Sustainable Food Pioneers

14-12-2010 | From organic coffee and fruit juice to teething biscuits and burritos, Triodos Sustainability Research has discovered a number of smaller, specialised sustainability leaders in the food and restaurant industry. Food is part of our daily life and crucial to our health. However, the last century has seen a number of controversial developments in the food industry, such as genetic engineering, poor animal welfare standards and the extensive use of antibiotics. We are very pleased to find food companies that take a different route and share Triodos Bank’s values regarding food and agriculture, such as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Hain Celestial and Wessanen.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is a US company that stands out because it has a clear focus on the social and environmental issues around its coffee production. Almost half of its coffee is organic, fair trade and/or farm identified and this proportion is growing year on year. Green Mountain builds long term relationships with small farmers and cooperatives and helps producers to shift to organic coffee production, thereby improving the quality of their coffee beans, their income, the quality of their soil and their working conditions. With its focus on sustainability and its commitment to continuously increasing its share of organic and fair trade products, Green Mountain is certainly an industry leader.

Another pioneer is Chipotle Mexican Grill , a US fast food company with the motto food with integrity. It uses a variety of organic and natural products and actively informs customers on the origins of all the food products used. The company has clear animal welfare standards and uses meat from non-factory farmed, naturally raised animals in nearly all of its beef, pork and chicken.  It is increasing its use of locally produced ingredients and encouraging suppliers to raise the wages of agricultural (usually migrant) workers in order to improve their livelihoods. The company also sponsored the production of a movie to inform consumers of unsustainable practices in the food industry. Chipotle is a small beacon of light among the fast food giants.

Hain Celestial is a US organic food producer and distributor. The company offers a wide range of organic, natural, kosher and gluten free products. Organic brands include Arrowhead Mills grains and baking products, Earth’s Best baby and children’s food, Walnut Acres fruit products, Little Bear snacks and Hain Celestial teas. Hain also produces organic beauty and personal care products under the brands Avalon Organics and Orjene Organics. With its organic focus, Hain Celestial contributes to protecting biodiversity and reducing its impact on deforestation. Moreover, Hain Celestial does not test its products on animals, has animal welfare standards for its meat and poultry products and has a strong policy against the use of genetically modified ingredients.   

Finally, closer to home, there is Wessanen . This Dutch food company recently changed its strategy and now aims to be a key player in  the European organic food market. The company is in the process of divesting non-organic subsidiaries, such as The American Beverages Company and Panos, and acquiring new organic ones, like the organic fresh foods company Kroon. Wessanen is extending its organic product range, complementing its Natudis products and providing the European market with more healthy and environmentally friendly food.

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Note: The issues explored in this article are specifically relevant for sustainable investments on the stock market. Triodos Bank believes that our socially responsible investments are a powerful means of promoting our values and working for greater sustainability, while enabling us to offer a complete range of attractive investment options to customers who choose to invest on the stock market.