Progressive Grocer's Impact Awards Honorees Go Above and Beyond ESG Initiatives

Community Service/Local Impact 

Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc.

Each year, AWG Cares, the employee charitable foundation for Associated Wholesale Grocers, sponsors an Annual Day of Service dedicated to providing voluntary service in each of its communities. Volunteers from each location in AWG’s footprint participate in various local community service projects, including community beautification, packing boxes for local food banks or shelters, and volunteering at local charity events. Throughout the year, AWG employees at all divisions also regularly participate in various clothing and/or canned food drives.

Community Service/Local Impact 

Brattleboro Food Co-op

A 2023 bylaw change meant that shareholders of this Vermont food cooperative could now receive a “working shareholder” discount by engaging with one of its Commitment to Community (C2C) partners. Shareholders volunteering at least two hours per month with a C2C nonprofit earn a 5% discount. Additionally, shareholders can donate their hours to those unable to volunteer, thus further expanding access to the co-op. Last year, participants in the co-op’s Food for All program who also volunteered with a C2C partner earned a 15% discount. The result? A 55% increase in the number of hours that shareholders volunteered.
 

Community Service/Local Impact 

Giant Food

The Giant Gives Grant allows the Ahold Delhaize USA brand’s associates to make a meaningful difference by donating $300 for an individual volunteer grant or $500 for a group volunteer grant in their name(s) to a nonprofit with which they have volunteered 10 hours individually or 20 hours as a group. By facilitating these grants, the chain not only encourages associates to volunteer, but also gives them the means to support the causes they care about. In 2023 alone, its associates collectively dedicated 1,800-plus community service hours.

Community Service/Local Impact 

Heritage Grocers Group LLC

Heritage Grocers Group’s commitment to community service and corporate giving is shown by the philanthropic efforts of the Cardenas Markets Foundation, Tony’s Charitable Foundation, and Manos y Corazones Unidos, the recently established philanthropic arm of El Rancho Supermercado. Each strives to help those in the wide-ranging and diverse areas in which Heritage operates. They are deeply rooted in their local communities and are always searching for opportunities to give back to organizations committed to disaster relief efforts, advancing health and well-being initiatives, children’s well-being, hunger relief, and education.

Community Service/Local Impact 

J&C Tropicals

This year, J&C developed a new partnership with Caring for Miami, which gets basic critical resources to underserved families. J&C provided a monetary donation, along with employee volunteers who packed 500 bags as weekend meals for children on meal plans at school. In addition to partnerships focusing on food security and nutrition, the company partners with Operation Christmas Child during the holiday season. As J&C grows nationally, it will continue to expand its relationships with South Florida-based organizations.
 

Community Service/Local Impact 

Luker Chocolate

Luker’s Chocolate Dream program aims to address challenges faced by cocoa-producing regions in Colombia, including the high rate of migration of youth to urban areas due to violence and economic issues, and the deterioration of ecosystems. The company collaborates with diverse stakeholders to establish long-term relationships centered on chocolate, crafting brighter futures tailored to each region’s needs. Luker also works closely with the farmers and local community, as well as offering its clients, which include chocolate brands and food companies worldwide, the opportunity to invest directly in these initiatives.

Community Service/Local Impact 

Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop launched the Turkey Express program to tackle the issue of food insecurity during the holidays. By distributing Thanksgiving turkeys to hunger relief organizations across the Ahold Delhaize USA brand’s market area, the initiative aimed to help needy families. Stop & Shop actively engaged both associates and shoppers in the program: Associates participated in the planning and execution phases, while shoppers could contribute through in-store promotions and awareness campaigns. The retailer aims to integrate more community events to further raise awareness and foster a culture of collective action against food insecurity.
 

Community Service/Local Impact 

Tops Markets

Understanding that schools are integral parts of communities, Tops Markets encourages shoppers to participate in its Tops in Education program by selecting their K-12 school of choice and purchasing Tops branded products. The company then contributes 5% of those sales to the designated school. To date, Tops has donated more than $1.7 million through the program. The grocer also supports education by providing scholarship opportunities to its associates and their dependents. So far, Tops has awarded 26,700-plus scholarships totaling more than $25,000,000. 

