Dr. Bronner’s to Celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 12th in Australia and More Than 20 Countries

Top-Selling Ethical Soap Brand to Promote Fair Trade and Regenerative Organic Agriculture throughout May

April 17, 2018

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – On May 12, Dr. Bronner’s, family-owned maker of the iconic natural brand of soap, in partnership with its global network of distributors, will celebrate World Fair Trade Day under the banner of “Nurturing Soil & Communities” in Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Through educational events, in-store demonstrations and promotions, product giveaways, and social media campaigns, Dr. Bronner’s partners worldwide will use retail spaces to inform and educate the public about fair trade and regenerative organic agriculture, to promote the importance of knowing how people all along the supply chain are treated, and how informed and ethical consumption choices can lead to better livelihoods for all. In Australia, Dr. Bronner’s will collaborate with selected retailers to highlight the availability and benefits of Fair Trade products and offer a discount on their signature castile soap, plus combine with other certified Fair Trade companies for a big social media giveaway. For those in Melbourne, Dr. Bronner’s will be attending the Big Vegan Market on May 12th & 13th at the Royal Exhibition Buildings and welcoming Annie (Uncanny Annie) Nolan to the stand between 12noon and 2pm on May 12th.

“We are delighted to partner with Dr. Bronner’s in this annual feature by spotlighting products which are fair from farm to shelf,” says Tammy Seligmann, General Manager of Lateral Food, Dr. Bronner’s distributor in Australia and New Zealand. “Certified Fair Trade products help build trust, health, community, and wealth with fair prices, wages and conditions for farmers and suppliers of their organic and sustainable ingredients. We are only too pleased to help the increasing number of Australian consumers who are looking to make ethical choices by joining in to promote World Fair Trade Day.”

The 70-year-old family company sources its major raw materials from certified organic and fair trade projects around the world, including from Ghana (palm oil), Palestine and Israel (olive oil), and Sri Lanka (coconut oil). Dr. Bronner’s commitment to its fair trade supply chain is demonstrated in their eight-minute documentary, Journey to Serendipol, which is about Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade and Organic Coconut Oil from Sri Lanka used in their products. To watch in English with subtitles available in Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin, go to: https://youtu.be/gtOQd748dC0.

“The philosophy of our family company led us to our supply chain not only being fair trade, but also to being regenerative organic, a form of agriculture that prioritizes soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness to address the problems of factory farming, climate change, and economic injustice, locally and globally,” says Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “We source our raw ingredients from six continents and are sold all over the world as part of a global consciousness that values fair trade – thus we actively celebrate World Fair Trade Day. Our collective positive impact improving livelihoods by nurturing soil and communities through our products is maximized as we activate together on the same day, for the same cause.”

Fair trade is a movement that empowers farmers to organize and earn a livelihood within the highly competitive global marketplace. Started by the World Fair Trade Organization, World Fair Trade Day began in 2001 to showcase the small-scale producers and farmers at the heart of the global fair trade movement and the contributions they make to healthy, sustainable communities around the world. World Fair Trade Day is now celebrated by millions of people across every continent (except Antarctica), and is led by the World Fair Trade Organization and other fair trade movement partners. For the last seven years, Dr. Bronner’s has partnered with the organization Fair World Project to organize successful campaigns in retail stores in the United States to connect dedicated fair trade brands with consumers. Participating brands in Fair World Project’s program reported sales growth of nearly 200 percent each year, demonstrating the increasing consumer demand for ethical products and fair trade brands.

“In seeking practical solutions to the problems humanity is facing, people are waking up to how our buying power plays a significant role in the big picture,” says Dana Geffner, Executive Director of Fair World Project. “Consumers are demanding more from the companies they purchase from and Dr. Bronner’s models what it means to be a brand dedicated to a regenerative organic supply chain, with fair trade and solving the climate crisis central to this ethic. Celebrating World Fair Trade Day together encourages the market to see the direction consumers are headed, while highlighting and supporting companies who are truly committed to using their own economic power towards a better world for all.”

World Fair Trade Day retail campaigns have helped to distinguish brands like Dr. Bronner’s from brands who use fair trade ingredients in some products but do not have a dedicated fair trade supply chain. In an era where major corporations are taking stances on global politics and social issues, fair trade is a business model where action to support small-scale farmer movements and fair supply chains results in rewarding returns and job creation. To learn more about how Dr. Bronner’s is celebrating World Fair Trade Day this year, watch their new campaign video here: https://youtu.be/SukbPJNm6zk

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Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honouring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. The company is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and widely renowned around the world. Based on 2017 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 2.2 seconds throughout the year.

For further information on Dr. Bronner’s, please visit: http://www.drbronner.com.au.

Lateral Food Corporation Pty Ltd is an Australian family owned and operated company with over 35 years of experience in manufacturing, retailing, distributing, importing and exporting a wide range of products for the health and organic market. Lateral Food manufactures Grants of Australia products and are the exclusive importer to Australia and New Zealand of Dr. Bronner’s Organic Body Care. The company has an extensive network of state-based distributors covering all Australian states and territories and exports to North and South America, Asia, New Zealand and Eastern Europe.

For more information on Lateral Food, please visit: http://www.lateralfood.com/