Press Releases

Rubicon Bakery Launches First Cake Made with Fair Trade Certified™ Ingredients

Richmond, CA. - November 7, 2006 - Rubicon Bakery is proud to announce the launch of its Gourmet Chocolate Torte, the first commercially available cake made with Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients - an entirely new Fair Trade product category available to U.S. consumers. Fair Trade Certified dark chocolate and Arabic coffee give this six-inch, double-layer cake a sophisticated, rich flavor. The cakes are available at Andronico's, Whole Foods, Mollie Stone's and other select food stores. They will also be for sale shortly online at www.rubiconbakery.com.

The launch is being made in conjunction with TransFair USA - the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products for the U.S. Rubicon and TransFair share a common mission: giving marginalized individuals and communities the tools they need to bootstrap themselves out of poverty. All sales from Rubicon Bakery support Rubicon Programs, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that has helped over 35,000 under-served individuals get jobs, housing and the skills they need to create better lives for themselves. Fair Trade Certification ensures that farmers in the developing world get paid a fair price for their harvest, in addition to strict environmental and labor standards. Receiving a fair price allows these farmers to invest in their families' health care and education, reinvest in quality and protect the environment.

"We are excited that Rubicon Bakery is the first American company to create a 'Fair Trade inside' product" said Rick Aubry, President of Rubicon. "Rubicon is one of America's leading nonprofit social enterprises, creating jobs for people normally excluded from the American mainstream. Baking the great American cake - where every purchase unites Rubicon bakers in the Bay Area with coffee and cocoa farmers across the globe - is the culmination of a long-held dream: connecting consumer purchasing power with the alleviation of poverty throughout the world. With our friend Mohammed Yunis winning the Nobel Prize for his social capitalism, Bono creating the 'Red' brand to bring greater awareness to consumer purchasing power and with Rubicon's two time selection as a 'social capitalist of the year' we think we are part of the bleeding edge of business which is combining great products with an even greater cause."

"I am delighted that Rubicon is using Fair Trade Certified ingredients, making their already delicious cake that much sweeter," said Paul Rice, TransFair USA President and CEO. "Their goals and our goals are the same - connecting marginalized individuals and communities to mainstream markets in order to alleviate poverty. This launch proves that their commitment runs deep, extending beyond borders and oceans - because we are all connected, especially through food."

Rubicon and TransFair are both multi-year consecutive winners of the Social Capitalist Award by Fast Company magazine and the Monitor Group, out of 25 organizations nationwide combining creativity and ingenuity with business solutions to address the most challenging social problems today.

About Rubicon Bakery
Rubicon Bakery bakes all-natural and handmade cakes, tarts and other delicious desserts which are sold throughout the country. One hundred percent (100%) of proceeds support Rubicon Programs, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization serving the community since 1973. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rubicon has served over 35,000 people - most of whom are homeless, living with mental illness, or living in poverty - get jobs, housing and the skills they need to create better lives for themselves. For more information about Rubicon Programs, visit www.rubiconprograms.org

About TransFair USA
TransFair USA, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, is one of twenty members of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), and the only independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. TransFair USA audits transactions between U.S. companies offering Fair Trade Certified™ products and the international suppliers from whom they source, in order to guarantee that the farmers and workers behind Fair Trade Certified goods were paid fair, above-market prices and wages. FLO annually inspects producer organizations to ensure that strict socioeconomic development criteria are met using increased Fair Trade revenue, in addition to sustainable farm management, environmental stewardship and democratic decision making. Fair Trade Certified coffee has more than doubled in the last two years, and Fair Trade Certified cocoa grew nearly 85% in 2005 alone. Since 1999, TransFair USA has helped deliver nearly $80 million in above-market revenue to 1.5 million small-scale farmers throughout the developing world. For more information, visit www.transfairusa.org.