I'm currently reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. It's a very facinating book, one that was recommended to me by Peterme and I heartly recommend to everyone else. While the book isn't pro-vegetarian, there are parts of it that strengthen my resolve in being vegetarian. Pollan looks at four different food chains — industrial, big organic, local/sustainable, and hunter-gatherer— and the impact they have on the world.
A lot of the Big Organic section talks about Whole Foods, or "Whole Paycheck" as some are wont to call them. When I lived in Ann Arbor and Argus went on the rocks, I worked for awhile for the Merchant of Vino, a small local store that Whole Foods had recently acquired (this was back in 2001). I was very impressed with how they treated the staff, the perks and benefits, etc. My best friend Bekah works for Whole Foods in Ft. Collins and she loves it — both the company and the folks she works with. I've always liked Whole Foods and often wished that I could justify shopping there more often.
Reading Pollan's book has made me realize that I happily swollowed WF's marketing hook, line, and sinker. He talks a lot about the origins of the organic food movement, and how it looks and acts a lot more like traditional, industrial farming these days than the ideals the movement started out with. Since WF is the biggest success in bringing organic to the masses, they get a lot of hits.
I just found an article from last week's San Francisco Chronicle that talks about changes Whole Foods is now making, in part because of the flack they've received from Pollan. According to the article,
In addition to buying more from smaller growers, Whole Foods plans to:-- Give $10 million a year in low-interest loans to help small, local farmers and producers of grass-fed and humanely raised meat, poultry and dairy animals.
-- Raise its standards of humane care for the animals who supply meat, eggs and dairy to the stores. Whole Foods has hired an "animal compassionate field buyer" to work with producers to ensure that they meet the standards.
-- Set up Sunday farmers' markets in the parking lots of some Whole Foods stores, including about 10 in Northern California.
This makes me happy. It's nice to see a company take a proactive approach and respond to changes in the marketplace in a positive way. Sure, they are doing it so they can keep their image and still make money. But, from my dealings with them, and from what I hear from friends who still work there, they also mean it. They want to make the world a better place. The world has become so dark and depressing lately, I find it uplifting to know that someone is still trying to do the right thing, as often as they can.
