Guest blogger Paul Young is an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving at the 永利app新版本官网地址 on Food Security and other Basic Needs initiatives. Paul has a passion for food systems and how they interact with climate change, 健康, 机会等等. 在UNH工作的时候, in addition to working with the 可持续发展研究所 on the 21 Day Challenge, he has helped launch a food repurposing kitchen and the 猫的橱柜 (联合国儿童基金会食品储藏室).
照片由格兰迪有机物提供
在这一期的UNH公平饮食, we are looking at a fascinating company that puts their money where their mouth is. Grandy有机物, rebranded from GrandyOats in February is a 40 year old company that was initially founded by some hiking friends “who cared deeply about the earth and believed in making a positive impact on people and the planet.” I had the pleasure of talking to Evan Connolly, the Marketing Manager for Grandy有机物.
In the early 2000’s the company changed hands and the new owners wanted the whole product line to be 100% organic. This took a few years but in 2003 they were fully organic, and all of their products are still USDA Organic certified today. Organic farming has been shown to improve soil and plant 健康, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity. The land used to cultivate the ingredients made for Grandy有机物’ products has no chemical fertilizers, 农药, 或者转基因种子.
When asked about the core value of Grandy有机物, Evan said that “everything done [at Grandy有机物] is done with an eye on 可持续性. By focusing on what is good for the planet and in a business sense, 我们可以继续产生积极的影响.”
自成立以来, Grandy有机物 has viewed their business as a way to create positive change in their community as well as the wider world. Their view of doing what is right for our environment does not end with sustainable farming and clean air. Caring about the environmental 可持续性 of their company also means the environment people live in. Racial and social justice is part of Grandy有机物’ views of 可持续性. Roughly six times a year, Grandy有机物 partners with non-profit organizations as part of their 捐赠活动. Each Grandy Giving partnership lasts for a month and a portion of their website sales goes to that organization. Some of their past partnerships include non-profits like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 平等缅因州, Full Plates Full Potential and Black Lives Matter. A lot of their ingredients are sourced from inside of North America to ensure proper organic and fair trade standards. They have also expanded their fair trade certified suppliers to ensure the farms and workers are paid and treated fairly.
类似的, to their donations to help social justice issues, Grandy有机物 thinks the best way to improve access to organic food is with their checkbook. 的事情, like 太阳能电池板 and plant based meat alternatives, that are environmentally friendly often start off by being prohibitively expensive to the average person or company. The price for these interventions comes down as more people and companies buy them. 这表明它们有市场, and, 随着兴趣的增加, more research is done on how to improve them. 例如, when Grandy有机物 first began using compostable packaging it was extremely expensive because not many people were using it and the business, they were buying them from did not want to hold a lot of them in inventory. Once Grandy有机物 and other locations began buying more compostable packaging, 价格降下来了.
有机运动也是如此:
“Organic farming is more expensive due to the additional work necessary, and the lower supply compared to conventional farming. If we can [use our money] to help expand the organic movement, that will bring down prices for everyone and make organic food more accessible to everyone.”,
Another way Grandy有机物 shows their commitment to 可持续性 and best practices is with their newest facility. In 2015, Grandy有机物, 而不是建造新的设施, purchased an unoccupied elementary school in Hiram, 并重新装修以满足他们的需求. They installed 288 太阳能电池板 in a nearby field and that array can generate up to 95,000千瓦时的清洁, 每年可再生能源. 这足够抵消145的能量,1000磅的温室气体排放, the equivalent of driving round trip from Hiram, 从缅因州到旧金山25次. All of their products are made in this facility.
通过他们的行动, Grandy有机物 shows their commitment to environmental and social 可持续性 and justice in everything they do. Whether that is donating to important causes, 实施昂贵的最佳实践, 或者扩大他们对有机食品的承诺, Grandy有机物 is proof that a company can be successful and still make a huge, 对世界的积极影响.
Grandy Organic’s granola was featured in the UNH Holloway Commons on April 9, 2022 during the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge.
