Peet’s Commitment to Quality Coffee Creates Sustainable Change for East African Farmers

Specialty Coffee Purveyor Launches Limited Edition Uzuri African Blend in Groceries Nationwide

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Renown for its quality, deep-roasted coffee, Peet’s Coffee & Tea introduces Uzuri African Blend. The culmination of hundreds of hours of hands-on farmer training by Peet’s coffee buyers, this blend offers coffee lovers an exceptional cup while generating an increase in income for 6,000 small-scale farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. Showcasing the region’s floral and aromatic flavors, Uzuri (pronounced oo-ZUR-ee) will be available on grocery shelves nationwide for a limited time from Feb. 15 to March 31, 2010. Starting March 3 in Peet’s coffeehouses and at Peets.com, Uzuri African Blend will become a permanent addition to Peet’s collection of signature blends, the first new blend in eight years.

“The training Peet’s provides in coffee quality along with business and agronomy training from TechnoServe means those farmers will be able to generate higher incomes and build a better future.”

Meaning ”excellent” and ”beautiful” in Swahili, the Uzuri name was chosen by the African farmers who grow the coffee beans. Peet’s collaborated with the nonprofit TechnoServe to bring the distinct flavors of East Africa, the birthplace of coffee, to American coffee enthusiasts while creating a sustainable business model for thousands of farmers and their communities. Through farmer training and improved processing, the East African farmers are now producing coffee that meets Peet’s strict quality standards, earning them an estimated 30 percent more for their crop.

“I’m a believer that, quite literally, quality pays,” said Shirin Moayyad, Peet’s director of coffee purchasing. “East African coffee is some of the finest in the world. And after working alongside these farmers, it’s wonderful to be able to offer our customers the exceptional quality coffee we’ve achieved, as well as see the increase in income for the farmers who grew it. It’s truly a sustainable model, one we aim to grow.”

“Throughout Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, coffee farmers live in extreme poverty, earning less than $2 per day,” said David Browning, senior vice president of TechnoServe’s Coffee Initiative. “The training Peet’s provides in coffee quality along with business and agronomy training from TechnoServe means those farmers will be able to generate higher incomes and build a better future.”

Uzuri African Blend is a classic reflection of its origin with flavors that are bold, aromatic and smooth, with undertones of dark berry. This newest addition to Peet’s collection of signature blends will be sold in 12-ounce bags, with retail prices ranging from $8.99 to $9.99 in supermarket chains across the country.

About Peet's Coffee & Tea

Peet’s Coffee & Tea Inc. PEET, is the premier specialty coffee and tea company in the United States. Founded in 1966 in Berkeley, Calif., by Alfred Peet, an early tea authority who became widely recognized as the grandfather of specialty coffee in the United States. Peet’s offers superior coffees and teas in multiple forms, by sourcing the world’s finest coffee beans and tea leaves, adhering to strict quality and taste standards, and controlling product quality though its unique direct-store-delivery selling and merchandising system. Peet’s is committed to growing its business through many channels while maintaining the extraordinary quality of its coffees and teas. For more information about Peet’s Coffee & Tea Inc. visit www.peets.com.

About TechnoServe

TechnoServe is a leader in a movement that empowers people in the developing world to build businesses that break the cycle of poverty. Growing enterprises generate jobs and other income opportunities for poor people, enabling them to improve their lives and secure a better future for their families. Since its founding in 1968, the U.S.-based nonprofit has helped to create or expand thousands of businesses, benefiting millions of people in more than 30 countries. The Financial Times has rated TechnoServe one of the top five NGOs for corporate partnerships. And Charity Navigator has awarded its highest Four Star ranking to TechnoServe. For more information about the organization, visit www.technoserve.org.