Please tell Whole Foods to save local jobs, support local farmers and producers, and shrink its carbon footprint in the Puget Sound area! United Natural Foods Inc., one of Whole Foods’ largest suppliers in our state, is trying to undermine local farmers and producers and destroy local jobs. This attacks the driving principles of the organic movement. For example:

1)    After four decades of hard work and fighting corporate food giants, the organic community has built up a $25 billion “certified organic” food and farming sector and an amazing network of independent markets and local co-ops to serve a nation starving for healthy food. Despite the massive popularity and demand for certified organic products, wholesalers like United Natural Foods Inc. are threatening to undermine the organic movement by greenwashing the marketplace and flooding it with conventional products that contain a meaningless “natural” label.

2)    In the Puget Sound, UNFI is actively increasing its carbon footprint by servicing local Whole Foods markets out of a facility more than 160 miles away rather than using its own nearby distribution center.  This is threatening the jobs of over 100 workers committed to an economy that can sustain local organic farms and decent jobs.

3)    California-based UNFI is the nation’s largest distributor of organic and natural food and bodycare products. Their partnership with Whole Foods sets the prices  and standards for organic products in America. Although UNFI's third-quarter earnings skyrocketed 29%, topping Wall Street’s expectations, the company still pays its local employees as much as 26% below other area distribution workers at comparable companies.  In fact, UNFI has hired a high-priced attorney to make sure its workers continue to receive substandard wages and benefits in spite of posting record profits.

Tell Whole Foods and UNFI to keep it local. The time for action is now.