The Local and Emerging Accelerator program (LEAP) was launched in 2022 and fosters mentorship for a cohort consisting of emerging brands with Whole Foods Market experts, provides tailored educational opportunities and giving participants the potential for direct financial support. Encouraging emerging brands and giving them the necessary tools to reach success through this program creates […]
sustainable
Two Decades of Cultivating Change
Since 2005, Whole Foods Market Foundation has been at the forefront of creating lasting change in communities around the world by increasing access to healthy food, educating kids about nutrition, and building pathways to financial stability in 81 countries. For 20 years, Whole Foods Market Foundation has worked alongside partners to cultivate prosperity for our […]
Rice, Roots & Revival
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 […]
Seeding the Future: Sourced For Good Coffee
By collaborating directly with farms, suppliers, and international third-party suppliers like Fairtrade USA, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade America, Fair Food Program, Equitable Food Initiative, and Regenerative Organic Certified, we help to provide things like improved wages, health care, student scholarships, planting trees to prevent erosion and more. By working together, we can change the global food […]
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 […]