Black Forest Grows its Real Good Promise and Aspires to Plant 10 Million Trees in Partnership with Kelly Rowland and the National Forest Foundation

CHICAGO, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Forest, a leading candy and snack brand inspired by real forests, is in the third year of its partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) in support of the ongoing efforts to replant forests across America. Building on that partnership, Black Forest has set a new aspirational long-range target to plant 10 million trees by 2030.

This year, the brand known for its juicy gummies and fruit snacks is working with Kelly Rowland to help spread the word of this ongoing effort and the importance of restoring our forests. "I've always enjoyed the tranquility of being able to escape into nature and the great outdoors," Rowland said. "That's one of the reasons I'm such a big supporter of Black Forest's ambition to plant 10 million trees by 2030."

Real Good. Real Action.
The National Forest Foundation partnership began with a commitment to plant 1.5 million trees by the end of 2022 in areas that have been ravaged by wildfires. So far, nearly 600,000 trees have been planted in areas like Fremont-Winema National Forest in Oregon, Sierra National Forest in California and Boise National Forest in Idaho. "Each tree we plant is another step toward a healthier and more vibrant environment for bears, humans and the rest of planet earth," said Kate Adams, Senior Brand Marketing Director of Black Forest at Ferrara. "We have set bold goals for Black Forest, and we're committed to achieving them."

As a brand that believes that Real Good requires Real Action, Black Forest takes on the responsibility to make the world a little better each day. This new aspiration of 10 million trees planted by 2030 reflects Black Forest's long-term, purpose-led commitments. The brand is the first in the gummy candy and fruit snack category to commit to becoming a more sustainable brand across packaging, partnerships and production. Other elements of Black Forest's purpose-led pledge include:

• By 2022, all products in the Black Forest portfolio will use colors and flavors from real sources, including turmeric, black carrot juice, black currant juice, carrot juice, purple sweet potato juice, cherry juice and radish juice.
• A commitment to move to fully sustainable packaging by 2025. The packaging will be recyclable reusable, or compostable, while still maintaining the freshness and quality consumers have come to expect.
• Reducing environmental impact by working to lower carbon emissions, water use and waste.

Love a Tree. Plant a Tree.
In celebration of Love a Tree Day, Black Forest is also inviting fans to continue supporting the cause by dedicating an additional 10,000 trees to fans who support the tree-planting crusade. Between May 16 and May 26, the brand is encouraging people everywhere to photograph any tree and post it on Instagram with the hashtags # 🐻❤🌲 #sweepstakes and tagging @blackforestusa in the caption of the post. Each day during the 10-day timeframe, Black Forest will select 10 people who have used the hashtag and celebrate their support by planting 100 trees in their name in a National Forest.

"Black Forest understands the value of public lands and shares the important belief that our National Forests are key to the well-being of our communities," said Mary Mitsos, National Forest Foundation President & CEO. "Through our partnership and the Love a Tree. Plant a Tree.  social campaign, we're able to engage Americans in our mission to protect our forests and inspire real change."

Also watch for QR codes found on select Black Forest packages and in-store displays. Scanning the code with a smart device will let people take a virtual tour of several beautiful national forests while they learn some fun facts throughout their exploration journey.

To learn more about the Black Forest purpose commitments, visit BlackForestUSA.com/Promise and follow @BlackForestUSA on Instagram and Facebook.

About Black Forest
Black Forest Gummies and Fruit Snacks are Real Juicy Real Good!™ They contain thoughtful ingredients for thoughtful snacking. Black Forest is one of the few confectionary brands that offers both conventional and USDA-Certified organic gummies and fruit snacks. Made with real fruit juice and colors added from real sources, Black Forest gummies are fat-free, gluten-free, non-GMO and full of juicy flavor. Each gummy bear has a tree stamped on its belly, a characteristic unique to the Black Forest brand, making them as cute as they are delicious. Black Forest products can be found at mass, grocery, drug, warehouse clubs and convenience retailers nationwide, and are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 1.5oz bags to 6lb bags.

About Ferrara
Ferrara, a related company of The Ferrero Group, is an industry leader in U.S. confections and one of the fastest growing confections companies in the country. A passionate team of more than 4,000 employees work together to share delight in every bite through leading brands that have shaped the confections market for more than 100 years. Our diverse portfolio of nearly 35 brands includes SweeTARTS®, Trolli®, Brach's®, Black Forest®, Butterfinger®, CRUNCH®, Laffy Taffy® and NERDS®, along with iconic favorites like Lemonhead®, Red Hots® and Now and Later®. Headquartered in Chicago, the company has an operational network of manufacturing, distribution and R&D facilities across North America. Learn more at www.ferrarausa.com.

About the National Forest Foundation
The congressionally chartered National Forest Foundation promotes the enhancement and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System. By directly engaging Americans and leveraging private and public funding, the NFF improves forest health and Americans' outdoor experiences. The NFF's programs inform millions of Americans about the importance of these treasured landscapes. Each year, the NFF restores fish and wildlife habitat, plants trees in areas affected by fires, insects, and disease, improve recreational opportunities, and enables communities to steward their National Forests and Grasslands. Learn more at www.nationalforests.org

Media Contacts
Courtney Pischke, Ferrara
[email protected]

Gabby Toro-Rosa, Golin
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SOURCE Ferrara