Keurig Green Mountain Shares Progress On Resilient Supply Chain Initiatives In Advance Of Fair Trade Month

Sept. 26, 2014

WATERBURY, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With Fair Trade Month around the corner, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas, and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology, continues to advance its efforts to build a resilient supply chain. Key areas of emphasis include continuing the company's support of fair trade, building deeper relationships with suppliers, and tackling climate change-driven issues that impact both the business and communities that support the business around the world.

"Fair Trade Month is a time to examine how we engage with our supply chain communities to address challenges and identify new opportunities to effect positive change," says Monique Oxender, Senior Director of Sustainability at Keurig. "Fair trade is one element of our mission to build a resilient supply chain. It helps ensure a stable supply of high quality coffee for our customers and consumers, and contributes to a higher quality of life for our suppliers." Improved farmer livelihoods are at the heart of the fair trade model, driving Keurig's Resilient Supply Chain 2020 target to engage one million people in its manufacturing and agricultural supply chains to significantly improve their livelihoods.

Expanding Fair Trade Certified™ Products with New Fair Trade Certified™ Teas

One of the world's largest purchasers of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, Keurig has helped support coffee growing farmers and their families since the company started purchasing fair trade coffee in 2000. Through working with its valued partners, Keurig expanded its commitment to fair trade outside of coffee for the first time in 2014.

Keurig collaborated with Bigelow® and Celestial Seasonings® to offer the first Fair Trade Certified™ hot teas in K-Cup® packs for the Keurig® brewing system. By converting two top-selling teas to Fair Trade Certified™ - Bigelow® English Breakfast Tea and Celestial Seasonings® Green Tea - the companies aim to make a positive impact on the lives of tea farmers and their communities through investment in areas such as infrastructure, schools, and health. Keurig also welcomed Honest Tea® as the first Fair Trade Certified™ tea K-Cup® packs in its Brew Over Ice collection.

Engaging Suppliers and Increasing Transparency

Extending its commitment to transparency and supplier engagement, Keurig is broadening the reach of its Intercambio ("exchange" in Spanish) events. The Intercambios offer a unique, innovative platform to bring together key supply chain stakeholders - including producers, microfinanciers, exporters, importers, certifiers, nongovernmental organizations, and other industry leaders -- from supplying countries. Keurig will be hosting its fifth Intercambio in Guatemala in November 2014, with previous events held in Colombia, Peru, Indonesia, and Nicaragua. By convening the company's supply chain, stakeholders can calibrate quality standards, discuss business issues, address challenges, share best practices, and plan for the future.

Addressing Coffee Leaf Rust and Other Supply Chain Issues

Keurig continues to be at the forefront of industry efforts to address the impact of coffee leaf rust (la roya), a disease exacerbated by the effects of climate change, to mitigate the risk to its Latin American supply chain. Keurig collaborates with partners such as World Coffee Research, Mercy Corps, and others, to provide support for rust recovery. This assistance includes training on best agricultural practices, access to inputs, and support for recovery planning to help farmers weather this crisis and keep growing coffee.

Keurig helped launch the Coffee Farmer Resilience Initiative (CFRI) with Root Capital, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Skoll Foundation, making a $1.9 million, three year commitment to CFRI, which provides financial advisory services for rural farmer enterprises and unlocks long-term renovation financing critical for recovery. This partnership helps farmers rehabilitate or replace coffee plants affected by la roya, as well as plan a broader farming strategy to help their families and communities thrive in a warmer climate. Keurig also contributes to the Coffee Farmer Resilience Fund, a component of the CFRI, which will be matched by USAID to fund resilience investments like on-farm trainings in climate-smart, agricultural practices. The total investment in this multiple-stakeholder collaboration from all partners is $23 million, which will provide support for more than 40,000 coffee farmers.

To learn more about Keurig Green Mountain's sustainable sourcing practices, visit http://www.keuriggreenmountain.com/Sustainability/ResilientSupplyChain/Overview.aspx. To learn more about Keurig's Fair Trade Certified™ hot tea offerings, visit www.Keurig.com/tea.

Celestial Seasonings® is a brand of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN), a leading organic and natural products company in North America and Europe.

About Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.

As a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages, Keurig Green Mountain (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR), is recognized for its award-winning beverages, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. The company has inspired consumer passion for its products by revolutionizing beverage preparation at home and in the workplace. Keurig supports local and global communities by investing in sustainably-grown coffee and by its active involvement in a variety of social and environmental projects. By helping consumers drink for themselves, we believe we can brew a better world. For more information visit: www.KeurigGreenMountain.com. To purchase Keurig® products visit: www.Keurig.com or www.Keurig.ca.

Keurig routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Relations section of its website, www.KeurigGreenMountain.com, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC. The company encourages investors to consult this section of its website regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to the company's automatic email news release delivery, individuals can receive news directly from Keurig as it is released. 

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