Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Beverage NewsTea and Coffee

Fair Trade USA announces Innovation for Impact Initiative

Rüdiger Meyer of FLOCERT to chair Coffee Impact Advisory Board

FairTradeUSA_900.jpg
August 30, 2023

Fair Trade USA announced key elements of its Innovation for Impact Initiative — a multi-stakeholder engagement and design lab aimed at developing a more scalable, higher-impact Fair Trade Certified coffee program.

To drive this initiative, Fair Trade USA is partnering with IDEO.org, an award-winning design consulting firm specializing in innovation for social impact. IDEO.org will deeply engage producers, industry, and other key stakeholders in the design process; develop prototypes for rapid testing and learning; help evaluate results; and support the subsequent roll-out of new program features, all with an eye toward increasing impact, it says.

Fair Trade USA also introduced the members of its new Coffee Impact Advisory Board. These leaders and experts from the global coffee supply chain reflect the rich diversity and experience of the Fair Trade Certified community. The Advisory Board will provide critical input and guidance on the Innovation for Impact Initiative and help define support for new program solutions.

The Coffee Impact Advisory Board is chaired by Rüdiger Meyer, the founder and former CEO of FLOCERT. 

Additional distinguished members are as follows:

  • Lindsey Bolger, former senior vice president and managing director of Keurig Trading, USA
  • Jorge Cuevas, chief coffee officer at Sustainable Harvest Importers, USA
  • Guido Fernandez, executive vice president of the Colombian Coffee Federation Inc., Colombia
  • Carlos Murillo, president of EXPOCERT, a leading coffee broker based in Costa Rica, and former Board member of Utz Certified, Fairtrade Netherlands, and Fairtrade Germany
  • Alain Nzigamasabo, senior vice president and general merchandising manager for grocery and beverage at Sam’s Club, USA
  • Abdias Ortiz, CEO of Aprocassi (Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative), Peru
  • Angela Pelaez, sustainability manager at RGC Coffee Americas, Colombia
  • Jérôme Perez, global head of sustainability at Nespresso, Switzerland
  • Ivania Rivera, senior coffee trader at Aldea Global (Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative), Nicaragua
  • Matt Smith, executive vice president of supply chain and sustainability at Westrock Coffee, USA
  • Carlos Vargas, CEO of various Fair Trade Coffee Cooperatives, Costa Rica

Fair Trade USA’s announcement follows an extensive stakeholder consultation and listening tour during the past four months. Through surveys and direct interviews, Fair Trade USA engaged more than 500 roasters, importers, and retailers, and nearly 400 producer organizations.

“Our recent listening tour uncovered overwhelming demand across stakeholder groups for program renewal. Coffee producers want to sell more volume on Fair Trade Certified terms. They understand that price alone will not solve their problems. The industry wants greater transparency and data on impact. All stakeholders want a stronger response to climate change. Fair Trade USA will focus on innovation that addresses these core challenges faced by industry and producers,” said Paul Rice, founder and CEO at Fair Trade USA, in a statement.

Advisory Board Chair Meyer added: “Cumulatively, Fair Trade USA has delivered over $1 billion in impact to farmers and workers worldwide. To generate the next billion, we must enlist the best creative thinking of our global stakeholder community to renew the Fair Trade Certified coffee program. The livelihoods of our producing families depend on it and I am excited to be able to contribute to that effort.”

Rice founded Fair Trade USA in 1998 after returning from 11 years in Nicaragua, where he organized and ran the country’s first Fair Trade coffee cooperative. Fair Trade USA has partnered with more than 1,500 leading industry partners across dozens of product categories. More than 65% of U.S. consumers now recognize its Fair Trade Certified label which they can find across more categories of products than any other social certification in the market.


KEYWORDS: Fair Trade Fair Trade Certified coffee

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Carbonated Soft Drinks
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

Sting Energy

PepsiCo, Sting Energy unveil global partnership with Formula 1

PepsiCo + poppi

PepsiCo completes acquisition of poppi

people drinking Wynk

Mindful drinking prompts growth for THC beverages

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 26, 2025

FAST. FOCUSED. FUELED: Delivering Energy Consumers Can Feel

Learn how to formulate products that deliver the energy experiences that people want, and keep them coming back for more.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Beverage Beat: Fanfare for Fair Trade

    See More
  • GMCR Fair Trade Month

    Green Mountain Coffee to celebrate Fair Trade Month

    See More
  • Green Mountain Coffee commits nearly $1 million to Fair Trade movement

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • GlobalData_Consumer1.jpg

    Impact on Food and Beverage Innovation - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Case Study

  • GlobalData_Consumer.jpg

    Where Next for Bottled Water? Exploring consumer trends and innovation opportunities in bottled water

  • GlobalData_logo_blue_header.png

    Alcoholic Beverage Innovation - COVID-19 Case Study

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing