An influential determine within the truthful commerce motion over the previous quarter century, Paul Rice is resigning as CEO of Truthful Commerce USA.

In an announcement final week, Rice mentioned he’s ending the calendar 12 months with the certification group within the function of founder, then will be part of the group’s advisory council.

The Truthful Commerce USA board tapped present COO Felipe Arango to take over as interim CEO of the nonprofit group because it searches for a everlasting chief government.

Rice launched Truthful Commerce USA (previously often called TransFair USA) in late 1998 in a one-room warehouse in Oakland, California.

The group was a part of Fairtrade Worldwide till it break up off beneath Rice’s management in 2011, sustaining the identical worth premium mannequin for certifications however softening the necessities of the certification scheme to permit for participation amongst bigger plantation farms.

[Editor’s note: For the purposes of this story, the term “fair trade” refers to the fair trade coffee movement in a broad sense, whereas “Fair Trade USA” and “Fairtrade” (one word) refer to distinct organizations or certification schemes.] 

The ideological break up allowed Truthful Commerce USA to develop to turn into the biggest third-party “truthful commerce” certifier of espresso in the USA, whereas working with bigger company inexperienced espresso consumers within the B2B and grocery segments. As of 2022, Truthful Commerce USA licensed roughly 210 million kilos of coffees per 12 months, representing roughly 6% of all inexperienced espresso imported within the U.S.

Rice’s resignation comes because the group has pledged to considerably evaluation and revise its mannequin with a view to stay related and impactful. To that finish, the group has launched an ongoing “Innovation for Impression Initiative” and Espresso Impression Advisory Board.

In a transfer that was criticized by some farmer advocacy teams in 2023, Truthful Commerce USA introduced plans to keep its present worth premiums tied to licensed coffees, whilst Fairtrade Worldwide made the historic determination to boost its assured costs to producers. In June, Truthful Commerce USA mentioned it deliberate to proceed its “espresso market stabilization technique” no less than by means of the tip of 2025.

In final week’s announcement, Truthful Commerce USA mentioned that Rice can be releasing a brand new e-book, revealed by Public Affairs in 2025, known as Each Buy Issues: How Truthful Commerce Farmers, Firms, and Shoppers Are Altering the World.

“It has actually been an honor and privilege to steer Truthful Commerce USA and our superb group,” Rice mentioned within the announcement. “I’m so pleased with the affect that we and our stakeholders have had during the last 26 years. Now we have helped enhance the lives of thousands and thousands of hardworking farmers and staff, constructing hope for a greater future. Now we have proven company America that moral sourcing may be good not only for individuals and planet, but additionally for the underside line.”

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