Whole Foods Deepens Fair Trade Commitment

AUSTIN, Texas -- Whole Foods Market has partnered with Transfair USA to create the Whole Trade Guarantee, a buying program to sell and promote fairly traded products from developing countries. The program is being offered in over 190 Whole Foods Markets nationwide. To be included in the Whole Trade Guarantee category, a product must meet various Fair Trade criteria, including exceptional quality; more money for farmers; better wages and working conditions for workers; and sound environmental production practices that promote biodiversity. Whole Foods Market will donate 1% of Whole Trade product sales to the Whole Planet Foundation, which fights poverty by providing grants for micro-loans to women entrepreneurs in the developing world. "With our shoppers“ growing concern about ethical and responsible trade, and with our company's increasing scale and scope, the time is right for Whole Foods Market to help make more of an impact," said Whole Foods Market's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer John Mackey. Oakland, Calif.-based Transfair is a third-party certifier of Fair Trade products for the U.S. market.