[Pollinator] Whole Foods Market produce standards press release

Fri Oct 18 09:17:31 PDT 2013

Hello everyone,

Xerces' pollinator conservation program is very excited about the upcoming
Whole Foods Market sustainability standards for fresh produce and flowers.
We worked closely with the innovators at Whole Foods to develop their
criteria for addressing pollinators in these standards, and are excited to
help them and their roughly 20,000 farmers and suppliers role this out over
the coming year. 

Specifically the new standards reward and recognize farmers who agree to
restore wildflower-rich conservation areas on their farms, use non-chemical
strategies for pest control, develop pesticide risk mitigation plans, and
regularly inspect (and treat) managed bees for parasites and diseases to
reduce pathogen spill over to wild pollinator populations. The new standards
also prohibit the use of certain insecticides entirely on all produce that
will be sold in Whole Foods Market stores. Farmers and produce suppliers are
working now to implement these standards, and beginning in late 2014 the
initial public rollout will begin with "good," "better," and "best" labeling
of all produce sold in the stores. Produce that does not meet the robust,
"good" standard will eventually be phased out of stores entirely. 

Like the well-known Whole Foods animal welfare standards developed by Temple
Grandin and others, the new produce sustainability standards are supported
by a robust verification process and farm-to-store traceability. This
framework provides an international model for incentivizing
pollinator-friendly farming in the marketplace, and we are thrilled to see
its launch in the coming year.   

Best,

Mace

News Release:

Whole Foods MarketR announces enhanced standards for fresh produce and
flowers

Ratings strengthen company's quality standards, help shoppers make conscious
choices

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 26, 2013) - In fall 2014, Whole Foods Market will
launch a comprehensive rating system for produce and flowers sold in its
stores to help shoppers make more informed purchases. The company unveiled
the rating system today to suppliers.

"We are driven by our core values and are always looking at ways to enrich
our customers' experience, improve our communities and support our supplier
partners," said Edmund LaMacchia, global vice president of perishables for
Whole Foods Market. "The new produce ratings will provide deeper
transparency to our shoppers, helping them make conscious choices while also
celebrating the great work and responsible practices of growers beyond their
organic and local efforts."

In September 2014, Whole Foods Market will present customers with a
three-tier rating system and begin displaying ratings of "good," "better"
and "best" throughout produce and floral departments.

With the help of sustainable agriculture experts and with considerable input
from suppliers, Whole Foods Market developed a science-based index to
measure performance on important sustainable farming topics, including:

.        Pest management, including prohibited and restricted pesticides

.        Farmworker welfare

.        Pollinator protection

.        Water conservation and protection

.        Soil health

.        Ecosystems

.        Biodiversity

.        Waste, recycling and packaging

.        Energy

.        Climate

The program will recognize organic growers for the investment and
achievement represented by organic certification while highlighting
additional responsible practices, including farmworker welfare and resource
conservation.  The ratings will also reward suppliers for certification by a
number of leading social and environmental standards including:  Fair Trade,
Rainforest Alliance, Protected Harvest, and Demeter Biodynamic
certification. 

"For years, we've maintained organic and Fair Trade certifications and the
new produce rating system will validate the worth of these programs. It also
rewards those growers who go beyond requirements not because they have to,
but because they want to," said John Musser, owner of Tropic Trade.

Pollinators

Whole Foods Market has worked with its supplier partners for many years to
protect and support pollinators, while also raising customer awareness on
this issue. The ratings will recognize growers who take action to protect
pollinators through specific pesticide practices, habitat restoration, and
by controlling the impact of managed hives on farms.

"The new Whole Foods Market produce rating system addresses the primary
threats facing pollinators today.  Adopting the quality standards provides
an immediate, meaningful, and long term framework for protecting both crop
yields and biodiversity," said Eric Mader, assistant pollinator program
director for The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Pesticides

With these enhanced standards, Whole Foods Market is committed to ensuring
its suppliers reduce pesticide use and its risks to consumers, farmworkers,
wildlife and the environment. The ratings provide an industry-leading
approach that eliminates or restricts the most toxic pesticides from the
nation's food supply and provide incentive for growers to measure and reduce
other pesticide use.

"I applaud Whole Foods Market for its focus on reducing the use of
pesticides that are harmful to farmworkers and consumers, especially
children. This is a game changer that I hope will have a ripple effect
throughout the grocery industry," said Dr. Chuck Benbrook, research
professor and program leader for the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at
Washington State University.

The ratings also will recognize and celebrate growers whose practices
surpass Whole Foods Market's base standards for produce and flowers, which
address GMO transparency, food safety and traceability.

_______________________________________________
Mace Vaughan

Pollinator Program Director

     The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist

     USDA-NRCS West National Technology Support Center

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

1971 - 2013: Over Forty Years of Conservation!

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