Giving Season: 23 Nonprofits to Support in 2023
Giving Season: 23 Nonprofits to Support in 2023
December 9, 2022
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s December 2022 industry newsletter.
By Steven Hoffman
With a common mission of providing healthful, eco-friendly and socially responsible products to consumers, natural and organic products companies often have philanthropy engrained as part of their brand’s DNA. Given that, the industry is well positioned to play a lead role in helping society address many of the problems facing the world today.
The month of December, with its focus on family, community and giving, presents an opportunity to highlight some of the nonprofit organizations that work with leaders in the natural products sector to help solve some of the pressing issues of our time. There are many organizations doing great work — below find a list of 23 organizations this writer has interacted with in some capacity over the years and identified as potentially worthy of your awareness, consideration and support in the coming year.
This list is divided into four categories: Climate & Environment; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Food & Agriculture; and Nutrition & Health. Perhaps one or more of these organizations will resonate with you this season of giving and throughout the year.
We know there are many nonprofit and related organizations doing important work that rely on contributions from individuals, businesses and foundations — please forgive us if we didn’t include your favorite nonprofit this time around. However, if you let us know, there’s a chance we can include it next year. We’d love to hear from you.
Happy holidays and all the best for the New Year.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic, sustainable and hemp/CBD products businesses. Compass Natural serves in PR and programming for NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, and Hoffman serves as Editor of the weekly Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, published by We are for Better Alternatives. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet is a global network of individuals and businesses that, to date, has donated more than $350 million to support environmental nonprofits around the globe. A number of natural products companies have aligned with 1% for the Planet, and many express their support by placing the organization’s logo on their product packaging. This past year, the organization launched the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust to drive climate impact. https://onepercentfortheplanet.org
Carbon Underground
Founded in 2013 by CPG and natural products veterans Tom Newmark and Larry Kopald, the Carbon Underground’s goals are to coalesce the emerging science on the soil’s relationship to climate change, and to tell the world about a possibility to not simply slow down the threat of climate change, but to reverse it. The organization advances ways to draw down legacy carbon from the atmosphere and promotes regenerative agriculture as a tool to mitigate climate change. https://thecarbonunderground.org
Climate Collaborative
A project of One Step Closer, the Climate Collaborative’s mission is dedicated to “leveraging the power of the natural products industry to reverse climate change.” The organization recently released a four-part webinar series, Climate Action Guidance for Business. Also, the Climate Collaborative’s annual Tracking Progress Update assesses how companies are progressing on their climate action commitments. https://www.climatecollaborative.com
Environmental Working Group
Working to protect consumers, the Environmental Working Group takes the lead in shining a “spotlight on outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes that pose a risk to our health and the health of our environment,” encouraging industries to adopt safer practices and educating consumers with actionable information. EWG recently released a report on forever chemicals in pet food bags and in baby textiles, plus a report on how “multitasking” preservatives might help make cosmetics safer, plus the organization works to keep cancer-causing chemicals out of everyday consumer products. https://www.ewg.org
Natural Capitalism Solutions
Founded by renowned environmentalist and author Hunter Lovins, Natural Capitalism Solutions is dedicated to building an economy in service to life through education, innovative solutions, and youth empowerment. The organization works with companies, communities and countries to help offset and reduce carbon emissions and to implement more regenerative practices profitably. https://natcapsolutions.org
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute
With Akiing — an Indigenous organization dedicated to restoring sacred landscapes, community wealth and resilience — serving as its fiscal sponsor, the nonprofit Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute was founded by Native American leader, water protector, and former candidate for Vice President of the United States Winona LaDuke. The organization’s work includes educating youth about Indigenous, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture practices, restoring agro-biodiversity and food sovereignty, advancing traditional methodologies, and supporting research into hemp fiber production to benefit local economies. http://anishinaabeagriculture.org
Her Many Voices Foundation