Community Service/Local Impact 

Village Super Markets

In 2023, Village Super Markets, which operates ShopRite, Fairway and Gourmet Garage stores, launched its first annual Pennies for Produce campaign with America’s Grow-a-Row, a nonprofit that supplies the retailer’s trade areas with produce. Not only was this a front of store campaign, but Village also did volunteer farm days with its associates, planting and helping harvest the produce to be sent to its store’s communities. With shoppers invited to join as well, the effort raised more than $67,000 in its first year, equating to about 335,000 servings of produce.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Circana

Circana established the volunteer, employee-led Diversity Advantage Program (DAP) in 2021 to help level the playing field for minority- and women-owned small CPG businesses to grow. DAP provides valuable consumer data, coaching and consultancy services, guiding participants toward business growth and success. Now in its third year, DAP has grown to 58 participants and gained the support of 250-plus U.S. and U.K. Circana employees, who contribute more than 15,000 volunteer hours annually in support. The program is strengthened by collaboration with such retailer partners as Amazon, Kroger, Target and Walmart.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Dollar General

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is woven into the fabric of Dollar General’s (DG) 20,000-plus stores, 32 distribution centers, fleet teams and corporate office, as well as the communities it serves, through such initiatives as My Difference Makes a Difference, which enables employees to share their stories of uniqueness and diversity, and how showing up as their authentic selves has helped unlock their potential at work. Further, in the past two years, DG has seen a 250% increase in employees joining employee resource groups organized around chosen commonalities.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

BriarPatch Food Co-op

Under the Apples for Gardens program, BriarPatch Food Co-op each month donates 10 cents per pound of apples sold to a selected school or nonprofit-run community garden. The money raised goes directly toward garden educators, plants or infrastructure. As extracurricular educational opportunities like school gardens are frequently the first to face budget cuts, BriarPatch’s program helps ensure continued support for these valuable learning tools. Donations to gardens have totaled more than $50,000 since the program’s inception and continue to edge upward as community awareness spreads.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Lunds & Byerlys

As traditional meat-cutting trade programs became obsolete and many grocers shifted to pre-packaged meat, the necessary industry skills evolved. In response, Lunds & Byerlys developed a seven-month training program encompassing classroom learning, hands-on experiences and field visits. So far, the program has sponsored 16 culinary professionals, achieved 95% retention of trainees and facilitated expected career advancements. Customer satisfaction and demo sales in the meat and seafood department have risen as well. Following the program’s success, the retailer has launched a deli and foodservice culinary professional program, with more such programs in the works.
 

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

MilkPEP

In April 2024, The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) launched “Dairy Diaries,” a fish-out-of-water journey into the world of dairy farming, which premiered on streaming service Roku. In the humorous five-part series, sketch comedian and actress Vanessa Bayer took viewers behind the scenes at Beck Farms, a fourth-generation dairy farm in upstate New York. Halfway through its third week on Roku, “Dairy Diaries” had already reached 86% of its target impressions. The campaign received more than 124,000 digital impressions, 224 million-plus earned-media impressions, 509 earned-media placements and 96.6% positive sentiment.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

The Giant Co.

In celebration of its partnerships with local agricultural producers, on National Farmer’s Day (Oct. 12) in 2023, The Giant Co. revealed a $20,000 donation to support education programs for future food and agriculture leaders. In partnership with Future Farmers of America (FFA), the grocer is supporting more than 5,000 high school students through leadership conferences and programming. FFA is a youth organization that prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through school-based agricultural education. More than 500 FFA chapters comprising 36,000 students span The Giant Co.’s four-state footprint.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Western Michigan University

With a 100% job placement rate and multiple alumni in senior leadership roles throughout the industry, the Western Michigan University (WMU) Food Marketing program focuses on teaching the fundamentals in category management, professional selling, supply chain management and retail merchandising, while heavily applying these concepts through industry-leading engagement with top retailers, CPGs and agencies. WMU offers the only university-based certification for category management in the country. What’s more, the program’s participants are 70% female, which is contributing to increased diversity in leadership roles in the food industry. 

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Albertsons Cos.

Through Albertsons Cos.’ Responsible Seafood Program, the retailer is working to improve transparency within the seafood supply chain. This not only helps Albertsons’ customers feel confident in the source of its products, but also supports the protection of ocean resources and the fair treatment of those working in the fishing industry. Additionally, all seafood products sold under the grocer’s Waterfront Bistro and Open Nature brands display the Responsible Choice logo, indicating which products meet Albertsons’ Responsible Seafood Policy and Commitment and making it easier for shoppers to identify such products.
 

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Big Tree Farms

Ethical sourcing is at the core of Big Tree Farms, a producer of coconut sugar and coconut aminos. The company’s vertically integrated supply chain is both Fair for Life and USDA Organic certified, ensuring that it meets rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards. This ethical foundation supports farmers and fosters long-term, positive impacts on their communities. Further, transparency is a cornerstone of Big Tree Farms’ supply chain: It uses Koltiva software to maintain real-time communication with farmer partners and ensure visibility in quality, pricing and sustainability. 

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Equifruit

Long-term contracts and Fairtrade International audits ensure that Equifruit pays its grower partners a non-negotiable minimum price reflecting sustainable production costs. The company’s 100% Fairtrade certification provides transparency, showing the origins of its bananas, the farmers who picked them and when. Additionally, Fairtrade certification requires farms to meet such rigorous standards as safe working conditions, no forced child labor, decent wages and promoting gender equity. Equifruit also pays a Fairtrade social premium of $1 per 40-pound case, used for projects chosen by farmers and workers to benefit their communities.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Fairtrade America

Fairtrade’s West Africa Cocoa Program (WACP) is an example of the impact of reinvesting in farming communities. WACP aims to build the professionalism of Fairtrade certified smallholder cocoa-farming cooperatives in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, the origin countries for 60% of the world’s cocoa. Since 2016, it has focused on strengthening Fairtrade-certified farming organizations in delivering quality service to their members and becoming proactive business entities to their commercial partners. In that time, there has been significant growth in training across both countries as well as Sierra Leone, a promising new player in the world’s cocoa production.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Hannaford Supermarkets

In 2023, Ahold Delhaize USA brand Hannaford Supermarkets continued the implementation of the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) assessment tool across its dairy supply chain in collaboration with its private label milk supplier. The FARM assessment tool, which supports farmers in building excellent and safe work environments, is currently being used by more than 3,000 farms across the country. So far, Hannaford’s private label milk suppliers have completed FARM Workforce Development assessments on more than 220 farms across Hannaford’s entire geography, up from 70 by the end of 2022.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Sarilla

Sparkling beverage brand Sarilla exclusively uses organic and fair-trade tea leaves and botanicals, ensuring sustainable sourcing and fair compensation for farmers. Its partnerships with Rwandan farmers have resulted in significant economic benefits: By providing fair wages and investing in local infrastructure, Sarilla has improved living standards and created a sustainable economic model. The company also supports genocide survivors in Rwanda through an annual crop-to-cup trip, which offers guests the opportunity to witness its impact firsthand. This initiative empowers these communities, providing sustainable livelihoods and honoring their resilience. 

Educational Support/Learning Advancement

Stemilt Growers

Stemilt first partnered with CIERTO, an organization with a mission of actively developing and sustaining a professional agricultural workforce that’s committed to returning to farms year after year, in 2018 to support 300 of its farmworkers. CIERTO streamlines the complex H2A visa recruiting and petition process so that growers can focus on running their farms profitably and efficiently, and workers can focus on their jobs, feeling comfortable and prepared. Today, 100% of Stemilt’s 1,616 H2A farmworkers come through the CIERTO program, and the company has a 95% return rate.

Educational Support/Learning Advancement 

Wiliot

Earlier this year, Wiliot introduced its new Ambient Food Safety initiative designed to create completely transparent and traceable food supply chains – soon to be required for FSMA 204 compliance – through the adoption of battery-free, wireless ambient IoT technology. The initiative unites technology companies, standards organizations and food brands through the shared vision that ambient IoT is the most effective, scalable and low-labor approach to achieving safer, more sustainable and completely transparent food supply chains. Ambient IoT allows food products to be connected to the internet and AI at a fraction of the cost of legacy technologies.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

Flashfood

The majority of food sold on Flashfood, a marketplace that reduces retail food waste by connecting consumers with deep discounts on products nearing their best-by dates, is fresh – 70% – meaning that it helps people save money on nutritious food. Flashfood has also expanded the availability of SNAP EBT as a payment method, enabling shoppers to stretch their dollars further. In April 2024, the company reached the milestone of 100 million pounds of food waste diverted from landfills, equal to 83 million meals and more than $250 million dollars saved.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

Giant Eagle

The Giant Eagle Mobile Market was developed and brought to life as a response to food access challenges in the grocer’s communities. Operating in Pittsburgh-area food deserts, the “grocery store on wheels” brings fresh, nutritious food to residents of 10 neighborhoods, visiting each stop once a week to ensure consistent access to products. The Mobile Market offers items across categories, including produce, dairy and meat, along with infant formula and senior nutritional supplements. It accepts SNAP and was the first market of its kind in Pennsylvania to accept WIC. 

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

Hy-Vee Inc.

As inflation increased and federal SNAP benefits came to an end in 2023, food banks across the nation saw increased demand. Observing this need within its own communities, Hy-Vee decided to provide 100 million meals for people in need. To maximize the dollars generated, the grocer developed a partnership with Feeding America. Every $1 donated helps to secure and distribute at least 10 meals through Feeding America’s network of partner food banks. Fighting hunger has been a focus for Hy-Vee since it was founded more than 90 years ago.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

The Kroger Co.

Kroger Health uses its Food as Medicine Initiative – a dedicated, educated and personalized approach to eating and enjoying fresh food – to prevent illness before it begins. With this strategy, the grocer collaborates with industry experts to address how they all can make impactful changes in communities. Building on the momentum of the White House’s Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in 2022, Kroger hosted its first-ever Nourishing Change Summit in 2023 and expanded the conference this year to solve the nation’s largest health needs and create viable solutions to fuel thriving communities.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

New Seasons Market

Many of New Seasons’ efforts are rooted in addressing food insecurity and mitigating its underlying causes, which led the retailer to invest $473,000 in nonprofits dedicated to these missions. Its commitment to these organizations isn’t just financial, however: Through the Lend A Hand program, staffers contributed 849 hours to community service, strengthening the company’s civic engagement and fostering a culture of generosity. Other programs, including Donate Dinner and Community Hunger Relief, mobilize community members to become active participants in the fight against hunger, especially during the holidays.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

Oasis Fresh Market

Oasis Fresh Market operates programs designed to meet immediate crisis needs and create long-term transformations to break the cycle of generational poverty in North Tulsa, Okla. One of the independent grocer’s most impactful initiatives is the Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) Program, which provides participants with up to an extra $20 per day for fresh fruits and vegetables, addressing diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity. In 2023, 6,674 participants, including 2,282 new enrollees, earned $297,000-plus and redeemed $202,332 through 17,165 transactions, enhancing their health, economic stability and housing security.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership 

Sifter Solutions Inc.

Sifter’s platform is used by many businesses and organizations to build Food as Medicine solutions. Retailers turn to Sifter to personalize e-commerce and loyalty applications by matching grocery promotions and products to a customer’s specific health needs. Integration of Sifter’s barcode-scanning technology allows in-store shoppers to scan store products for a custom diet fit and health incentives. Meanwhile, dietitians can use the technology to create food scripts and medically tailored grocery lists, and Sifter also fuels produce prescription programs, supplemental food benefit cards and digital health apps.

Food Security/Nutritional Leadership

Superior Foods International

Superior’s volunteers deliver weekly groceries to families with children battling cancer, ensuring that vulnerable community members receive consistent access to nutritious food, and the company partners with a local organization to sponsor events and regularly help serve hot food at a daily free lunch program, among other food security endeavors. Additionally, Superior supports nutrition education through a culinary garden and teaching kitchen project at an elementary school and sponsors a cooking class for teens and a community garden enabling low-income residents to grow their own food.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

Acme Smoked Fish Corp.

