Whole Foods' New Label Helps You Buy Sustainable Products

How does a fruit salad with organic mangoes, grapes, pineapple, pears, and bananas sound? How about sautéed organic eggplants, zucchini, and yellow squash? An organic tomato salad with both grape tomatoes and tomatoes on the vine?

All of this sounds even better when you know that making such delicious, fresh fare with ingredients that help support workers, communities, and the planet — and Whole Foods Market just took a giant step to ensure just that with their Sourced for Good seal, an exclusive third-party-certification program. The new initiative gives the stamp of approval for foods that improve farmworkers' lives such as through education programs, health care, and more, as well as enhancing worker communities where products are sourced, and promoting environmental stewardship where crops are grown.

“At Whole Foods Market, our Sourced for Good products not only are good, they do good,” said Karen Christensen, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for Perishables, in a company press release. “Our commitment to equitable trade has funded numerous community projects—from dental clinics to housing facilities to student scholarships to bird sanctuaries. By purchasing select products, customers help us in our goal to make a difference, and now with Sourced for Good, we’re offering shoppers an easier way to find these special products in our stores.”

So far, there are over 100 products in the program ranging from asparagus and bell peppers to cucumbers and carrots. Even flowers are included such as tulips from Bloomia in Virginia and Sun Valley Floral Farms in California. (It’s worth noting that items that aren’t plant-based are also on the Sourced for Good Roster, such as wild-caught shrimp from Mexico). Considering Whole Foods’ CEO John Mackey has been plant-based since 2003, we hope to see many more delicious plant-based eats get this seal as the portfolio of items in Sourced for Good grows.

Watch the video overview of the program below.

This is definitely a label we’ll be on the lookout for on our next Whole Foods run. Perhaps while we listen to our guided “joyful shopping” Headspace x Whole Foods meditation track while we hit the aisles.

Grab your reusable shopping bags — sautéed eggplants and zucchini with a miso glaze and cucumber salad on deck for dinner, friends.