Champions of Organic: Seeds of Change
As part of our recognition of Organic Harvest Month, KIWI is celebrating pioneers of the organic movement by sharing their inspiring stories, plus their thoughts on healthy, sustainable food.
Seeds of Change
If you’ve ever bitten into a perfectly ripe, heirloom tomato that was so delicious you wondered who to thank for it, here’s your answer: Seeds of Change. Since its inception in 1989, the company has been driven by a singular mission: To promote biodiversity and sustainable, organic agriculture.
While organic options may have already existed for farmers at the time, Seeds of Change brought this kind of gardening to everyone else. “We started as a company that sold organic seeds to people that wanted to grow things in their backyards,” explains the company’s U.S. Food Director, Bob Allison. The result? For the first time, at-home gardeners had access to about 100 varieties of sustainably-produced seeds, allowing them to grow fruits and vegetables that were healthy for their families and for the planet.
Though already thriving as a seed company with a loyal fan base, Seeds of Change expanded to create a line of organic food products in 1997, with offerings including salad dressing, frozen entrees, and rice. “That’s when we started to go more mainstream, and get distribution into supermarkets like Whole Foods,” explains Allison. Thanks also to their sustainable business initiatives, Seeds of Change has led the way in America’s real food revolution. The company’s 1% fund donates 1% of net sales to sustainable organic farming initiatives worldwide, while a research farm works to expand genetic diversity and experiment with new organic farming methods. Allison (albeit, modestly) agrees: “I would like to think we definitely helped to raise the awareness of organics, health, and environmental impact.”
“Organics is no longer a niche business—it’s going in the mainstream,” acknowledges Allison. Literally growing organics from the ground up, we have Seeds of Change to thank for that.
-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer
Tags: organic, organic harvet month, seeds of change
