On a trip to Korea in 2017, Carol Pak re-discovered makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcohol made with rice. She learned that makgeolli was Korea’s oldest alcoholic beverage and that there were hundreds of different makgeolli breweries. With just three ingredients, she was fascinated that makgeolli could taste so delicious and diverse, and she was disappointed by […]
You & Me
Stefanie Garcia Turner has worked in the natural products industry for years. She has seen and helped hundreds of brands grow, but as she walked through her local tienda one day, a realization occurred to her. The same brands she saw as a kid were still there, but there were hardly any new products to […]
Pathways to Prosperity
Whole Planet, a pillar of Whole Foods Market Foundation, is committed to alleviating global poverty. The mission? Help microentrepreneurs and smallholder farmers grow their incomes and savings to build long-term financial resilience. Over the past 20 years, Whole Planet’s funding process has evolved to meet the needs of organizations providing vital resources to help people break […]
Into The Wild – Wild Orchard Tea
Every sip of Wild Orchard tea reveals the deep flavor of a single-variety tea plant, Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which is grown on a truly unique farm. Located on the volcanic island of Jeju, South Korea, the farm is lush with tea trees thriving amidst the native wildlife. The tea trees are watered purely by […]
A Love Letter to Ruby Jean
Ruby Jean is the late grandmother of Chris Goode, founder and CEO of Ruby Jean’s Juicery. Ruby Jean was raised on a soul food diet and lived on very meager means, never in her life learning how to drive a car. She eventually moved to Kansas City, Mo.,in the late 1950s with several other family […]
Fueling Small-Scale Beekeeper Incomes
As an extension of Whole Foods Market’s commitment to nourishing people and the planet, Whole Foods Market Foundation provides funding to innovative collaborators who are transforming lives across the globe. One tangible way the Foundation accomplishes this mission is through the work of Whole Planet, a pillar dedicated to helping micro-entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers living […]