by Micky Ellenbecker, Purchasing Assistant
Climate change has been a concern for decades, but it only seems to be gaining serious traction in recent months, with focused momentum behind renewable energy and decarbonizing the grid. Fossil fuels account for about 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, and many natural and organic food brands are stepping up to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and are taking action against climate change. The industry is becoming more and more aware of how climate change is impacting their ability to get the raw materials they need in order to produce their products. And while many of the brands I’ll mention have intricate layers of sustainability woven into their design, I’ll focus on their efforts to go renewable.
Organic Valley
When talking about renewables in the natural foods industry, it’s a must to acknowledge Organic Valley’s accomplishments. In 2017, they set the lofty goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy in two years, and by August 2019 they had achieved it. They did so by entering into a unique partnership that not only brought renewable energy to their headquarters, processing and distribution centers, but to 23,000 households in rural Midwest communities. The partnership shakes out as such: BluEarth Renewables built 10 solar fields that they now own and operate (aptly named the Butter Solar Project), Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG) buys the solar power that’s generated, and Organic Valley then buys Renewable Energy Credits from UMMEG, which they have made a commitment to do for the next 25 years (as have the city of Madison, Dr. Bronner’s and Clif Bar). While this was certainly a complex undertaking, Organic Valley is hopeful their hard work and achievement can serve as a template for others to follow in their footsteps.
Wonderstate Coffee
Located in the driftless region in Viroqua, WI, Wonderstate Coffee has been a strong player in the local, fair trade, organic coffee market since 2005. With a strong commitment to sustainability, they invested in a solar panel set up at their roastary in 2015. Their roasters and winter heating are still gas-powered, but all their electricity is 100% solar and generated from their 96 panels. In addition, to mitigate fossil fuel use, they buy carbon offsets to cover all of their wholesale coffee shipments and use biodegradable packaging.
GoMacro
Another gem of the driftless region, GoMacro is a certified organic energy bar company based in Viola, WI. In 2017, their ongoing success allowed them to invest in a new facility, and it was a priority to incorporate renewable energy into the design. Their rooftop is now home to 844 solar panels and provides nearly all of the energy to operate their facility. By day they sell back excess solar power to the local grid and by night they operate on purchased wind power, which has allowed them achieve their goal of 100% renewable energy.
Central Waters Brewing Co.
Wisconsin breweries are turning to solar to reduce their energy costs and consumption. Central Waters Brewing Co, located in Amherst, WI, acknowledges that beer making can be energy intensive and has taken many strides to mitigate their footprint and be a model for environmental stewardship. In 2009, they installed a 1,000 sq ft solar thermal array to heat water both for brewing and to heat their 12,500 sq ft facility with radiant floor heating. They also installed solar for their electricity needs, which produced about 65% of their annual usage.
Roth Cheese
Originally a Swiss company that expanded into the US, Roth Cheese opened its first stateside specialty cheese creamery in Monroe, WI in 1991. It opened a second creamery in 2015 in Platteville, WI, where part of their sustainability plan has been to invest in renewables. In 2018 they installed 1,600 solar panels which account for 15% of the plant's annual electricity needs. In addition, they installed an anaerobic digester to manage waste byproducts from the cheese-making process that they plan to use as a biogas source in the future.
Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s production facility in Vista, CA is powered with 100% renewables, 40% from the solar panels in their solar carports and the remainder purchased through a program called EcoChoice, 100% verified renewable power from the grid.
Clif Bar
An energy bar company committed to sustainability, Clif Bar might have some of the most impressive stats. All Clif Bar-owned and -operated facilities use 100% renewable electricity, some produced onsite and some purchased through the grid. In 2010, they installed rooftop solar at the headquarters in CA which produces 80% of their annual electricity needs. In 2019, they completed a 5-acre solar field and solar carports at their 300,000 sq ft bakery in Twin Falls, ID, which will supply 30% of their annual electricity. In addition, they have extended their green energy commitment beyond their own walls and encouraged their supply chain to get on board. The program is called 50/50 by 2020, where they encouraged 50 partners from their supply chain to be operating at 50% or more green energy by 2020, and they have indeed achieved this goal. They also offer a $6500 incentive to employees to buy an all-electric or fuel-efficient hybrid car, which is part of their Cool Climate initiative.
And Many More
It’s hard to give them all the justice they deserve, but here are even more brands committed to renewables for you to explore: Ale Asylum, Alvarado Bakery, Traditional Medicinals, HimalaSalt, Grandy Oats, Bleu Mont Dairy, Crave Brothers Farm, Milwaukee Brewing Company, General Mills, Kettle Brand Potato Chips, Nature’s Path, Lakefront Brewing, Capital Brewery, Sunbeam Candles, Lundberg Family Farms, Frontier Natural Products, Numi Tea, and Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss.