Whole Foods Market Prioritizes Pollinator Health With New Policy

Initiative will affect the grocer’s fresh produce and floral purchasing

12/18/2023

Whole Foods is now encouraging all of its fresh produce and floral suppliers to phase out the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids.

Whole Foods Market has introduced a new policy aimed at supporting pollinators and the important role they play in our food system. Changes will be made to Whole Foods’ fresh produce and floral purchasing, and the company plans to have several initiatives in place by 2025, including:

Requiring all fresh produce and floral growers to implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system, which prioritizes preventative and biological pest control measures and reduces the need for chemical pesticides.
Prohibiting the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids (clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) in all potted plants it sells.
Encouraging all fresh produce and floral suppliers to phase out the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids.

As pollinators are concerned, Whole Foods recognizes honeybees, bumble bees, wasps, butterflies and other native pollinators as an important indicator of biodiversity. According to the company, it has long championed the health of these pollinators through its commitment to organic agriculture, which prohibits toxic persistent pesticides.

“We understand the important role pollinators play in our food system and, through this policy, will build on our long legacy of supporting biodiversity and pollinator health,” said Karen Christensen, SVP, perishables and quality standards at Whole Foods. “This is another critical step forward in our journey of climate-smart agriculture as part of our purpose to nourish people and the planet.”

In addition to the new policy, the company creates campaigns to raise awareness of pollinators and their impact through its foundations and internationally recognized third parties. Its Whole Kids Bee Grant Program also helps schools and non-profit organizations receive support for educational beehives and bee programming. Since 2014, that grant program has awarded more than 850 educational beehives to schools and nonprofits with support from The Bee Cause Project.

Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle-based Amazon, which is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. Both Whole Foods and Amazon were named among PG’s Retailers of the Century.