Since 2021, Acme has been working to reshape the discourse within the seafood industry by bringing the climate change and greater representation of diverse leadership to the conversation. This effort has been primarily carried out through the company’s commitment to donate 1% of proceeds from the sale of Acme brand cold-smoked salmon retail products to fund the Seafood Industry Climate Awards (SICA), a program run by the Acme Smoked Fish Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the corporation. The signature awards program just celebrated its second year.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

Albertsons Cos.

In July 2023, Albertsons launched the O Organics Fight Hunger, Serve Hope initiative to combat hunger during the summer, when households with school-age children face higher rates of food insecurity. During July, the private label brand donated one meal for every O Organics product purchased, resulting in the donation of $7 million, the equivalent of enabling 28 million meals. Donations were made to Nourishing Neighbors, the signature cause platform of Albertsons Cos. Foundation, to fund grants dedicated to providing healthy meals for at-risk youth throughout the summer.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

Brookshire Grocery Co.

Examples of Brookshire Grocery Co.’s (BGC) many philanthropic efforts include the 34th annual BGC Charity Golf Tournament, which raised nearly $1 million dollars for charities, bringing the total funds raised more than $9.5 million since the tournament’s inception in 1988; the FRESH 15 race, which raised $180,500 this year for nonprofits in east Texas; and the Giving Back program, which has donated more than $785,000 to nonprofits that support education, hunger relief, military, first responders, health and wellness, and child and family well-being.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

CLEAN Cause

CLEAN Cause Inc. is a mission-first venture in which 50% net profits – or 5% net revenues, whichever is greater – go to support individuals pursuing recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions. It does that by offering a better-for-you ready-to-drink yerba mate tea and through a giveback program that to date has donated $3.1 million-plus to the CLEAN Cause Foundation to grant recovery housing scholarships to more than 5,000 individuals. The company is also proud to hire a large number of individuals in recovery for its team.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

Continental Fresh

By funding water projects, fresh fruit and vegetable grower, shipper and importer  Continental Fresh is helping to break the cycle of poverty and illness, fostering empowerment and opportunity in underserved Latin American communities. Its Water For All branded produce program donates a percentage of proceeds to BLUE Missions, facilitating the funding of clean water and sanitation projects that have provided access to clean water for more than 33,000 individuals so far. Through marketing initiatives and collaboration with supply chain partners, the program has garnered $150,000-plus in three years.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

SpartanNash

Food solutions company SpartanNash dedicated its annual Helping Hands Day volunteer event in June 2024 to providing disaster-stricken families with meals and personal hygiene products. The company rented out DeVos Place, in Grand Rapids, Mich., for the event, during which SpartanNash associates, supplier partners and volunteers of nonprofit partner Convoy of Hope packed nearly 15,000 meal boxes and 5,000 toiletry kits to help address immediate needs following disasters. Product donations exceeded $1 million, and SpartanNash also presented Convoy of Hope with a $100,000 check.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

Tipsy Spritzers

Tipsy Spritzers believes in leveraging its success to make a meaningful impact in the world, which is why the beverage company has committed to donating 1% of its profits to support organizations fighting human trafficking. This decision wasn’t just about giving back – it was a strategic initiative born from Tipsy Spritzers founder Katie Shields’ core values and a desire to create positive change in the communities it serves. Human trafficking is a pervasive and devastating crime that affects millions of people worldwide.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

Traditional Medicinals

Each year, Traditional Medicinals prioritizes investment in source communities, partnering with farmers, wild collectors and local organizations. Just a few of its projects this year ensured that 4,000 people in Zimbabwe gained access to safe drinking water, 510 farmers in Madagascar were trained in good agricultural practices, and 2,300 women in Egypt enrolled in maternal and child health education and economic empowerment sessions. The company also explored the feasibility of bringing mobile health care to remote sourcing communities, including a remote island in the Philippines.

