AUSTIN, Texas (April 17, 2013) — To celebrate Earth Month, Whole Foods Market is giving away two trips for two to the vibrant, tropical campus of EARTH University, a nonprofit university in Costa Rica that also grows bananas for Whole Foods Market.
Today through April 30, shoppers can visit wholefoodsmarket.com/triptoearth to enter for a chance to win an eight-day Costa Rican adventure through and around its lush rainforests and majestic Arenal volcano. Winners and their guests will also explore the university’s on-campus banana fields, meet students who are studying to become agricultural leaders and see, first-hand, how EARTH University bananas are making a real difference for students, growers and the environment.
“Every time shoppers choose to buy EARTH University bananas at Whole Foods Market, they’re helping to fund student scholarships and support research in organic and sustainable agriculture,” said John Walker, global produce coordinator for Whole Foods Market. “We’re excited to give our shoppers an opportunity to see how their purchasing choices can make such a profound difference for our partners around the world.”
EARTH University recruits students from low-income, rural areas in more than 30 countries around the world, seeking out individuals who are committed to returning to and improving their home communities after graduation. Thanks to the generosity of its donors and other income generators like sales of EARTH bananas, the university provides full scholarships to approximately 60 percent of its students, with the remaining receiving significant financial aid and /or educational subsidy.
“At EARTH we are empowering highly-promising young leaders from economically underprivileged communities,” said Dr. Jose Zaglul, president of EARTH University. “These students will become ethical leaders of change who will create opportunities and promote prosperity and sustainable food production in their home communities.”
EARTH bananas are also backed by Whole Foods Market’s Whole Trade program, which means that the product ensures fair prices to producers, better wages and working conditions for farm workers, environmentally-friendly growing practices, and a donation to the Whole Planet Foundation to fund poverty relief.
For entry details and additional information about Whole Foods Market’s partnership with EARTH University, visit: wholefoodsmarket.com/triptoearth.