Through environmental, cultural and community projects, Her Many Voices brings a diverse group of artists, humanitarian leaders and businesses together to help solve problems for the betterment of women, children and “our Mother Earth.” Her Many Voices was founded by Native American leader Alicia Fall, a former TEDx presenter and recipient of the New York State Assembly Citation Award. Through Alicia and her team’s work in education, inclusivity and collaboration, the organization is also dedicated to supporting farmers and is currently planning events for Earth Day 2023. https://www.hermanyvoices.org
J.E.D.I. Collaborative
Launched in April 2020, the mission of the J.E.D.I. Collaborative is to help create a natural products industry “that centers at its core justice, equity, diversity and inclusion” with systems-level solutions. According to a Natural and Organic Industry Benchmarking Survey conducted in late 2019 by the J.E.D.I Collaborative and New Hope Network, “only 2% of leadership positions within our industry companies and on company boards are occupied by black professionals. The situation isn’t better for Latinx professionals, who hold 2% of company board positions and 6% of company leadership roles within the U.S. natural products industry.” Women also represent only 23% of board seats for companies with more than 50 employees, according to the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, a project of One Step Closer. https://jedicollaborative.com
Naturally Network
Inspired by Naturally Boulder, a public-private partnership founded in 2005 to promote entrepreneurship in natural, organic, and sustainable products in Colorado, the Naturally Network has grown to become a national organization with nine independent chapters, including Naturally Austin, Naturally Bay Area, Naturally Boulder, Naturally Chicago, Naturally Los Angeles, Naturally Minnesota, Naturally New York, Naturally North Bay and Naturally San Diego. Linking emerging businesses and brands with seasoned veterans and mentors in natural and organic products, Naturally Network offers business education, resources for entrepreneurs, mentorship and diversity programs, and ongoing regional and national networking and event opportunities. As former Chair and Board Member of Naturally Boulder, this writer can’t recommend enough to individuals in the natural channel to get involved in the Naturally Network or one of the above mentioned regional chapters. https://www.naturallynetwork.org
Project Potluck
Breaking into the natural and organic products industry isn’t easy for anyone, and it’s especially challenging for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) to attract investors, find the right co-packers, refine recipes, and garner placement on retail shelves. Enter Project Potluck, established by Ibraheem Bashir, CPG veteran and founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, a leading Black-owned natural food brand, to provide the support that minority entrepreneurs in the natural products space need to succeed. In March 2022, Project Potluck won New Hope Network’s inaugural Justice Award for its efforts promoting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the natural and organic products industry, and the organization was recently featured in Forbes Magazine. https://www.potluckcpg.org
Wild Animal Sanctuary
Including animal welfare on this list, one of this writer’s personal favorites is the Wild Animal Sanctuary. Based an hour east of Denver in Keenesburg, CO, on nearly 700 acres, the organization rescues and provides a home to more than 350 large animals including lions, tigers, bears and wolves, many of which were rescued from abusive environments. Want to know where all those animals from the TV show Tiger King ended up? The Wild Animal Sanctuary saved more than 100 of them, providing sanctuary at its large, open-space environment where visitors can view the animals from elevated walkways and decks overlooking this fenced-in “Serengeti of the West.” The organization also recently saved the lives of 11 African lions that were located in an active war zone in Ukraine. The sanctuary welcomes visitors and your support. https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Kiss the Ground
With a passionate, committed and growing community inspired by Kiss the Ground: the Movie, a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on a “new, old approach” to farming called regenerative agriculture, Kiss the Ground was founded in 2013 to educate about and advance a system of agriculture and food production that rebuilds our soils and water resources, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and feeds the world. Kiss the Ground’s mission is to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation through storytelling, education, and advocacy. https://kisstheground.com
Regenerative Organic Alliance
The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) comprises a group of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare and farmer and worker fairness. Founded by the Rodale Institute, Dr. Bronner’s and Patagonia, other members of the alliance include Compassion in World Farming, Fair World Project, and the Textile Exchange. The ROA was established to continuously review and update the Regenerative Organic Certified® framework, a recently introduced certification program for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients that represents the “highest standard” for organic agriculture in the world, with stringent requirements for soil health, animal welfare and social fairness. https://regenorganic.org
