Costa Coffee, Mars and Kenco made Rainforest Alliance honourees

The awards honour businesses and individuals that champion conservation, protect the environment and support local communities. Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance said: "Companies are continuing to make bold commitments to sustainability and traceability, despite ongoing instability in the economic environment. The companies and individuals honoured during our annual gala deserve recognition for their demonstrated commitments to sustainability. Collectively, their efforts are enormously beneficial to workers, to communities and to the environment." The honourees have made significant efforts within their businesses and here's why they were recognised: Costa Coffee When the UK's largest and fastest growing coffee chain committed to sourcing all of its beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, coffee drinkers and coffee-growing communities took notice. Signs alerting the public to the sourcing decision were posted in all 2,000 Costa Coffee retail locations. All takeaway cups were printed with information about Rainforest Alliance certification. And print and television ads promoted the new seal-bearing java. Costa's work to ensure that farm communities are reaping social, environmental and economic benefits goes beyond the purchase of certified coffees; through the Costa Foundation, the company has built 16 schools for children in five countries and it plans to continue building schools for in-need communities. The Kenco Coffee Company Nearly a century ago, a small group of London-based traders launched the Kenya Coffee Company and began buying beans directly from Africa. Today, under the simplified name "Kenco," the Kraft UK brand sources from a variety of regions and espouses a commitment to buying 100% of its coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. The company, which began its collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance in 2005 and gradually increased its purchases of certified beans, wants the sustainability journey to be simple and engaging for its customers. To this end, Kenco recently began selling coffee in Eco Refill packs, reducing the packaging weight for each pound of coffee by 97% compared to the standard pack. Mars, Incorporated As the owner of some of the most well known food and confectionary brands, Mars, Inc. knows that the sourcing decisions it makes send a message to the industry at large. By investing in building capacity for the farmers at the core of its supply chain and prioritising economic, environmental and social sustainability criteria in its sourcing decisions, the company can make a powerful statement and positively impact millions. That's why Mars is working to ensure the sustainability of its raw ingredients, including the cocoa used in all of its chocolate products. By 2020, Mars plans to source 100% of its cocoa from sustainable origins, including Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. It's a decision that will benefit millions of small farmers while helping to ensure a continued and uncompromised supply of high-quality cocoa.