Farmer Brothers® Leading The Way In Sustainable Practices

TORRANCE, Calif., July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmer Bros. Co. (NASDAQ: FARM) announced this week its first sustainability report outlining its progress and ongoing commitment to sustainable practices locally and in the global coffee community. Through this report, which is available for download, Farmer Brothers outlines its sustainability framework and presents baseline results for an environmental and social scorecard. With certifications from Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade USA (TransFair USA), Utz, LEED^®, Safe Quality Food, QAI and USDA Organic, Farmer Brothers continues to prove its commitment to the sustainability effort.

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"Sustainability takes patience, commitment and an openness to change," said Mike Keown, President and Chief Executive Officer of Farmer Brothers. "As a business that survived the Great Depression with the mantra 'Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without,' we're guided by a heritage of sensible frugality that created the foundation for many sustainability practices today." Further, Mike noted, "We also have a deep-rooted commitment to the environment and the farmers who grow our core coffee and tea products."

The report illustrates Farmer Brothers' sustainability framework, SEED (Social, Environmental and Economic Development), which is designed as a "triple-bottom-line" approach to sustainability where human capital and natural capital hold the same value as financial capital. The social pillar of SEED works to promote fair, safe and healthful environments within the company, local communities and global supplier partners. Farmer Brothers donates more than a million dollars in cash and products each year to organizations that address food security, both locally and globally.

The environmental pillar focuses on minimizing corporate impact by reducing emissions, shifting the waste ratio (landfill, recycling, composting), and managing inputs through internal campaigns like "Idle No More," which encourages drivers to turn off trucks when possible. Farmer Brothers was recently awarded membership into the EPA Green Power Partnership Club for purchasing 100 percent wind power renewable energy credits for electricity used in the company's Portland facility.

"Through our partnership with Waste Management, we are proud to continue making progress towards our environmental and economic goal of zero waste to landfill," said Sarah Beaubien, Director of Sustainability at Farmer Brothers. "We continue to raise the bar for sustainable practices by developing innovative approaches to every point in the supply chain — from relationships with suppliers to material sourcing to product distribution and waste disposition."

Lastly, the economic pillar demonstrates the long-term economic viability of the company is dependent on supply chain stability, risk mitigation, continual improvement of processes, cost management, market expansion and innovation.

Board-level leadership with World Coffee Research (WCR) and Coffeelands Food Security Coalition — both as a co-founder and as an ongoing decision maker — has helped to fuel Farmer Brothers' efforts to find solutions to some of the most important issues in coffee production: lack of biodiversity and food insecurity. Additionally, the company's growing portfolio of Direct Trade coffees provides enhanced opportunity to farmers, through a transparent and traceable buying program. For more information, please visit www.FarmerBros.com.

About Farmer Bros. Co.

Farmer Bros. Co., or "Farmer Brothers," is a leading national roaster, manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of high-quality branded and private label coffees, teas, spices and culinary products to foodservice, convenience stores and grocery retailers. The company operates one of the country's largest, most complete direct-store-delivery (DSD) distribution networks to national, regional and local accounts, with more than 110 branches throughout the contiguous United States ensuring on-time delivery of premium-quality product, equipment care, personal service and shared expertise.

Since 1912, Farmer Brothers has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, expertise and innovation in the industry, and the company has executives appointed in key positions within industry organizations including World Coffee Research, the Pacific Coast Coffee Association, the Coffee Quality Institute, the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, the Roasters Guild, the International Women's Coffee Alliance and the presidency of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).

In addition to operating three roasting facilities (including one of the first in the Northwest to achieve LEED^® Silver Certification), branches in every major American market, and six major distribution centers, Farmer Brothers was among the first coffee roasters in the nation to receive SCAA-certification of a state-of-the-art coffee lab and operates Public Domain^®, a nationally recognized specialty coffeehouse in Portland, Ore. Farmer Brothers is also committed to social, environmental, and economic sustainability.

Headquartered in Torrance, Calif., Farmer Brothers generated net sales of approximately $500 million in fiscal 2012 and has nearly 1,800 employees nationwide. The company's primary brands include Farmer Brothers^®, Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers™, Superior^®, Metropolitan™, Cain's^® and McGarvey^®. For more information, please visit www.FarmerBros.com.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." When used in this press release, the words "will," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and "believes," and similar expressions and statements that are made in the future tense or refer to future events or developments, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Farmer Bros. Co.

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