PCC Community Markets launched the PCC Inclusive Trade Program on Thursday. It is a new product standard designed to increase awareness of and support for businesses owned by individuals who identify as members of historically and currently excluded communities.
PCC’s Inclusive Trade Program recognizes suppliers who self-identify as belonging to one or more of the standard’s categories, including women-owned, BIPOC or POC-owned, LGBTQIA+-owned; veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned, or persons with disabilities-owned. There is also an option for suppliers who meet the category requirements to opt into the program without specifying a category.
“The co-op’s mission is to ensure that good food nourishes the communities we serve while cultivating vibrant local, organic food systems. As PCC enters its 70th year, we acknowledge our role in systemic and historical exclusion of people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others as we begin to help break down those barriers,” said PCC senior director of merchandising Justine Johnson in a statement. “The launch of Inclusive Trade is one step. We have a long journey ahead to create lasting change, and PCC looks forward to continuing to learn from our suppliers, members, and broader community on how to improve and evolve our program.”
Participating vendors and suppliers are identified and celebrated through PCC’s in-store and online shopping experiences so consumers can select businesses and products from communities they wish to support or see themselves represented in.
“It is truly an honor to participate in PCC’s Inclusive Trade Program,” said winemaker XOBC Cellars' founding partner Jeri Andrews, in a statement, “The reason Brandi and Catherine Carlile, my wife, Amy, and our winemaking partner Sean Boyd chose to showcase the fact that our winery is women and LGBTQ owned is because we believe representation matters. In an industry where less than six percent of wineries identify as women-owned, and less than two percent identify as LGBTQ+ owned, we believe XOBC provides an opportunity for consumers to truly shop their values. The ethos of this program matches ours in that we are striving to make advances in true diversification and representation.”
The adoption of Inclusive Trade advances PCC’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, also known as J.E.D.I, according to the company.
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