In the USA, there is such a supermarket chain as Whole Foods Market, Inc. (since 2017 it is a subsidiary of Amazon, 500+ stores). It specializes in the sale of food products that do not contain hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. It has USDA Organic certification and is in great demand among connoisseurs of organic products in the USA.
In 2007, this company launched the Whole Trade Guarantee program to support ethical trade and environmental protection in the production of agricultural products. As part of this program, products that are properly verified come to the network for sale. And the communities that produce these products for WFM receive a fairer reward for their own labor.
In order for WFM to sell a product under the program, the product must:
• Comply with established strict quality standards, which prohibit the content of more than 100 preservatives, flavorings, dyes and other ingredients that are not beneficial for human health + compliance with the list of standard technical specifications.
• Be raised on a certified farm whose owners have entered into a long-term contract with WFM.
• Have documentary evidence of a positive impact on farmers, the supply chain, the farmer's community and the environment (is part of the certification process and periodic monitoring).
Certified WFM suppliers are located in 12 countries around the world, as a result of which the network receives fresh healthy products all year round, including more than a million nomenclature items, among which there is coffee.
For example, the coffee that comes from Nicaragua since 2003, from the farm El Jaguar, has a significant impact on the development of its farm. The farm used financial awards from the trading network to build an eco-friendly wet coffee mill that maximizes water efficiency and cleans wastewater generated during coffee processing. The farm also bought the surrounding pastures to convert the land into shaded coffee plantations. As a tribute to nature, the farm supports a 120-hectare bird sanctuary for migratory and rare birds.
This program works closely with other programs to ensure quality products throughout the supply chain: Fair Trade USA, Rainforest Alliance, Fair Food, and the Equitable Food Initiative.
We have already written about Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance on our blog, but we will dwell on the other two programs in a little more detail.
The Fair Food Program is a partnership between farmers and food retailers that provides fairer wages and more humane working conditions for workers who harvest coffee, fruits and vegetables on participating farms.
The Equitable Food Initiative brings together producers, farm workers, retailers and consumers to ensure that best food safety practices are established and enforced, that farm workers are treated fairly, that a safer work environment is created, and that workers are directly involved in identifying problems and finding solutions. At many points, Equitable Food and Fair Food repeat each other in functionality, but are applied in different geographical areas and therefore rarely overlap.