Regeneration International
With a vision to collaborate with consumers, educators, business leaders and policy makers, Regeneration International’s mission is to work with multiple stakeholders in key regions around the world to promote, facilitate and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of cooling the planet, restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. Regeneration International, which offers a number of resources for those interested in regenerative organic agriculture and climate change, is a project of the Organic Consumers Association. https://regenerationinternational.org
Regenerative Rising
With events including Women Leading Regeneration and the Regenerative Earth Summit, plus an ongoing podcast series, Regenerative Rising is dedicated to elevating and forwarding regenerative principles that expand a living systems worldview. The organization engages leaders in agriculture, business, and finance to elevate stories of regeneration and innovation to activate urgent and necessary change in business strategy, public policy and personal decision-making that serves the long term health and betterment of people and the Earth. https://regenerativerising.org
The Rodale Institute
Celebrating 75 years of organic leadership, the “OG” of organic agriculture and research, The Rodale Institute remains on the vanguard of science and best practices in advancing organic and regenerative agriculture. The Rodale Institute’s main office is located on a 386-acre organic research and education farm in eastern Pennsylvania that investigates a number of organic crops and rotations, including hemp, and also the value of animal husbandry in regenerative agriculture. In September 2022, General Mills announced it would donate the Cascadian Farm home farm in Skagit County, WA, to the institute, bringing the total number of Rodale Institute research campuses to 12. The organization also recently partnered with Colorado-based nonprofit Mad Agriculture to help farmers transition to organic and regenerative organic farming methods. The Rodale Institute was originally founded in 1947 as the Soil and Health Foundation by Rodale Press founder J.I. Rodale. https://rodaleinstitute.org
NUTRITION & HEALTH
American Botanical Council
Founded in 1986 and based in Austin, TX, the mission of the American Botanical Council (ABC) is to help people live healthier lives through the responsible use of herbal medicine. ABC is an independent, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to providing science-based, accurate and reliable information for consumers, healthcare practitioners, researchers, educators, industry, and the media about the safe and effective use of herbs and medicinal plants. Through monographs, a comprehensive library, its newsletter, HerbalGram, and more, the American Botanical Council is a vital resource for advocates and makers of herbal-based products, from tinctures and topicals to functional foods and personal care products. https://www.herbalgram.org
Chef Ann Foundation
The Chef Ann Foundation is dedicated to promoting whole ingredient, scratch cooking in schools. Scratch cooking enables schools to serve the healthiest, tastiest meals so that kids are well nourished and ready to learn. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the foundation works with both public and private schools in all 50 states. Founded in 2009 by “the Renegade Lunch Lady,” Chef Ann Cooper — an internationally recognized author, chef, educator, public speaker, and advocate of healthy food for all children — the foundation reports it has helped more than 13,500 schools and 3.3 million kids eat healthier, fresher school meals. https://www.chefannfoundation.org
Conscious Alliance
With the slogan “Art that Feeds,” Conscious Alliance partners with food makers, musicians, artists, and music lovers to empower youth and end hunger in underserved communities. Working with top recording artists and bands, concert-goers, food donors and supporters, many of which are natural food brands, the alliance organizes major food drives at concerts and music festivals nationwide to deliver food directly to economically isolated communities in need, including Native American reservations and rural areas, such as the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. https://consciousalliance.org
Feeding America
As a leading national network of food banks, Feeding America is seeing a spike in demand among its member network of food banks and food pantries amid rising food prices. According to Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, an estimated 53 million or more people in the U.S. are currently food insecure. The organization also is seeing a decrease in donated food and a decrease in federal commodities, meaning member food banks are having to buy more food at a time when food costs are high. “…if I could break down whom it is that comes to us in need of help, as a rule, we’re talking about children. A huge portion of those who are counting on us and the work that we do would be kids, the elderly, people with disabilities,” said Babineaux-Fontenot in an interview with NPR. https://www.feedingamerica.org
The Organic Center