Philanthropic Innovation/Corporate Giving

UNFI

Through the UNFI Foundation and a new corporate giving strategy, the distributor has undertaken initiatives that address the food system’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. For example, by both accelerating and specifically directing the foundation’s impact investment portfolio into the regenerative-agriculture sector, UNFI is helping make capital more affordable for farmers producing food in this way. In 2023, the UNFI Foundation made its first impact investment of $100,000 into MadCapital’s regenerative-agriculture fund, which seeks to transition 25,000-plus acres of farmland to regenerative or organic practice.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG)

Among its various sustainability initiatives, AWG in 2023 diverted 32,430,794 pounds of food from landfills into such environmentally friendly options as recycling, reuse, energy, composting and land application. From January 2020 to December 2023, the company had diverted more than 122,316,012 pounds from landfills. Also during 2023, AWG recycled 2,309,000-plus pounds of polyethylene plastic film through Trex, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance wood-alternative decking and railing. Since that program began in 2009, AWG has recycled more than 28,880,000 pounds of polyethylene plastic film through Trex.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Bay Cities

Bay Cities, a designer and manufacturer of packaging and displays, has implemented two major sustainability initiatives: a collaboration between New Indy and Encorr, and the Bay Cities Green Program. New Indy generates steam that powers Bay Cities’ 100% efficient, zero-waste corrugator, Encorr. These facilities eliminate transportation costs through a bridge that directly delivers sheet rolls from New Indy to Encorr, reducing carbon emissions. The other program targets savings in energy, chemicals, fuel, and materials using at least 60% recycled content to lower operating costs and foster employee eco-consciousness.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Denali

In 2024, Denali, one of the largest recyclers of grocery food waste, expanded its offerings by rolling out depackaging services across the United States to serve multiple retailers with a technology-driven process that increases food waste diversion from landfills by 60% and decreases compacter usage by 12% per store. This year, Denali expects to recycle 500 million-plus pounds of grocery food waste with this process and, across all of its services, to recycle more than 1 billion pounds of food waste, in partnership with about 10,000 grocery stores.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Divert

Divert’s commitment to preventing food waste and food insecurity is shown by its food recovery program with Giant Food, for which Divert recycles food that can’t be repurposed or donated into renewable energy. In the first year alone, the program processed nearly 31 million pounds of surplus food, mitigating nearly 1,400 metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions. Additionally, by leveraging Divert’s proprietary data and waste reduction strategies, Safeway increased food donations by 20% within three months, reducing edible food waste by an average of 1,252 pounds per store per month. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

The Giant Co.

Building on previous efforts, in July 2023, The Giant Co. unveiled a $200,000 commitment to grow food system resiliency through the PA Farm Bill Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program. The Ahold Delhaize USA brand revealed the additional funding at the sixth annual PA Urban Ag Week tour at York Fresh Food Farm, in York, Pa. The partnership boosted total funding to $736,145 for state program aimed at increasing fresh food access in urban food deserts, addressing historical inequities and fueling community opportunities to thrive together.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Good Culture

Good Culture, a clean-label brand offering cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese, demonstrates its commitment to sustainability through partnerships with organizations like 1% for the Planet, Dairy Farmers of America for the Path to Pasture program, and the company’s B-Corp Certification showcasing higher standards for its workers, communities and the environment. The brand prioritizes the well-being of cows and the environment by sourcing milk from farmers who practice humane and sustainable farming. This approach benefits animal welfare and also improves the quality of dairy products. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

GoodSAM

Known for its dried fruit chips, nuts, chocolate products and other items, GoodSAM has   created positive, impactful change globally despite economic challenges and such major issues as inflation. The company also created a direct trade model that pays regenerative agriculture-focused farmers directly, thereby cutting out the middleman, helping to ensure a fair price, and allowing consumers greater access to high-quality organic and regenerative products. GoodSAM works on a developmental impact framework with each farming community to ensure economic stability first through its purchases.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Inline Plastics

By integrating 10% post-consumer content throughout its PET portfolio and continuously striving to increase this percentage, Inline Plastics sets a high standard for environmental responsibility. Despite high demand for post-consumer materials and a global recycling rate of only 9%, the company maintains its quest to enhance sustainability practices. Further, its adoption of rDPETTM material not only incorporates post-consumer content, but also achieves a reduction of more than 50% in energy consumption during production of the sheet, leading to significantly lower carbon emissions than those of traditional sheet extrusion methods.

Sustainability/

Resource Conservation

Milo’s Tea Co.

