Rainforest Alliance Bestows Corporate Green Globe Award on Caribou Coffee

24/05/07 Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. has joined an elite group of American companies recognized by the Rainforest Alliance for socially responsible business practices.

During its recent annual Gala in New York City, Rainforest Alliance presented the nonprofit organization's prestigious Corporate Green Globe Award to Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee for its commitment to sourcing coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, which are managed to a specific set of criteria balancing ecological, economic and social considerations.

"We are honored to be recognized with the Rainforest Alliance Green Globe Award," comments Michael J. Coles, Chairman and CEO for Caribou Coffee. "Our mission is to create an experience that makes the day better for our guests. We take our mission a step further by applying it to communities around the world that produce the coffees we buy and serve."

"The Rainforest Alliance is proud to honor business leaders that have been incorporating a responsible approach into every day decisions and encouraging sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry and tourism," says Tensie Whelan, executive director of the Rainforest Alliance. "We are encouraged by the expansion of a greener corporate culture that is helping tip global markets toward sustainability."

By 2008, Caribou Coffee has pledged that 50 percent of its coffees will come from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms. Caribou Coffee's lines that currently bear the seal, and the percentage certified in each blend include:

-- Daybreak - 50 percent
-- Colombia - 100 percent
-- Guatemala El Socorro - 100 percent
-- Caribou Blend - 75 percent
-- Fireside Blend - 30 percent
-- Espresso Blend - 75 percent
-- French Roast Blend - 75 percent
-- Reindeer Blend - 30 percent
-- Perennial Blend - 30 percent
-- Amy's Blend - 50 percent

New York City-based Rainforest Alliance, with offices throughout the United States and worldwide, works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use and business practices, and consumer behavior.