The Organic Center, based in Washington, D.C., is an independent non-profit educational and research organization operating under the administrative auspices of the Organic Trade Association. Founded in 2002 with a mission to conduct, convene and disseminate credible, evidence-based science on the environmental and health effects of organic food and farming, and to communicate those findings to the public, The Organic Center collaborates with academic and governmental institutions to advance research. The Organic Center is the organic products industry’s leading research and education organization advocating for the nutritional, health, environmental and climate mitigating benefits of organic food production. https://www.organic-center.org
Vitamin Angels
Founded in 1994 by natural products industry veteran Howard Schiffer, Vitamin Angels is a public health nonprofit organization working to improve nutrition and health outcomes in low-resource settings worldwide. The organization helps to strengthen, extend, and amplify the impact of partner organizations working to reach the most nutritionally vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, infants, and children who are underserved by existing systems with evidence-based nutrition interventions and health services. Vitamin Angels works with more than 1,200 local organizations, including governments, to reach more than 70 million women and children in 65 countries annually. https://www.vitaminangels.org
Whole Planet Foundation
Founded in 2005, Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market foundation that funds poverty alleviation worldwide where the company sources products. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower the world’s poorest people with micro-credit and the chance to create or expand a home-based or small business to help lift themselves and their families out of poverty. As of June 2022, Whole Planet Foundation is helping to alleviate poverty through micro-finance partners in the U.S. and 79 other countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. To date, the nonprofit reports it has disbursed $101 million through micro-lending partners worldwide, funding 6 million micro-loans and 30 million opportunities for a better life for micro-entrepreneurs and their family members. https://wholeplanetfoundation.org
Bonus! To support racially and ethnically underrepresented business entrepreneurs, check out the products created by Naturally Network's M/O Fellows.
One Step Closer™ Fosters Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Natural Products Industry, Announces New Leaders to Guide its J.E.D.I. Collaborative
Mission-driven Non-profit Adds New Board Members, Rebrands Itself, and Inspires Companies to Drive Positive Change through Compostable Packaging, Climate Reform, and Social Justice
Oakland, CA (June 3, 2021) – One Step Closer™ (OSC), a mission-driven natural products industry organization, is pleased to announce that visionary leaders José Corona and Konda Mason have joined the nonprofit's board of directors. In addition, Cynthia Billops has been hired as OSC’s Vice President of Operations, Membership & Belonging, and will guide the organization’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion project known as the J.E.D.I. Collaborative.
Formerly known as ‘One Step Closer to an Organic Sustainability Community (OSC2)’, the organization rebranded to its current name as ‘One Step Closer.' OSC envisions a society that collectively brings people One Step Closer to manifesting a shared vision for a just and prosperous world. Together members and partners meet to drive change focusing on OSC’s three core competencies: zero-waste packaging, reversing climate change, and embracing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. .
Lara Dickinson, Co-founder and Executive Director states, “At One Step Closer, we aim to model what we seek to inspire in natural Products. An important step for us is embracing the leadership of those who have been historically excluded. We are fortunate that Konda and José have joined the OSC Board and Cynthia is now a part of our executive team. Through their extensive experience, authentic approach to leadership, and advocacy, we will increase our capacity in our core competencies.”
New Board Members
Joining the OSC Board is José Corona, Vice President of Programs & Partnerships, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. José is a social entrepreneur who has built a reputation as an innovator and relationship-builder.
“I am humbled and honored to join the OSC Board, whose members and efforts align with my values and allows me to continue walking my path in life,” said Corona. “My path and mission in life has been dedicated to ensuring all people have the opportunity they need to fulfill their life mission and goals.”
Konda Mason is also new to the OSC Board of Directors. She is the Co-founder and President of Jubilee Justice, Inc, a non-profit working to bring climate-resilient farming and economic equity to Black farmers in the rural South to restore and accelerate Black land ownership and stewardship and create thriving Black farming communities.
“Leveraging the incredible companies in its network, OSC is wisely guiding them to an even better version of themselves with the J.E.D.I. initiative. The work of OSC and their commitment to racial justice in the natural food sector made my joining this Board a no-brainer,” said Mason. “Plus, I get to hang out and learn from some really cool and experienced entrepreneurs.”
