| Farm Name | Ben and Jerry's | |
| Rating |
(3)
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| Location | South Burlingon, VT | |
| Products | Ice cream | |
| Market Area | Nationwide | |
| Web Site | http://www.benjerry.com/ | |
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Ben & Jerry's has expanded their product line of "superpremium" ice cream to include a number of organic offerings. Although the company was purchased by the agribusiness giant Unilever, they still profess deep roots for Vermont where they are based. With the tightness in the organic milk market, although trying very hard, they have been unable to develop a local milk supply for the organic products (they partner with a Vermont-based cooperative to secure rBGH-free milk for their conventional products). This company has a track record of supporting family farmers. Ben & Jerry's purchases organic milk on the open market from a number of different sources, including some companies that operate factory-scale farms. Although it appears that the majority of their milk comes from family farmers, they lack a direct relationship with their milk supply. It should be noted that because of extra transportation, they are probably making very little or any extra profit by being in the organic business. We thoroughly believe that their motivation entering the organic market was both meeting the interest of consumers and a true commitment to organic/sustainable agriculture. We will look forward to upgrading their rating as more organic milk becomes available in the Northeast and they are able to secure a steady local supply. |
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| Criteria | Points | Comments |
| Ownership Structure | 60 | Unilever |
| Milk Supply | 50 | Many different sources |
| Disclosure of Information for Verification | 50 | Partial disclosure |
| Certifier farms | 50 | Varies |
| Certifier processing | 50 | No Answer |
| Cows on pasture time/acreage provided | 50 | Varies |
| Health and longevity of cows | 50 | Varies |
| Replacement animals only from organic farms | 50 | Varies |
| Antibiotics used on young cattle | 50 | Varies |
| Reproductive hormones used | 50 | Varies |
| Farm support oversight | 50 | Varies |
| Outside dairy ingredients purchased | 50 | Varies |
| TOTAL SCORE | 560 |
THREE COWS (very good)
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