ganic. The issue around natural is huge because in recent polls, people recognize natural more than they recognize organic in terms of the benefit. And we
need to change that. We need to have organic mean the highest level and natural needs to be defined in terms of an industry standard or a legal standard.
Consumers need to understand that as of now there is nothing regulating the
use of the word “natural.” I would like to think that organic is the real natural.
We need programs like “Got Milk.” We need to go out and say, “Got Organic,”
and spend money letting people understand what that label’s all about. But,
until we get the dollars, we’re going to struggle with educating consumers.
Funk: My expectation is that consumers are going to become more educated and are going to demand more
from us based on that. The companies
that are able to address those needs—
whether it’s dealing with GMOs, BPAs
in cans, nanotechnology, packaging,
or your carbon footprint—are going to
have a leg up on the competition. The
other thing is authenticity. A lot of the
companies that are successful today
have been able to establish that with
consumers. People see real passion behind these companies. Brands like
Nature’s Path and the Clif Bar have
values that come through in their
products and resonate with consumers. This is going to become more
and more important as the level of
awareness and education goes up and
manufacturers, retailers and distributors will all need to raise the bar to
meet those needs. o
OP: What initiatives are you working on to make distribution more eco-friendly?
Funk: Our renewable energy programs have been well publicized and now
we’re working on making our buildings LEED certified and energy efficient, as
well as focusing on zero-waste programs in our facilities. Transportation is a big
one, too. We’re trying to a) drive less miles and b) look for second-generation
biofuels that are truly sustainable options, not the GMO soy biofuels that are
out there. We are also experimenting with things like using hydrogen fuel cells
to run our forklifts. We are taking risks not only to act as a role model for companies on the sustainability side, but also to offer test sites for new technologies.
OP: As we go into the next phase of the food revolution, what do you see as the most
important steps to take?
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