Membership Details
The OSC member community is comprised of leaders in the natural products industry who maintain the highest sustainability standards in business and personal lives. For more information about our Core Chapter, Rising Star Chapter, and Cannabis Chapter memberships visit, osc2.org/join-osc/. To make JEDI commitments, go to jedicollaborative.com/make-commitment/.
About José Corona, Vice President, Programs and Partnership, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation
As Vice President of Programs & Partnerships, José leads all grantmaking, partnership, and programmatic efforts for Stephen and Ayesha Curry's Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation – a new foundation the Curry’s launched in 2019 that is becoming one of the country’s most innovative and impactful philanthropic organizations through its commitment to creating equal opportunities and bright futures for every child.
In 2020, José served as the Co-chair of the City of Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council, charged to safely open businesses in Oakland during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, José is an Aspen Fellow and serves on the Boards of Northern California Grantmakers, The Unity Council, and the Oakland Museum of California.
About Konda Mason, Co-founder and President of Jubilee Justice, Inc
Konda is a social entrepreneur, financial activist, earth and social justice activist, and mindfulness teacher. She is also the Co-founder and VP of Potlikker Capital, a charitable loan fund specifically designed to deploy integrated capital to Black American farmers.
Konda is Co-Founder and founding CEO of Impact Hub Oakland (newly renamed Emerge Oakland), an award-winning co-working space that supports socially engaged entrepreneurs and changemakers. In addition, she is the Strategic Director of RUNWAY, a micro-lending fund for African American entrepreneurs, and the co-founder of the annual COCAP (Community Capital) conference in Oakland, focusing on closing the racial wealth gap restorative economics, and the next economy just transition.
Konda is on the Board of Directors of The Historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, TN, On Being with Krista Tippett, One Generation with Paul Hawken, and Lion’s Roar Magazine.
About Cynthia Billops, OSC & J.E.D.I VP Operations, Membership & Belonging
Cynthia is a business strategy and operations expert who has spent the last few decades planning, designing and launching complex IT, Web, and SaaS services. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills college – focusing on small group interactions and the importance of each individual’s contribution to optimal success.
Her unique understanding of the challenges (and opportunities) faced by developing organizations combined with her determination to ensure open doors and “on-ramps to opportunity” for persons living in and coming from systemically marginalized communities; helps collaboratively create systems and processes that lead to sustainable growth, better staff retention and higher profits due to optimization and efficiency gains.
About One Step Closer (OSC)
One Step Closer (OSC) is a non-profit community-based organization centered in the natural products industry. OSC was founded in 2012 to build regenerative businesses and tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our industry and planet. With a carefully cultivated membership of 50 mission-driven companies, OSC has three leadership chapters: Core Chapter, Rising Star Chapter, and Cannabis Chapter. In addition to regular chapter meetings, OSC hosts industry-wide programming and member-focused continued education programming through OSC University. OSC has launched three industry-wide projects with a network of partners: Compostable Packaging Collaborative, the Climate Collaborative, and J.E.D.I Collaborative. For more information, please visit osc2.org and www.J.E.D.I Collaborative.com.
# # #
Diversity, Inclusion and the Natural Products Industry
Photo: Pixabay
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s May 2021 Industry Newsletter and New Hope Network’s IdeaXchange
By Steven Hoffman
This month’s news items focus on recent efforts in the natural and specialty foods industry to advance and integrate diversity and inclusion in America’s food system. You can learn more and explore how to get involved in these efforts by visiting the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, www.jedicollaborative.com.