Milo’s Tea Co.’s approach to protecting the planet is simple: water stewardship, carbon reductions in manufacturing, and recycling and reuse of manufacturing waste. Since 2019, Milo’s has recycled and diverted 148,427 tons of waste, almost 300 million pounds, or the weight of more than 145,000 cars. During the same period, the company conserved almost 37 million gallons of water, as much as a 10-acre lake. Additionally, investing in renewable energy at its Bessemer, Ala., and Tulsa, Okla., facilities is a key part of Milo’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Mowi USA

Seafood provider Mowi’s focus on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, preventing deforestation and enhancing food safety demonstrates a comprehensive approach to sustainability. Its investment in post-smolt production is a strategic move that not only improves fish welfare, but also aligns with the company’s broader sustainability goals. By addressing such challenges as disease management and environmental degradation, Mowi is positioning itself as a leader in sustainable seafood production. Further, packaging innovations, such as an enhanced skin pack incorporating recycled plastic, show the company’s commitment to reducing waste and promoting circular economy principles. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

New Barn Organics

Since 2015, New Barn Organics has been a pioneer, introducing the first Regenerative Organic Certified almond milk and nationally distributing Regenerative Organic Certified pasture-raised eggs. The brand has focused on several key initiatives to promote sustainability and resource conservation, primarily through regenerative organic farming practices. These initiatives include prioritizing Regenerative Organic Certified products, enhancing soil health through regenerative practices and ensuring high standards of animal welfare. These initiatives aim to address environmental issues, improve soil fertility and respond to consumer demand for sustainably produced food.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

PCC Community Markets

In 2023, PCC adopted innovative approaches to offsetting and reducing scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions, while scope 3 efforts were a new initiative focusing on a small group of PCC branded product partners as a pilot program. The retailer co-op tracks scope 1 emissions from fleet fuel, natural gas (usage in stores), and refrigerant and HVAC leaks and refills. Overall, store natural gas usage decreased 5% from 2022. For 2023, PCC purchased carbon credits supporting an improved cook stove program in Bangladesh to offset 100% of its scope 1 emissions. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Phononic 

Phononic stands out for driving cooling innovation while prioritizing environmental stewardship. Its solid-state cooling solutions are setting a new standard for energy use and sustainability. Phononic’s ACSTM Refrigerator and Freezer totes leverage solid-state technology, eliminating the need for harmful refrigerants and resulting in a global-warming potential impact of <1. By using thermoelectric cooling to transfer heat, the company’s cleaner cooling alternative reduces environmental impact while maintaining cold-chain compliance. Operating quietly and without mechanical complexity, the totes feature a modular design that unlocks demand-based cooling for grocers.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Pompeian Inc.

In 2023, Pompeian became the first olive oil brand in North America — and currently the only one in the world — to achieve Sustainably Grown Certification from SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party sustainability and food safety certification, on its olive farms and olive oil, with its Sunrise Olive Ranch in California earning the first distinction. Until now, no olive oil brand in North America had received this third-party certification to ensure that its olive trees or fruit were planted, grown or harvested in a sustainable manner. The company has also adopted two trash interceptors, known as Mr. Trash Wheel and Professor Trash Wheel, that have removed 693 tons of litter and debris from Baltimore Harbor since the partnership began in 2021.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Relocalize

Relocalize envisions a “truck-free future for food,” a concept that extends beyond transitioning major food supply chains to electric vehicles. Its autonomous micro-factories produce fresher, greener and more affordable packaged foods and beverages by co-locating food production, packaging and distribution near distribution centers. The company initiated a pilot project with its first customer, Southeastern Grocers, to operate the world’s first autonomous micro-factory for food manufacturing, supplying hyperlocal products to local Winn-Dixie stores. Relocalize has plans to launch two additional systems, collaborating with a total of three launch partners.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

River Market Community Co-op

In an effort to expand its responsible business practices, River Market started the Growers, Grazers, Makers and Bakers Producer Grant Program in 2023. The initiative assists with capital projects to enable producers to scale up their operations. In 2023, $7,000 grants went to three local farms whose projects promoted soil health, improved product quality, and increased efficiency in production and maintenance of fields, while 2024 grant recipients received nearly $8,000 in funding, with a focus on efficient human scale production, soil health and solar refrigeration projects.

