Go.Coop

Frontier Natural Products Co-op has a special relationship with its member-owners, which manifests itself in the co-op's commitment to meeting their needs and reflecting their values, rather than maximizing its profits.

Frontier uses that philosophy to differentiate itself from large spice and health/beauty conglomerates. True to the co-op spirit, it created the Well Earth program to find and develop ethical and sustainable sources of high-quality products. Well Earth is an extension of the characteristics of the Fair Trade Certification program and requires producer-growers to go a step further. It requires them to convert to organic, sustainable agricultural practices while reinvesting their increased prosperity back into their local communities and infrastructure.

When Frontier CEO Tony Bedard traveled to India last year, he met with Jai Chaitanya, one of their vanilla suppliers. To give back to his community, Chaitanya formed the charitable foundation Akshaya Patra with a vision that states, "No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger." Founded in 2000, the organization initially began feeding 1,500 children in five area schools. Now this organization gives over half a million Indian children a meal every day who would otherwise go hungry.

Another example of Frontier's Well Earth program impact is in the Southern European Karakisla region where Hilemet Senturk is cultivating cumin. Mr. Senturk is proud of his land and what he has accomplished. When Mr. Senturk was asked about the reasons behind his switch to organic farming methods, he was contemplative, but after a brief pause, he said, "The farmers here always want to earn more for their crop; that is why they start organics. But after farming that way, they see it is better. It is good for their health. They are protecting their children and families. It is good for the environment. It takes time for them to learn this, but that is why they continue to grow organics. After they learn this, it is no longer about money."

Jai Chaitanya and Mr. Senturk are but two examples of the results of Frontier's commitment to social responsibility and fairness in their relationships with people, businesses and the environment. By bringing high-quality, socially responsible products to the marketplace, Frontier Natural Products Co-op puts the power of choice in the consumer's hands, who in turn, help influence the way the world does business.

Learn more about Frontier Natural Products Co-op at www.frontiercoop.com.