J.E.D.I. Collaborative Seeks to Expand Diversity in the Natural Products Industry
In a Compass Coffee Talk conversation in April, Carlotta Mast, Co-founder of the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, announced that the organization – dedicated to expanding Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the natural and organic products industry, will soon be appointing a new Executive Director. The organization recently engaged Ryan Pintado-Vertner, Founder of Smoketown, a Chicago-based agency dedicated to expanding diversity and social impact in the CPG industry, to help further J.E.D.I.’s reach, focus and influence in the natural products market. “We’re standing on the shoulders of a lot of effort and work, and with the Black Lives Matter movement, we’ve hit an inflection point. The 15% pledge is the reason companies like Target and Fresh Market have taken these initiatives,” said Pintado-Vertner, referring to an initiative launched in 2020 calling on major retailers to commit to a minimum of 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. The J.E.D.I. Collaborative was founded by One Step Closer (OSC), an industry organization dedicated to zero waste packaging, reversing climate change, conscious leadership and a just and regenerative society. Compass Coffee Talk is produced by Compass Natural Marketing and sponsored by Presence Marketing / Dynamic Presence.
How Natural Companies Can Turn Societal Upheaval Into Better Branding
In the recent issue of Nutrition Business Journal, featuring guest editor Emerald-Jane Hunter of the myWHY Agency, writer Rick Polito outlined lessons marketers and brand executives learned in the past year that they are taking into the future. One is to commit to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) (see above). “If you don’t have a diversity strategy, you don’t have a growth strategy,” one industry veteran said. For the natural products industry, that means “figuring out how to move beyond a primarily white and affluent audience, how to support Black-owned businesses and how to embrace diversity within its own corporate teams,” he wrote. According to a Natural and Organic Industry Benchmarking Survey, in the boardrooms of natural products brands, only 2% of leadership positions are occupied by Black professionals. Samantha Flynn, who works with the myWHY Agency, emphasized that authenticity means more than posting supportive messages, especially to Gen Z. “They believe in the power of their dollar and no purchase is too small for them to be examining what the company stands for,” she said.
Natural Products Industry Fund to Provide Scholarships, Networking for HBCU Students
The Organic & Natural Health Association (ONHA) recently announced a partnership with the Williams-Franklin Foundation to raise a minimum of $50,000 over the next five years to provide scholarship funds for students attending historically black colleges or universities (HBCU). The Organic & Natural Health Scholarship Fund will support students in financial need, and ONHA also committed to support networking opportunities for HBCU students, graduates and natural health executives with the purposes of creating internships and career opportunities, while helping to create a more diverse and inclusive industry. “This is an Organic & Natural Health initiative, but it’s not ours to own,” said Karen Howard, executive director of ONHA. “We want to make this an industry-wide initiative for diversity and inclusion, and we want it to be as big and as noteworthy as what Vitamin Angels has achieved for dietary supplement distribution to countries in need. Exposure to our industry is the biggest barrier to lack of diversification in our organizations. Together, as an industry, we can proactively work to change this dynamic.” The Williams-Franklin Foundation is a 501(c) 3 incorporated nonprofit that provides academic scholarships, business/career networking, and mentoring opportunities to HBCU students with extreme financial need. Led by husband and wife team, Dwight and LaShelle (Williams) Franklin, both HBCU graduates used their own seed money to launch the foundation in 2014. Leaders and companies within the natural products industry who want to donate a tax-deductible gift directly to the Williams-Franklin Foundation’s Organic & Natural Health Scholarship Fund select “Organic & Natural Health Fund” in the dropbox when donating at: https://www.wmsfranklinfoundation.org/donate/.
The Fresh Market Appoints New Head of Diversity
Specialty grocer The Fresh Market has named one of its senior leaders, Gerald Walden, to a newly created position within the retail chain as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Head of Diversity. As Head of Diversity, Walden will oversee The Fresh Market’s efforts to advance and integrate diversity, equity and inclusion values and practices across the company and with business partners and customers, the company said in a statement. Walden previously served as VP, Head of Legal for The Fresh Market, which operates 159 stores in 22 states. Walden currently serves on The Fresh Market’s Diversity Action Board and, for a decade has overseen the retailer’s legal internship program, which provides exclusive opportunities to minority law students. Walden also has an extensive background in inclusive leadership, having served as the Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Minorities in the Profession Committee, the President of the Guilford County Association of Black Lawyers, and currently Walden serves as a Board Member of the National Employment Law Council and two historically Black universities, the company said.
