Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Whole Foods Market's chief marketing and communications officer, discussed the grocer's view of regenerative agriculture and outlined its focus on caring for communities and the environment during a discussion with Erin Hiatt, vice president of corporate social responsibility for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, during Shoptalk 2022, held this week in Las Vegas.
“We're really excited about what's to come with regenerative agriculture. Our first step on this journey was to have the Quality Standards team establish a definition, which we consider holistic farming and grazing management practices, that improve soil health, that enhance biodiversity, and the increased carbon capture,” said Gafsi Oblisk. “It's really the next big thing for us, as a way for us to do better in the world.”
Gafsi Oblisk also discussed Whole Foods' 2021 Social Impact Report, which outlines the company's commitment to caring for team members, reducing the company's environmental footprint, thoughtfully sourcing products, and strengthening communities.
“For the past four decades, we've been pioneering food standards. Whether it's been, our work on animal welfare and helping establish the global animal partnership, or our work on ingredient standards and banning hundreds of ingredients from any products in our store, or our work in social responsibility and our Source for Good program which is really about serving workers, communities, and the environments with the social premium,” she said.
Related: New Hot Dog Sourced From Beef Raised on Regenerative Grasslands; Farmer Direct Organic Leading Supplier of Regenerative Organic Certified Grains.