| 06 June 2011
If you think environmentalism or the global campaign for green environment is an elitist pastime, or a campaign by hypocritical industrialists who after profiting from the environment through industrial pollutions from their industrial activities now turn round to campaign for a liveable planet, or a feel - good campaign by phoney politicians out to win votes by aligning themselves with green campaigners, you need to think again as dem Queen’s boys through a new contract just signed by the MoD seems to be saying loud that green campaign is for everybody! And in case you did not remember, yesterday was World Environment Day, so how green are you?
Vigilance learnt that ahead of World Environment Day (June 5), a new contract was signed providing Armed Forces on operations with sustainably-sourced, instant coffee from Cornish charity, Cool Earth.
It is said for each tin sold, the charity will protect five trees in the Amazon which would otherwise have fallen victim to loggers, thus under the £375k contract around 300,000 trees covering an area four times the size of Hyde Park will be saved.
According to an MoD it has also been estimated thanks to the purchase of the 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Brazilian coffee beans that around 410,526 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be offset.
Captain Jeremy Rigby RN, Defence Food Team Leader at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation (DE&S), said: "This contract is an example of how our suppliers have been able to source a quality brand of coffee for our troops, which provides value for money to the taxpayer and also furthers our commitment to supporting wider green issues.”
Cool Earth coffee is produced and manufactured by FFI (Fine Foods International).
Austin Sugarman, Managing Director of FFI said: “Any contract to supply the MOD is subject to rigorous product and quality specifications so we are extremely pleased that Cool Earth Coffee has been selected. “While value for money is obviously a high priority, the award of this contract proves that with Cool Earth Coffee the MOD can offer a high quality product whilst still ensuring a true ethical stance is adopted".
The contract it is learnt will take off in June and will run for an initial 12 months with an option to extend.