Dr. Bronner’s Issues Statement Against Hate Crimes Toward Asian Americans
Asian-American and Pacific Islander employees at Dr. Bronner’s, together with the company’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) taskforce, have issued a statement against hate toward Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders amid reports that anti-Asian hate crimes rose nearly 150% in America’s largest cities last year. “We have unfortunately seen this over and over again in human history: when a nation struggles with problems, its citizens look for a group to blame, a group they can scapegoat or attack—and often that group is one that is already considered to be outsiders, illegitimate, or somehow less deserving. We recognize that many in the U.S. are truly hurting—devastated by the multiple health and economic crises brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the healing of this pain will never be found in the oppression of other people. It is incumbent on all of us to speak up and intervene if we witness this kind of harassment or racism. It is also imperative that we speak up against the use of phrases like ‘China virus’ or ‘Wuhan virus’ to describe the Covid-19 pandemic, as that sort of language unfairly casts Asians as responsible for the pandemic and creates the conditions for the kind of racist abuse that has been on the rise. This kind of scapegoating of a particular racial group runs directly counter to our grandfather’s All-One vision and is against everything we practice and promote as a company. Dr. Bronner’s speaks out categorically against all harassment or victimization of members of our Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community,” the statement said. Dr. Bronner’s customers can opt in to donate 10% of sales proceeds – at no additional cost – to Asian Americans Advancing Justice through June 30.
Natural Industry Survey: Smaller Companies Are More Diverse than Larger Ones
Leadership teams and boards of directors in the natural products industry lack diversity and are predominately comprised of white men, according to a survey of 220 industry leaders conducted by the J.E.D.I. Collaborative and New Hope Network. According to the benchmark survey, Black and Latinx membership on natural products industry boards is only 2%, while Black and Latinx representation on leadership teams is 2% and 6%, respectively, according to New Hope Network. Smaller companies are more diverse than larger ones: companies with fewer than 10 employees have more women and people of color in management positions, the survey found. According to New Hope Network, today’s natural and organic consumer is primarily white (73%), yet the U.S. population is headed toward a white minority population by 2043. “The U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse and it is imperative that manufacturers and retailers serve the changing population,” the editors of New Hope said. “Becoming a more diverse community will allow us to be able to serve the people who could benefit most from health-promoting food and products and contributes to the long-term costs that all of society pays when we support an unjust food and agricultural system.” Companies can make the J.E.D.I. commitment toward inclusion and diversity here.
Target to Spend More than $2 Billion with Black-owned Businesses by 2025
Target Corporation in April announced it has committed to spending more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. In a statement, Target said it is pledging to add products across multiple categories from more than 500 Black-owned companies, and is introducing resources to help its Black-owned vendors grow and successfully scale their businesses in mass retail. Building off of the retailer’s Target Accelerators, a program that supports entrepreneurs to drive innovation, the company is introducing a new program called Forward Founders. This program will engage Black entrepreneurs earlier in their startup journey to help them navigate the critical stages of ideation, product development and scaling for mass retail, Target said. With increased access to subject matter experts and educational workshops earlier in the startup process, Forward Founders is designed to help Black-owned businesses increase their potential for long-term success in retail, said the company. For more information, visit Target’s Supplier Diversity page.
Molson Coors Invests in TRU Colors, Founded by Rival Gang Members
Molson Coors, which has been expanding its portfolio beyond beer to include hard seltzer, spirits, energy drinks and non-alcoholic functional beverages, in April announced it has made an equity investment in TRU Colors Brewery, a Wilmington, NC-based company founded by a tech entrepreneur and rival gang leaders from the Bloods, Crips and GD. TRU stands for Truth, Responsibility and Unity, according to company founders, and the brand has a mission to provide employment and to unify rival gangs, Molson Coors said in a statement. In addition to an equity investment, Molson Coors will serve as a strategic partner to assist the company with distribution strategy, brand positioning, supplier relationships, marketing and advertising consultation, and product formulation. Molson Coors said the move is not only a strategic investment, but also marks the latest in a series of actions designed to foster a more inclusive and diverse culture. The company announced a goal of increasing representation of people of color in its U.S. operations by 25% by the end of 2023 and committed to donating a cumulative $3 million to 26 local and national organizations dedicated to equality, empowerment, justice and community building from 2020-2021.
