Operational Excellence

March 1, 2007

Trading Up: Kaiser Permanente's Northern California region puts Fair Trade coffee in its vending machines

Oakland, Calif.—It's a brave new world for your daily java.

In a groundbreaking move for a large corporation, the cafeteria vending machines in Kaiser Permanente's 19 medical facilities in its Northern California region now offer organic Fair Trade coffee for the integrated health care organization's members and employees.

The vending machine in KP's Sacramento Medical Center was one of the first in the United States to serve Fair Trade coffee—a label that guarantees the coffee's growers received a fair price, and that it was grown using sound environmental practices.

Jan Sanders, Kaiser Permanente's director of National Nutritional Services, said coffee drinkers can now partake in the socially conscious java anywhere there are coffee vending machines in KP's Northern California region. The coffee sells for $1.25 to $1.50 per cup.

To Sanders, this is about corporate social responsibility. "By ensuring that family farmers receive a fair price for top quality products, Fair Trade allows millions of people around the world to stay on their land, put food on the table, and keep their kids in school," Sanders said.

The idea for the vending machine project grew out of discussions with KP's California vendor partner involved with its Healthy Picks project, noted Sanders. The concept has proven so popular that there is talk of expanding the Fair Trade vending model to the organization's Southern California region.

Kaiser Permanente launched Healthy Picks in the fall of 2005, when it converted 50 vending machine items in the Northern California region to healthy food and drinks, including fresh fruit, dried fruits without added sugar, green tea drinks, and bottled water. Later the organization expanded the healthy food choices to hospital cafeterias and inpatient menus. The region has also had great success with a pilot program sourcing inpatient meals for its 19 medical centers with locally grown seasonal produce from small family farms.

"Our goal is to be a model for the health care industry in promoting fresh, healthy foods," Sanders said.