Section 6:

Supplier Relations

VENDOR CERTIFICATION
Ben & Jerry’s has both a Pre-Certification Survey and a Self-Assessment Survey for all potential suppliers of goods and services. There is no formal environmental training for purchasing representatives at this time, although the purchasing department does use environmental screening in making decisions.

The company’s supplier assessment efforts began in 1996 when Ben & Jerry’s initiated a Vendor Certification Program. The purpose of this program was to improve the quality and reliability of the materials we purchase, increase efficiency and profitability in manufacturing operations, increase opportunities for Ben & Jerry’s vendors to profit from their relationship with us, and to clarify expectations, responsibilities, specifications and procedures.

Following are the environmental questions we ask potential suppliers. These concerns are part of our assessment and routine visits with vendors:

• Does the company have an environmental mission statement or a group of related policies?
• Does the company align itself with any environmental principles such as CERES?
• Are all the waste permits for the company in place?
• What type of management and equipment are dedicated to complying with environmental laws and corporate policies?
• Has the company ever violated federal, state or local regulations?
• Is there documentation to prove adherence to these regulations?
  Does the company have an established waste reduction program that includes a recycling program?
• Where applicable, what type of wastewater management system does the company have in place?

Merchandise Purchasing
In 1998, Ben & Jerry’s launched the Supplier Diversity Program which focuses on identifying minority- and women-owned suppliers. Although this project is still in its fledgling stages, some significant advancements have been made. Additionally, we have improved our efforts to recruit minority consultants.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PROCUREMENT & SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Ben & Jerry’s is constantly working to purchase ingredients from environmentally and socially responsible sources:

rBGH-FREE - Ben & Jerry’s has opposed rBGH since it was approved by the FDA in 1994. The company believes this artificial bovine growth hormone is detrimental to the health of cows, threatens family farms by increasing the milk supply, and has unknown long-term human health effects. St. Albans Cooperative Creamery does not use rBGH in the dairy

products supplied to Ben & Jerry’s.

In 1994 we sought to label all of our products with a notice that our farmers refused to use the artificial growth hormone. The federal Food and Drug Administration left to the states the regulations of specific labeling claims. Four states (Illinois, Nevada, Oklahoma and Hawaii) took the position that no rBGH labeling was allowable. We took the largest of them, Illinois, to federal court in 1997 and settled a case that cleared the way for us to label our products:

"We oppose Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. The family farmers who supply our milk and cream pledge not to treat their cows with rBGH. The FDA has said no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from rBGH treated and untreated cows. Not all the suppliers of our other ingredients can promise that the milk they use comes from untreated cows.”

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs) - We support consumers’ right to know how their food is produced. In addition to supporting the labeling of GMO foods, we support the establishment of a coordinated regulatory framework that allows for consideration of the ecological and human health implications of GMO crops. In our view, the process should include significantly more public input and discussion. Dairy is our most significant ingredient, and since we do not use rBGH, our dairy supply is technically GMO-free. However, we recognize that the feed our dairy supplier uses is not GMO-free. We have started an inventory and analysis of all ingredients with regard to genetically modified corn and soy as well as a search for alternatives. In addition, we have completed a reformulation of our product to meet the international requirements on GMOs for the European Union.

VANILLA - In conjunction with our vanilla supplier, the Virginia Dare Company, we use a blended vanilla extract that contains vanilla beans from the Savegre River region of Costa Rica. Our supplier purchases about 10,000 pounds of vanilla beans annually - all that this organization is capable of producing in a year. One result of this relationship is that over 3,000 acres of Costa Rican rainforest have been reforested or reclaimed for sustainable production.

ORGANICS - Ben & Jerry’s uses organic cotton for its line of t-shirts sold in company stores and franchised scoop shops. We entered into a business arrangement with Patagonia for organic t-shirts and other apparel. Since it is not a food crop, cotton production is not regulated by the FDA and is both pesticide and fertilizer intensive.

In 1997, Ben & Jerry’s examined the feasibility of a totally organic line of ice cream products. After serious and multi-functional considerations on the issue, the company concluded that costs and consumer expectations were barriers to pursuing an organic line at that time.