It is true that mass production, cheap food, and unconscious ingredients have taken their toll on our national health. But as organic and natural food move their way up on the American consciousness, big brands like Heinz, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Kellogg’s, and General Mills adopt natural branches to their “brand portfolios,” as Whitman mentions, to keep up with the changing mindset.
Is this right? Definitely not. To answer Whitman’s question, no factory-economy company can ethically play both sides of the fence. Though it offers more natural options to the everyday consumer, the financial support is split between the GMO-free, fresh, organic business and the globally sourced, unhealthy industries that got us into this mess in the first place.
That being said, as a small business promoting organic, local and positive food ethics, we do our best to offer the highest quality food to my customers. But if we stood by this and this alone, our store shelves would be half empty. We understand Whitman’s point in “trivializing what is a necessary evolution for the health of our population and planet,” and in an ideal world, we would be able to offer only GMO-free, organic food with local ingredients from small farms. But as a retailer, we are stuck in the middle of selling products from independent distributors and the factory-economy companies. Simply put, a business cannot afford to support only the food at the very highest rung on the food chain.
For example, when Coca-Cola bought Odwalla in 2001, we did not immediately take it off of my shelf. Though we disagree with Coca-Cola’s food practices, we could not cut them from our product base without a replacement. However, when Columbia Gorge, an organic alternative to Odwalla, was brought to our attention in 2010, we made the switch. It was a similar situation when Procter & Gamble acquired Tom’s of Maine. After dropping Tom’s, we simply replaced their products with similar one’s offered by Jason, Dr. Ken’s, Weleda, and Bioforce.
We can take action as more wholesome companies emerge from the food world, and it is easy for a manufacturer to take a one-sided stance. But retailers and small markets are an essential step in bringing the food to the everyday consumer. To get this done, we have to stand in the middle of two very different worlds.
As Ken describes, “… the natural market continues to grow and brings with it a change in values. It’s about people and quality of life. It’s about small farms, fresh produce, no GMOs or chemicals, artisanal products and giving back. It’s not all about more for less. People are willing to pay more so a farmer can make a decent living.”
We at Earthbeam are grateful to have customers who are willing to pay more to support the choices that we make as a conscious business and as conscious eaters. As this continues, we can continue to make changes that support the ethics that the business was started on: sustainability, wellness, knowledge, and organic.
Read Ken's article and respond for yourself: http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/will-big-food-work-in-the-natural-market/#.TzBQ1ByyaTw
