Whole Foods has launched Sourced for Good, a third-party certification program to support responsible sourcing by providing tangible improvements in farmworkers’ lives, strengthening worker communities where products are sourced, and promoting environmental stewardship where crops are grown.
This seal is designed to help shoppers easily identify products that meet the high sourcing standards required by the program. A recent study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Whole Foods Market found that 75 percent of Americans say that responsibly sourced products are important to them, but 65 percent are confused about how to determine whether a product is responsibly sourced.
At launch, the Sourced for Good seal can be found on more than 100 products around Whole Foods Market stores, including produce items from asparagus to zucchini, seafood like Del Pacifico wild-caught shrimp from Mexico, and domestically sourced items, like tulips from Bloomia in Virginia and Sun Valley Floral Farms in California.
“At Whole Foods Market, our Sourced for Good products not only are good, they do good,” said Karen Christensen, senior vice president of merchandising for perishables, in a statement. “Our commitment to equitable trade has funded numerous community projects—from dental clinics to housing facilities to student scholarships to bird sanctuaries. By purchasing select products, customers help us in our goal to make a difference, and now with Sourced for Good, we’re offering shoppers an easier way to find these products in our stores.”
The expanded Sourced for Good program will replace Whole Trade Guarantee program, which was launched in 2007.
Related: Whole Foods, Headspace Partner to Boost Well-Being; UNFI Extends Whole Foods Distribution Agreement.
Image: Whole Foods Market