Seeds of Change
Seeds of Change is an organic seed and food company owned by Mars, Inc.[1] Until summer 2010, the company was based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and produces of a line of processed organic foods including pasta sauces and salad dressings. Seeds of Change was founded in 1989 as a seed company specializing in organics by Gabriel S.M. Howearth. The company devotes 1% of its net sales toward sustainable organic farming initiatives. Its products do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and are not irradiated.[2]
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Research farm [edit]
The Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens were founded in 1989 in Gila, New Mexico.[3] In 1996 the Research Farm moved north to a site closer to the company's Santa Fe offices. The farm includes over a thousand varieties of plants on six acres of land originally cultivated by the Tewa people on a flood plain along the Rio Grande in El Guique, New Mexico. The farm is certified organic by Oregon Tilth.
In August 2010, Mars announced that it would close the El Guique farm and move some management to Los Angeles. A final tour of the farm was provided on Saturday, August 14. A spokesperson for Mars indicated the closure was due to a "strategic shift" and that not all the employees would retain their jobs.[4] One farm employee was left as of August 14, 2010. Others were relieved of their jobs without prior notice about August 1, 2010.[5] Employee Liz Clayton-Jones, Mars UK stated in an interview "One of the principles [of the Mars company] is "Freedom", which is embodied by the fact that we're a family-owned, private business with the freedom to innovate, invest and define success by our own high standards. In addition, our "Associate Concept" is fundamental to the way all our employees are treated and respected: we believe our employees are our most valuable assets. Common to this is our egalitarian culture of equality and accessibility, which stems from the Quaker roots of the Mars family."
The property is being sold without consideration for the value of the accumulated knowledge that was on store at the site.
1% Fund [edit]
In a partnership with Conservation International, Seeds of Change seeks to strengthen and protect traditional shade cropping cabruca cacao cultivation in Brazil.[6] The 1% Fund also supports the Environmental Working Group, the Organic Trade Association, the Organic Center, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation.
References [edit]
- ^ Glover, Paul. What We Need to Know About the Corporate Takeover of the "Organic" Food Market. Organic Consumers Association. June 2003.
- ^ Frequently Asked Questions. Seeds of Change official website.
- ^ Faith in a seed. The Albuquerque Tribune. 12 October 2001.
- ^ Dyer, Jessica (August 14, 2010). "Organic Seed Firm To Relocate". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
- ^ http://internalcommshub.com/open/professional/casestudies/claytonjones.shtml
- ^ Conservation Groups Join Forces To Promote Environmentally Sustainable Cacao Industry. Science Daily. 20 March 2007.
External links [edit]
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