Sustainability/

Resource Conservation

RJW Logistics Group

With an asset-based model, a centralized inventory strategy and a full-scale retail logistics program, RJW cultivates business practices that yield long-term sustainability benefits for CPG customers, stakeholders, retailers and the entire industry. RJW’s aerodynamic trailers and idle reduction technologies are boosting fuel efficiency, allowing longer distances to be covered on a single tank of fuel. Further, the company practices proactive maintenance to minimize environmental impact while maximizing efficiency on the road, and its national tire program ensures extended tire life, reducing demand for new tires and conserving valuable resources. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

SpartanNash

SpartanNash’s commitment to sustainability was epitomized by its Earth Day 2024 Planet vs. Plastics initiative. Central to this effort was its plastic bag recycling program to turn shopping bags into composite decking boards, reducing environmental impact and, when made into accessibility ramps, contributing to the welfare of local veterans. A partnership with composite-decking leader Trex led to a process ensuring that plastic bags collected at SpartanNash stores were recycled as durable decking boards, from which the company and Home Repair Services built ramps for veterans’ homes.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

SunOpta

Sustainability is at the forefront of SunOpta’s mission and operations. In 2023, the food manufacturer built on its legacy to shape the food and beverages that people consume, the way these products are made, and the communities where the company and its partners live and work. Key achievements included installing solar panels to reduce carbon dioxide, maximizing its warehouse network to reduce carbon dioxide emissions annually and saving water through plant-based production. Additionally, SunOpta made significant progress toward its zero waste-to-landfill goal. 

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak has introduced responsibly sourced renewable polymers made from sugarcane, which can be used instead of fossil-fuel based materials for cartons’ plastic caps and coatings. In 2021, the company expanded production of shelf-stable cartons made with sugarcane-based polyethylene, which offers the same recyclability, functionality and food protection as traditional polymers, but it’s made from renewable materials with a lower climate impact. Seventy-seven million of these plant-based carton packages were sold in the United States and Canada that year; in 2023, the number increased to 1.4 billion.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

Verde Farms

The biggest and most recent initiative from Verde Farms, the leading brand of organic, verified regenerative, 100% grass-fed and 100% pasture-raised beef in the United States, is earning its regenerative verification through Land to Market, the gold standard of regenerative agriculture. In spring 2023, Verde became one of the first companies to meet this rigorous standard, and the only organic beef company to do so. The company believes that its commitment is a cue to other top meat companies that livestock can be part of the climate solution.

Sustainability/
Resource Conservation

World Centric

World Centric, a provider of plant-based, compostable packaging solutions for the foodservice industry, was founded in 2004 as a nonprofit organization to elevate awareness of global sustainability issues. As a Certified B Corporation since 2010 and a California Benefit Corporation since 2013, the company upholds rigorous standards of social and environmental responsibility. It donates at least 25% of net profits each year to organizations addressing social and environmental issues, with more than $17 million allocated to hundreds of nonprofit projects to date.

Workforce Development/
Employee Support

Southeastern Grocers (SEG)

In 2023, SEG established a five-year Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity strategy with such initiatives as enhancing its diverse interview panels and candidate pools, pay and promotion analysis, supplier program accessibility, and more. To help associates further advocate for themselves, the company offers various associate resource groups, including the Women’s Development Network, Emerging Leaders, SEG Pride, Pa’lante, African Americans FOCUS (Fostering Organizational Culture to Unite SEG), ASPIRE (Asians & Pacific Islanders for Resource and Education), Military Families, Working Parents Network, and MOSAIC (Mobility, Support, Accessibility and Inclusion in the Community).

Workforce Development/
Employee Support

Upshop

Food retailers are investing in their team environment and associate experience more than ever before. Upshop’s total store operations app simplifies, enhances and interconnects the associate experience across the store. It effectively obviates the need for extensive institutional knowledge by systematically directing the appropriate tasks to the right associates at the right time. By synchronizing tasks across all departments, managers and corporate teams can achieve unprecedented visibility into store operations. The app also facilitates two-way communication between stores and headquarters for feedback, comments and corrective action.