Words by Smiley Team
It's best known for outrageously delicious and decadent ice cream, but Ben & Jerry’s is also using its business to make the world a better place.
Guided by its core values, the ice cream company is working to advance human rights and dignity, support social and economic justice for historically marginalised communities, and protect and restore the Earth’s natural systems.
Ben & Jerry's makes sure everyone involved in making their flavours gets a share of the profits, as all flavours are Fairtrade certified, meaning the smallholder farmers who produce the sugar, cocoa, vanilla, coffee and bananas receive Fairtrade Premium on top of the regular purchase price.
Then, with the Living Income Accelerator - a unique fund in partnership with Fairtrade - the company is advancing work that promotes a living income and dignified lives for farmers, using ice cream to change the world.
(Read more about how everyone should get involved in Fairtrade Fortnight 2021)
A living income is enough to afford a decent standard of living for all household members. That means a nutritious diet, clean water, decent housing, education, healthcare and other essential needs, plus a little extra for emergencies and savings, once farm costs are covered.
Unfortunately, global inequity has caught many farmers in a destructive cycle that keeps them trapped in extreme poverty: they can’t afford to invest in more progressive farming methods or adapt to climate change, which in turn severely limits their income and puts an enormous strain on their communities.
“Working to ensure that farmers aren’t trapped in a cycle of extreme poverty is important to us, as a values-led company," said a spokesperson for Ben & Jerry’s.
“With the Living Income Accelerator, we’re collaborating with our partners at Fairtrade to work toward closing the income gap and ensuring that our ingredient producers can lead full, dignified lives."
(Read more about why this ice cream mental health truck needs funding)
In 2020, Ben & Jerrys became the first ice cream company to pay a living income price for the cocoa used in their ice cream.
Now, they’re working to further protect the environment and professionalise farmers’ businesses by training more than 4,500 farmers to improve the performance and productivity of their farms, helping develop 783 individual farm business plans, and helping to improve farmer incomes beyond growing cocoa - to name just a few initiatives.
You can find out more about Ben & Jerry’s values and how they’re working to make the world a better place on its website.
