Kraft to back socially friendly coffee growing

BY SANDRA GUY Business Reporter

Kraft Foods, maker of Maxwell House and Sanka coffee, announced Tuesday it will invest in socially and environmentally friendly coffee farming.

The move stems from Kraft's new partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, a New York-based non-profit organization that works to ensure farmers treat their workers humanely and make a living in a way that conserves land and reduces pollution and pesticide use.

A Kraft spokeswoman would say only that the Northfield-based company will spend "several thousand dollars" to expand the so-called sustainable farming practices, and to support non-profit groups that inspect farms and certify that they follow the rules.

Kraft also will buy 5 million pounds of coffee from sustainable coffee farms in South America during the first year of its multi-year agreement with the Rainforest Alliance.

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