1% Fund
When we started our company back in 1989, our first priority was making organically grown seeds available to farmers and gardeners while preserving heirloom varieties against the "advances" of modern industrial agriculture. As we were busy saving seeds, we saw the opportunity to grow and cultivate recipes and flavors from around the world. And so Seeds of Change Organic Foods was born. Recognizing the common link between both seed and food, we realized that the soil itself, from which all things grow, was in danger. And so we dug into our own pockets to do something about it.
As a result, Seeds of Change now donates 1% of our net sales to advance the cause of sustainable organic agriculture worldwide. It's our way of setting an example for giving back, which is part of our original mission. We've always believed in going the extra mile, right from the beginning. As a result, our fund now contributes to a number of initiatives, which currently include:
Conservation International: A Brazilian partnership which protects and strengthens the role of traditional cabruca cacao production systems.
In partnership with Conservation International, Seeds of Change strives to protect and strengthen the traditional cabruca cacao cultivation and harvest. We want to utilize Brazil's legally reserved farmland, along with areas of permanent preservation, as tools to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. To this end, we are focusing on areas of key importance in the Biodiversity corridors.
Organic Farm and Research Foundation: An organization established to provide ongoing mentorship programs for organic farmers.
By supporting the Organic Farming Research Foundation, our aim is to foster wider adoption and improvement of the organic farming practices. The Organic Farm and Research Foundation currently circulates their newsletter to 10,000 certified organic growers and handlers, 2,000 non-certified and/or non-organic producers, 8,000 researchers, as well as influential agency staff, policymakers, advocates and consumers.
Organic Center: A research group that fosters various studies into the benefits of organic foods.
Our fund also helps the Organic Center continue its mission to generate credible, peer-reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organically grown products to the general public. This agenda includes 1.) Promoting a greater understanding of the "healthy" advantages that the "organic difference" can make. 2.) Communicating these benefits to today's consumers and legislative policy makers, and spreading the word via mainstream media outlets and 3.) Leveraging these organic benefit messages to stimulate a significant increase in organic production.
Environmental Working Group:
The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. The EWG is a non-profit organization which supports and protects organic agriculture. Our support with the EWG is to help replace Federal policies, including government subsidies that damage the environment and natural resources, with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development.
Organic Trade Association:
Finally, our financial assistance helps the Organic Trade Association continue its important work among today's policy makers in Washington and elsewhere. In conjunction with the Organic Trade Association, we support two main platforms: the Farm Bill Committee and the NOP Legislation Task Force.