Orlando, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2023) – Jason Buechel, Whole Foods Market CEO, recently participated as a keynote speaker at Progressive Grocer’s inaugural conference, Grocery Impact, an event where grocery leaders meet to exchange ideas, celebrate success and build relationships. In his speech, Buechel discussed the collective role grocers play in our global food system and the company’s belief that food can and should be a force for good.
Buechel urged industry leaders to consider responsible sourcing and climate-smart practices, including regenerative agriculture as solutions to repair the gaps in our food system.
“Climate smart agriculture has the capacity to reverse and heal our environment and our soil,” he said. “To tackle this challenge, Whole Foods Market is working with suppliers, scientists, experts, and other committed organizations to learn how we can utilize organic and regenerative agriculture to evolve the growing, harvesting, and producing of crops for food and other products.”
As leaders in the natural and organic food industry, Whole Foods Market has continually raised standards across the grocery and retail industry in how we think about quality food and products.
“Reflecting on our past success with the organic movement, we’re now on a mission to drive climate smart practices and education with our stakeholders,” he continued. “Our goal is to create and sustain the demand for responsibly sourced products that take our climate into account.
Buechel also challenged grocery leaders in the room to join Whole Foods Market to collectively take action to address climate change:
“We know that change isn’t easy, but by initiating change, which often begins with a small group, we know we can start a ripple effect and create larger impact. In supporting and uplifting our suppliers that prioritize climate-smart agriculture and encouraging others to join suit, we can revolutionize our food system for the better and, ultimately, help protect it for future generations.”
This year, Buechel unveiled Growing with Purpose, Whole Foods Market’s 10-year vision to lead the company into the future, focused on enhancing the store experience, investing in Team Member growth, and expanding the company’s reach to serve customers in new ways.
About Whole Foods Market
For more than 40 years, Whole Foods Market has been the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer. As the first certified organic national grocer, Whole Foods Market has more than 525 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/.
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