BROOMFIELD, Colo.--()--WhiteWave Foods Company (WWFC) announced today a partnership with Conservation International (CI) designed to further develop the company’s sustainable production initiatives through programs with the Silk® and Horizon Organic® businesses.
“Our brands have a long history of doing business in a way that sustains and improves our environment and the communities in which we do business. A partnership with Conservation International helps us further build upon that legacy.”
WhiteWave Foods has been working on two key sustainability initiatives with CI, a leading non-governmental organization that applies cutting-edge science to conserving and protecting the Earth’s natural assets – regions of rich plant and animal diversity – that are crucial to human well-being.
The first initiative, the Silk Soybean Sourcing and Production Program was created to reinforce Silk’s values and commitment to sourcing soybeans that are produced in a sustainable, socially responsible and ethical manner. The Program outlines goals for improving bean variety without genetic modification, and ways to work with soybean growers to uphold best practices for soil productivity and erosion management. The two organizations will work to develop a comprehensive supplier survey with the ultimate goal of using the survey information to develop new sourcing methods designed to protect biodiversity in the regions where WhiteWave sources its soybeans.
The Sourcing Program focuses on enhancing our standards by working with suppliers in the following areas:
- Environmental Responsibility: Biodiversity conservation, soil and water resource protection, waste and emissions management.
- Social Management: Community impact, farmer and labor relations.
- Continuous Improvement: Working with farmer partners to further develop this program.
The second initiative includes CI reinforcing the Horizon Organic Standards of Care, which is a comprehensive set of guidelines that govern farm practices on company-owned farms in Idaho and Maryland. CI provided input on the Standards of Care, focusing primarily on biodiversity practices. CI regards the Standards of Care as an important benchmark for conservation performance in organic dairy farming worldwide.
“These initiatives further affirm WhiteWave Foods’ leadership and commitment to responsible, sustainable business practices,” said Joseph E. Scalzo, President and CEO of WWFC. “Our brands have a long history of doing business in a way that sustains and improves our environment and the communities in which we do business. A partnership with Conservation International helps us further build upon that legacy.”
“We are delighted with WhiteWave’s continued interest in building upon their existing sustainability accomplishments by working with Conservation International to further align its business operations and supply chains with biodiversity conservation objectives,” said Glenn Prickett, Senior Vice President at Conservation International. “We further value their interest in positively influencing not only their industry, but the consumers who enjoy their products.”
For more information about the Silk Soybean Sourcing and Production Program, please visit www.silksoymilk.com. For more information about the Horizon Organic Standards of Care, please visit www.horizonorganic.com.
About WhiteWave Foods
Headquartered in Colorado, WhiteWave Foods manufactures innovative, authentic and nutritious branded food products and maintains a proud tradition of social and environmental responsibility. The company is the maker of Silk® Soymilk, the best-selling soymilk brand in the country, and Horizon Organic®, whose milk – purchased from 475 certified organic dairy farms – is produced without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones or pesticides. WhiteWave Foods also produces Rachel®’s yogurt, International Delight® coffee creamer, and LAND O LAKES® fluid and cultured dairy products. For more information, visit www.whitewavefoods.com.
About Silk
Silk Soymilk was launched in 1996 and is the best-selling soymilk brand in the country. Not only do Silk products taste delicious, a cup of Silk contains as much calcium as a cup of milk and is loaded with soy protein, which when consumed as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Silk is available in virtually all major supermarket chains and the complete product line includes a number of varieties and flavors to meet specific tastes and nutritional needs. For more information, visit www.silksoymilk.com.
About Horizon Organic
Horizon Organic®, a pioneer in organic dairy farming and the first nationally certified organic dairy brand, has been supporting healthier families and a healthier planet for nearly 20 years. Caring about kids – and the world they will grow up in – continues to guide the company’s business commitments. Horizon Organic® offers a complete and widely available line of great-tasting organic dairy products that reflect today’s earth-friendly values. Horizon Organic® milk is supplied by 475 certified organic family farmers from 22 states nationwide, and the company’s farming efforts have kept more than 17 million pounds of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer out of the environment. For more information on the growing world of organic, visit www.horizonorganic.com.
About Conservation International
Conservation International (CI) applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity in the biodiversity hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas and key marine ecosystems. With headquarters in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents. For more information about CI, visit www.conservation.org.
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