Planters Announces the Naturally Remarkable Planters Awards to Honor Sustainable Peanut Farmers

EAST HANOVER, N.J., March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Planters is announcing the inaugural Naturally Remarkable Planters Awards to celebrate American peanut farmers who are implementing sustainable practices and making positive social changes in their local communities.  

"The Naturally Remarkable Planters Awards is our way of celebrating and supporting America's farmers who are making innovative and impactful changes in how peanuts are grown," said Steve Dumas, senior associate brand manager and sustainability lead for Planters. "Peanuts naturally give back to the earth and the environmental strides these farmers are making help provide inspiration for Planters' own sustainability journey." (1)

Through April 15, Planters is accepting Naturally Remarkable Planters Awards nominations. Entries will be judged on three key criteria: Sustainability, Effectiveness, and Originality.

The Naturally Remarkable Planters Awards is a peanut industry collaboration between Planters, the National Peanut Board and peanut shellers. A panel of judges from the peanut industry, including agriculture academics and representatives from the National Peanut Board and USDA, will select three regional award winners, representing the Southeast, Virginia-Carolinas and Southwest.

"We welcome the opportunity to support the efforts of Planters in recognizing America's peanut farmers," said Marshall Lamb, Research Leader, National Peanut Research Lab, USDA. "These farmers are taking great strides in employing sustainable production practices, embracing new technologies and supporting local communities and are a great example of American agricultural success and environmental stewardship."

Each of the three winners will receive a three-day trip to New York City for themselves and up to three family members to attend a Planters Grove event and award ceremony in August 2011. They will also receive a donation of $10,000 in their name towards a project to revitalize community land in the location of their choice.

The Awards are an integral component of the Planters "Naturally Remarkable" tour, which kicked off in February 2011 and encourages Americans to grow stronger communities through service and conservation.  Along with the Awards program, Planters will also transform unused land into Planters Groves — fun, peanut-shaped, recreational spaces designed by renowned landscape architect Ken Smith.  Part urban revitalization, part art, these public spaces will be entirely built by and for local communities led by The Corps Network's national network of 30,000 young men and women engaged in service and conservation work.  Four Planters Groves are planned for New Orleans, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and New York City, the last of which will include an Award ceremony for the three winners of the Naturally Remarkable Planters Awards.

To nominate yourself, or a peanut farmer you know, go to www.PlantersAwards.com to download the nomination application.  To follow the Planters "Naturally Remarkable" tour, get exclusive updates and learn how to participate, please "Like" Mr. Peanut on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mrpeanut.

(1) Peanuts enrich the soil with nitrogen as they grow, so farmers can use less fertilizer for other crops planted in the same plot.

About Planters: Planters, America's leading snack nut brand, has a long history of pioneering industry firsts. This inventiveness is delivered through a diverse portfolio of nutritious and delicious plant-based snacks such as peanuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts. Planters NUT-rition offers a distinctive line of nut mixes that focus on specific nutritional needs. Planters almonds and pistachios are roasted with real herbs and spices, delivering extraordinary flavor. Planters Trail Mix blends roasted nuts, delicious fruit and other wholesome ingredients to help fuel an active lifestyle.

About Planters Sustainability: Planters has made considerable investments in greening their facilities through energy and water conservation, as well as waste reduction. As part of its brand citizenship, Planters has committed, in collaboration with The Corps Network, to developing green, natural spaces called Planters Groves across the U.S. The brand's commitment to nut farmers is extended through the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), an initiative to improve cashew production, sustainability practices and increase the cashew-related income of 150,000 cashew farmers by 2012.

About Kraft Foods: Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love. Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion, more than half of which was earned outside North America. Eleven of the company's iconic brands -- including Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia and Trident -- generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually, and 40 have been loved for more than a century. A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodscompany.com and www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.

SOURCE Kraft Foods