May 7, 2009
Explore Gourmet Coffee with an Adventurous Twist
National Geographic Partners with Café Bom Dia to Produce Terra FirmaTM - Fair Trade CertifiedTM Gourmet Coffees Grown on Sustainable Farms
WASHINGTON (May 7, 2009)—Terra Firma™ is a world-class coffee with environmental and social character. With its launch today, Terra Firma unites the adventurous spirit of National Geographic with the award-winning taste of Café Bom Dia to deliver a unique coffee experience.
Sourced from six of the world’s finest growing regions — Brazil, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Sumatra and Kenya — Terra Firma single-origin, specialty-grade coffee is carefully crafted to emphasize environmental and cultural sustainability in coffee-farming communities across the world. Its Brazilian coffees, now available on Amazon.com, are roasted at a carbon-neutral facility.
All Terra Firma coffees are Fair Trade Certified™, an international third-party mark that guarantees direct trade, fair prices, environmental stewardship and investment in farming communities. Café Bom Dia is a fourth-generation, family-owned coffee company based in Brazil, with a commitment to the environment, demonstrated by its CarbonNeutral® certification.
“In carrying out our mission to inspire people to care about the planet, it is vital for National Geographic to partner with organizations that share our values,” said Krista Newberry, vice president, Licensing, for National Geographic. “Through its emphasis on sustainability and Fair Trade Certified growers, Café Bom Dia is an ideal partner for us as we venture into the specialty coffee market.”
National Geographic's net proceeds from Terra Firma coffee will support vital exploration, conservation, research and education programs.
Scored as “outstanding” by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Terra Firma single-origin light, medium and dark roasts are sold as whole bean or pre-ground. To learn more or to order online, visit www.NatGeoTerraFirmaCoffee.com. Suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 12-ounce package.
About coffee: Over 100 million people in developing countries depend on coffee as their main source of income. Coffee is the world’s second most popular beverage after water. About 1.4 billion cups a day are consumed worldwide. Gourmet java drinkers are growing in number in the United States. Last year, 17 percent, or nearly 29 million people, said they drank gourmet coffee every day — up from 14 percent in 2001.
What are gourmet coffees? Sometimes called “specialty” or “premium” coffee, gourmet coffees are made from exceptional Arabica beans grown in ideal coffee-producing climates and are usually harvested by hand in mountainous areas. Gourmet coffees have distinctive flavors, specific to botanical variety, processing method and the unique characteristics of the soil and environment that produces them. Gourmet coffees stand in stark contrast to the often bitter Robusta beans grown at low elevations and harvested by machine.
About Café Bom Dia
Café Bom Dia is a fourth-generation, family-owned coffee company based in Brazil. Known for its “tree to shelf” supply chain, Café Bom Dia meets the strictest international certification standards for quality and food management (ISO 9001, 14001 and 22000). In 2007, Café Bom Dia converted its Brazil roaster to run on renewable biomass instead of fossil fuel. Through that conversion, offsets and other environmentally sensitive reforms, Café Bom Dia has zero net carbon emissions and is a certified CarbonNeutral® company.
About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 360 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.
CONTACT:
Howard Ruben - (818) 823-1971 - hruben@howardruben.com
Kathy Roeder, Café Bom Dia - (212) 217-6106 - kathy@cafebomdia.com
Elizabeth Nickless, National Geographic - (202) 775-6163 - enickles@ngs.org