISIN: FI0009000202
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