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April 2, 2008 - The market for sustainable coffees got a big boost this week, with Wal-Mart and Sara Lee both debuting their own brands. Wal-Mart has launched six varieties of Fairtrade-certified coffees under its Sam's Choice label, while Sara Lee - the world's third largest coffee producer - has introduced its Good Origin sustainable coffee to the U.S. market.

Wal-Mart's new Fairtrade coffees have also been certified both by Rainforest Alliance, and all six are roasted by Cafe Bom Dia, a Brazilian coffee roaster that offsets all of its carbon emissions. Wal-Mart is hoping to capitalize on a growing trend toward Fairtrade; TransFair USA, the only third-party certifier in the U.S., reports that sales of Fairtrade-certified coffee grew tenfold between 2001 and 2006, reaching $730 million in retail sales.

Sara Lee has chosen to go another route, certifying its Good Origin brand through Utz Certified, the organization behind the Good Inside international certification program for responsible coffee production and sourcing. The Good Origin brand debuted four years ago in Europe, "where consumer demand for sustainable coffee is growing rapidly," according to Sara Lee. U.S. demand for sustainable coffee appears to have keeping pace with the rest of the world, however. Utz Certified says worldwide sales of its certified sustainable coffee have also increased tenfold - the same rate of growth TransFair has reported in the U.S.

With the introduction of Good Origin to the U.S. market, Sara Lee expects to double its purchase of certified sustainable coffee this year.