Campbell Soup Company Flipping the Script on Diversity and Inclusion
By taking a stand on social issues and social justice, companies can attract and maintain talent and investors, said Campbell Soup Company CEO Mark Clouse in a recent webinar. “Our employees want to know where we stand on these things, and it’s also great to see investors starting to ask me those questions,” Clouse said, according to Food Navigator. “The idea of inclusion coming first is really about wiring comprehensively a broad scope plan and strategy that will change culture that make it conducive to attracting and retaining diversity,” he said. According to Clouse, Campbell in October 2020 appointed Camille Pierce as Senior VP and Chief Culture Officer to help ensure its diversity and inclusion efforts become embedded in the company’s leadership and culture. Campbell has developed strategies around three pillars, said Clouse: capabilities & education, advocacy, and accountability. These pillars serve as a framework for metrics – not quotas – he said, and outcomes that “are placed on a time continuum.“ Then Campbell “measures the heck out of them. We may not get it right every time, but we try to be thoughtful” and learn from experiences to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace, he said. For more information, visit here.
Organic & Regenerative Agriculture Has Roots in Black, Native American Farming
Dr. George Washington Carver was one of the founders of the organic and regenerative agriculture movements. A researcher, inventor, scientist and professor at Tuskegee University, Carver was among the first to spread the word about caring for soil and community, inspiring a generation of organic farmers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, writes Leah Penniman in Civil Eats. Penniman is Co-director and Program Manager at Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, NY, a community organization that serves more than 10,000 people each year with food justice initiatives, farm training for BIPOC growers and more. Through “Afro-Indigenous” farming and forestry practices, Soul Fire has been regenerating 80 acres of land, while providing training, workshops and mentorship to underserved communities. “My ancestral grandmothers in West Africa braided seeds of okra, molokhia, and levant cotton into their hair before being forced to board Transatlantic slave ships. They hid sesame, black-eyed peas, rice, and melon seeds in their locks,” writes Penniman. “With the seed, our grandmothers also braided their eco-systemic and cultural knowledge. They braided the wisdom of sharing land, labor, and wealth.” However, Penniman notes, Black farmers once owned 16 million acres of land in the U.S. after emancipation, yet “almost all of that land is now gone,” she said. “In 2010, Soul Fire Farm was born with a mission to reclaim our ancestral belonging to land and to end racism and exploitation in the food system. What began as a small family farm is now a community organization committed to this systemic and ancestral change. And we pray that the words from our mouths, the meditations in our hearts, and the work of our hands are all acceptable to our grandmothers who passed us these seeds.”
USDA Secretary: Creating Equitable Opportunities for Black Farmers Lifts All Boats
Provisions of the recently enacted American Rescue Plan that seek to acknowledge and address systemic racism perpetuated against generations of Black farmers will benefit the entire agriculture sector, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told stakeholders at a House Agriculture Committee hearing held in late March. President Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan earmarked nearly $5 billion for black farmers impacted by decades of discrimination made worse by the pandemic, NBC Washington reported. “Creating more equitable opportunities for Black farmers is a rising tide that can lift all boats,” Vilsack said at the hearing, Food Navigator-USA reported. “As one study found closing racial gaps in wages, housing credit, lending opportunities, and access to higher education would amount to an additional $5 trillion in gross domestic product and six million jobs to the American economy over the next five years,” Vilsack said in defense of “socially disadvantaged farmer provisions in the American Rescue Plan,” that have come under fire by some legislators and critics of the plan. “While Black farmers receive about $60 million in annual commodity subsidies, white farmers annually receive about $10 billion in commodity subsidies,” Vilsack said. He also noted that 97% of coronavirus food assistance payments went to white farmers, Food Navigator-USA reported. “More need to be done to drive our efforts deeper,” Vilsack told the House Agriculture Committee. He emphasized the necessity to “make clear that prosperous farmers of color means a prosperous agriculture sector and a prosperous America.”
# # #