Whole Foods Market releases latest impact report

Whole Foods Market released its second annual Impact Report, which provides an in-depth look at the company’s investments sustainability.

In the report, the company highlights its efforts to reduce waste, promote climate-smart agriculture and strengthen the communities in which it operates in and more.

“Agriculture sits squarely at the intersection of people and the environment, and the past year has only reinforced my fervent belief that it can be a positive force for good,” said Caitlin Leibert, vice president of sustainability at Whole Foods Market. “Every day I see and appreciate the effort of all Whole Foods Market stakeholders, from our team members to suppliers, to keep moving the needle forward and pushing the industry toward a more sustainable future. I look forward to continuing to find innovative ways to collectively change for the better in 2024.”

Whole Foods said highlights from its impact report include:

• Keeping 70% of all store and operational waste out of landfills and maintaining recycling programs at 99% of stores and nearly 85% of stores use organic diversion programs, such as composting.
• Offering more than 41,000 organic products and 154 certified regenerative products across its stores.  
• Donating more than 28 million meals — totaling nearly 34 million pounds of food — to nearly 1,000 unique food rescue and distribution programs.
• Nearly 1,800 team members graduated from career development programs and promoting more than 8,700 team members in 2023.
• Awarding more than $1 million to local suppliers in 2023 through the Local Producer Loan Program and inducting 10 participants into its Local and Emerging Accelerator Program Early Growth cohort.
• Paying more than $9 million in premium funds to Sourced for Good suppliers, supporting a range of projects that benefit workers and their communities.
• Funding more than 26,600 microloans across 37 countries through the Whole Planet Foundation; awarding 64 Community First grants to community-led organizations through the Whole Cities Foundation and donating 509 educational gardens, 43 salad bars and 108 beehives to schools through the Whole Kids Foundation.

“With our purpose to nourish people and the planet as our North Star, we continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards in the industry when it comes to the quality of our products, reducing our environmental impact, supporting our communities and investing in our team members,” said Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel. “I’m proud of the big wins, growth and positive impact we achieved in 2023, all built on decades of effort and investment, and I’m excited to build on that legacy as we continue to drive lasting and positive change across the grocery industry.”

To learn more about Whole Foods Market’s impact report, visit wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-in-action.