NORWAY, IOWA, July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 25,000 organic cardamom and allspice growers and their families now have access to dental services as the result of a collaboration between Frontier Co-op and Fedecovera Cooperative, a Frontier Co-op Well Earth partner based in Coban, Guatemala.
The expanded services are part of Fedecovera's ongoing program to provide medical and dental care for the mostly indigenous Mayan spice grower communities, which are in remote mountainous regions without easy access to dental services.
"Frontier Co-op is committed to doing great things in the communities in which we work," said Tony Bedard, Frontier Co-op CEO. "Our Well Earth program allows us to make our growing partners stronger, by providing the business building resources they require and the social services they deserve."
The co-op contributed to the building of a modern dental clinic in the town of Coban, by providing equipment for the facility and hiring an additional dentist. Fedecovera provides dental services to its farmers that make up the grower base of its co-op.
Well Earth is a sustainable sourcing program that allows Frontier Co-op to make an impact on the communities it purchases from around the world. By providing funds for community building and improvements of suppliers' infrastructure and product quality, Well Earth certification allows farmers to enter into long-term contracts with Frontier Co-op and confidently plan their production and sustainable operations.
"We create long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with suppliers, based on trust and respect," added Bedard. "Through programs like Well Earth, we cut out non-value-adding intermediaries and use the resulting savings to pay higher prices to the farmers while improving the quality of our products."
Social giving is a major component of Frontier Co-op's unique cooperative business model. Annually, the co-op donates 4 percent of its pre-tax profits to support organic research and to promote organic agriculture education and practices in the communities around the globe. This fiscal year, Frontier Co-op will reach more than one million dollars in socially responsible giving.
Learn more at https://www.frontiercoop.com/community/about/giving-back-story/guatemala-dental-clinic.
Frontier Co-op
Founded in 1976 and based in Norway, Iowa, Frontier Co-op offers a full line of natural and organic products under the Frontier Co-op, Simply Organic® and Aura Cacia® brands. Products include culinary herbs, spices and baking flavors; bulk herbs and spices; and natural and organic aromatherapy products. Frontier Co-op's goal is to provide consumers with the highest-quality organic and natural products while supporting and promoting social and environmental responsibility. For more information, visit Frontier Co-op's website at www.frontiercoop.com
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40952
