Whole Foods Market Releases 2023 Impact Report Highlighting Agriculture as a Force for Good
July 23 2024 - 1:00PM
Business Wire
Responsible Sourcing, Sustainable Practices,
High Quality Standards, Team Member Empowerment are Key Focuses
Whole Foods Market today released its second annual Impact
Report – available here – which provides an in-depth look at
the company’s investments in reducing waste, championing climate
smart agriculture, empowering its Team Members, thoughtfully
sourcing its products, and strengthening the communities in which
it operates.
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Whole Foods Market today released its
2023 Impact Report. (Graphic: Business Wire)
“With our purpose to nourish people and the planet as our North
Star, we continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards in the
industry when it comes to the quality of our products, reducing our
environmental impact, supporting our communities and investing in
our Team Members,” said Jason Buechel, chief executive officer at
Whole Foods Market. “I’m proud of the big wins, growth, and
positive impact we achieved in 2023, all built on decades of effort
and investment, and I’m excited to build on that legacy as we
continue to drive lasting and positive change across the grocery
industry.”
Highlights from the 2023 Impact Report include:
- Kept nearly 70% of all store and operational waste out of
landfill and maintained recycling programs at 99% of our stores and
organic diversion programs, such as composting, at nearly 85% of
our stores.
- Reached over 41,000 organic products and 154 certified
regenerative products across our stores.
- Maintained more than 550 banned ingredients across our
standards for food, beverages, supplements, body care, and
household cleaning products.
- Donated more than 28 million meals – totaling nearly 34 million
pounds of food – to nearly 1,000 unique food rescue and
distribution programs.
- Graduated nearly 1,800 Team Members from career development
programs, in addition to promoting more than 8,700 Team Members in
2023.
- Awarded more than $1 million to local suppliers in 2023 through
the Local Producer Loan Program and inducted 10 participants into
its Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP) Early Growth
cohort.
- Paid more than $9 million in premium funds to Sourced for Good
suppliers, supporting a range of projects that benefit workers and
their communities.
- Funded more than 26,600 microloans across 37 countries through
the Whole Planet Foundation; awarded 64 Community First grants to
community-led organizations through the Whole Cities Foundation;
and donated 509 educational gardens, 43 salad bars, and 108
beehives to schools through the Whole Kids Foundation.
- Offered more than 2,600 affordably priced and thoughtfully
sourced products under our 365 by Whole Foods Market brand. Nearly
1,000 of those products were organic as of the end of 2023.
“Agriculture sits squarely at the intersection of people and the
environment, and the past year has only reinforced my fervent
belief that it can be a positive force for good,” said Caitlin
Leibert, vice president of Sustainability at Whole Foods Market.
“Every day I see and appreciate the effort of all Whole Foods
Market stakeholders, from our Team Members to suppliers, to keep
moving the needle forward and pushing the industry toward a more
sustainable future. I look forward to continuing to find innovative
ways to collectively change for the better in 2024.”
Whole Foods Market continues to invest in new initiatives that
positively impact its stores, supply chain, and its people as part
of Growing with Purpose – our 10-year vision that will guide Whole
Foods Market into the future as we fulfill our higher purpose to
nourish people and the planet. The company has nearly 100,000 Team
Members in 536 stores across the United States, United Kingdom, and
Canada after adding eight new stores in 2023.
To learn more about Whole Foods Market’s impact, check out its
latest Impact Report or visit its website at
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-in-action.
About Whole Foods Market
For more than 40 years, Whole Foods Market has been the world’s
leading natural and organic foods retailer. As the first certified
organic national grocer, Whole Foods Market has more than 500
stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. To
learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit
https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/.
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