Wholesome Sweeteners Launches World's FIRST Fair Trade ...

PR ESS R E L E ASE : For Immediate ReleaseContact: Monica E. ClemMarketing Communications, Wholesome SweetenersMonica@OrganicSugars.biz281-275-3120Sugar Land, TX (March 4, 2012)Wholesome Sweeteners Launches World’s FIRST Fair T rade Certified AgaveWholesome Sweeteners introduces the F IRST FairTrade Certified Organic Agave Syrup.In the shadow of the Sanganguey Volcano, located onMexico’s West Coast and within the lush hills of theTepic countryside, farmers work hard to cultivate theiragave crop in hopes of selling their harvest for enoughmoney to support their families. Now, because ofWholesome Sweeteners, the farmers of the IntegradoraOtilio Montaño Cooperative will have that opportunity.After more than two years of working closely with theFair Trade movement and small farmer cooperatives inMexico, Wholesome Sweeteners is excited to launch theWorld’s FIRST Fair T rade Certified O rganic AgaveSyrup. Ethical sourcing through Fair Trade is a corevalue to Wholesome Sweeteners. Our long term vision ofbringing Fair Trade Agave to the United States is finallycoming to fruition.“We have seensuch a positiveimpact on our Fair Trade cooperative communities inMalawi, Paraguay, and Brazil that we wanted to give theagaveros ofMexico the sameopportunity tobuild thrivingcommunities,”says VP ofMarketing andCompany Co-Founder, Pauline McKee. “It wasimportant to us that small farming cooperativesgrowing agave had an alternative to selling their cropbelow market value.” The timing of this new FairThe picturesque countryside of Tepic, located in thecenter of Nayarit, Mexico.Trade Agave is perfect not only for the success of thecooperative, but addresses the growing demand fornatural sweeteners in the United States. Agave syrup isa low-glycemic sweetener that is slowly absorbed by the body, preventing blood sugar spikes.A traditional Mexican Jimador cuts the agave plant downto the piña. The piña will be crushed to extract thedeliciously sweet, low-glycemic syrup.

When the popularity of tequila hit an all-time high, many Mexican farmers hoped to profit byplanting agave and selling their harvest to multi-national beverage companies who produce thetequila. Unfortunately, many other farmers had the sameidea. Soon there was a surplus of agave and the beveragecompanies were paying less than $.02 per pound. At thatprice there was no way farmers could sustain their farms,let alone support their families. Now, WholesomeSweeteners is providing farmers a viable economicincentive to protect their communities, their traditions,and their environment.As a Fair Trade Certified cooperative, the farmers of theIntegradora Otilio Montaño Cooperative will not onlyreceive a fair price for their crop but also a set socialpremium per pound of agave that WholesomeSweeteners purchases. The cooperative farmers willalso enjoy safe working conditions and earn the living wage they so desperately need anddeserve.The state capital of Nayarit, Mexico is Tepic, located inthe center of the state. Other notable cities in Nayaritinclude Tequila and Puerto Vallarta.mountainous countryside. The landscape is filled withfields of wheat, coffee, cotton, and of course agave. Thehard-working people of this region depend on agriculturefor survival. The beautiful locale of Tepic and thesurrounding small villages like Santa Maria De Oro, hometo the picturesque Laguna de Santa Maria, provide the idealgrowing conditions for the agave plant. The arid conditionsalong with the volcanic, clay-like, soil allow the agaveplant to flourish.Jimadores use traditional farming techniques whentending to their harvest. This burro carries severalheavy piñas to the processing plant.The social premiums the cooperative receives are paidabove and beyond the price paid for their agave harvest.The social premiums must be democratically spent bythe cooperative for projects that benefit the entirecommunity. With these funds, the 130 members of theIntegradora Otilio Montaño Cooperative will be able toprovide their families with healthcare, send theirchildren to school, purchase land, and expand theirsustainable farming practices.Located in Mexico, in the center of the state of Nayarit,Tepic serves as the capital. From a bustling city center,life begins to slow down as you make your way to theThis new partnership between Wholesome Sweeteners andthe Integradora Otilio Montaño Cooperative will allowconsumers to purchase the O N L Y Fair Trade OrganicAgave Syrup on the market. More importantly, it will allowconsumers to vote with their dollars making it clear thatthey care about the people producing their products. By purchasing Wholesome Sweeteners FairThe stunning Laguna de Santa Maria, also known asCrater Lake, provides a scenic backdrop for the hardworking farmers of Tepic and the surrounding smallvillages.

Once the organic agave plants are trimmed by theJimador the remaining plant resembles a pineapple orpiña. They are gathered here before they are transportedto the processing plant.Trade Organic Agave Syrup, consumers show thatthey care about organics, non-genetically modifiedproducts (non-GMOs) and want a cleaner future forthemselves and their families.As awareness of Fair Trade products and their benefitsgrows, Wholesome Sweeteners will continue toeducate customers and champion the rights of farmersin developing countries. With Fair Trade products,customers can be sure that every purchase they makereally does make a difference, and helps make theworld a sweeter place, one spoonful at a time.Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic AgaveSyrup will be available in light and raw varieties. Fair Trade Organic Raw Agave is a lowglycemic,rich amber syrup. It is produced at a low temperature and lightly filtered to create afull, natural flavor. The amber syrup has a distinct and delicious flavor that genuinely enhancesfoods’ natural sweetness. Fair Trade Organic Raw Agave is a perfect everyday sweetener foreveryone, including raw food enthusiasts, vegans, and those following a gluten-free diet.Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Light Agave is a bright, sweet, low-glycemic syrup that canbe used as a one for one replacement for conventional sugar. Because Wholesome SweetenersFair Trade Organic Light Agave is a low-glycemic, it is absorbed slowly by the body, preventingspikes in blood sugar. Fair Trade Organic Light Agave is a perfect everyday sweetener foreveryone, including vegetarians, vegans, and those following a gluten-free diet.Wholesome Sweeteners Fair T rade O rganic Agave Syrup will be available in 11.75 oz.,23.5oz., and 44 oz. retail sizes, in both light and raw varieties. The N E W Fair CertifiedO rganic Agave Syrups will arrive in stores early SU M M E R 2012.Wholesome Sweeteners also offers Organic Blue Agave in popular flavors like Cinnamon,Maple, Vanilla, and Strawberry, perfect for pouring onto your pancakes, waffles, french toast,and into oatmeal and beverages. Organic Blue Agave is now available in 11.75 oz. bottles insupermarkets and health food stores across the United States.For a first-hand view of how Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Agave is made, check out ourvideo on the Wholesome Sweeteners YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/wholesweet.About Wholesome SweetenersWholesome Sweeteners is the nation’s leader in Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Verified, andsustainably produced sugars, syrups, nectars and honeys, all made from nature’s best resources. In addition tobringing the best organic, sustainable and unrefined sweeteners to the North American market, Wholesomepioneered the certification process for Fair Trade Certified sugar and honey. Since pioneering Fair Trade in 2005,Wholesome Sweeteners has paid more than $6 million in social premiums to benefit our Fair Trade partners, andfarming and beekeeping cooperatives in the developing world. Premiums are paid over and above the price of theproduct and they must be used by the co-op to benefit the community as a whole. Fair Trade means that farmers canbuy land, send their kids to school, and building thriving communities. Based in Sugar Land, Texas, WholesomeSweeteners is currently celebrating its 10 th anniversary.###