Sustainable California Initiative charts progress in ag sustainability and equity

GrubMarket says its Sustainable California initiative, launched in early 2023, has seen significant progress over the past year, with achievements including the planting of trees and helping underserved farmers transitioning to organic agriculture.

Throughout the past 12 months, GrubMarket said it has been working alongside the global reforestation nonprofit One Tree Planted. A core achievement of the Sustainable California initiative has been the successful planting of over 100,000 trees primarily across Northern California, including drought-stricken areas that had been ravaged by wildfires and deforestation, according to a news release.

Related: GrubMarket to help disadvantaged farmers get organic certification

This reforestation effort not only helps preserve key watersheds and agricultural ecosystems, but also enhances biodiversity, fights the impacts of climate change and sequesters carbon dioxide, GrubMarket said. As part of the tree-planting project, dozens of different tree species have been planted, hundreds of hectares of land have been reforested and thousands of wildlife species have benefited, the release said. Once fully mature, these trees are expected to sequester nearly 5 million pound of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

GrubMarket also has been collaborating with California Certified Organic Farmers to support farmers making the transition to organic agriculture practices. Through the Organic Transition Program, GrubMarket and CCOF have committed to providing grants, mentorship and technical assistance over three-year periods to underserved farmers in California who want to make the leap to organic production, the release said.

In 2023, the program kicked off with 10 farmers, selected out of dozens of applicants, representing 10 different counties throughout California and farming a variety of vegetables, berries, grapes, livestock and poultry. These farmers tend to hundreds of acres of farmland, represent different ethnicities and speak multiple languages, the release said. By fostering inclusivity and opportunity within the farming community, GrubMarket said it is helping address systemic inequities while promoting the adoption of organic farming practices.

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"Reflecting on the past year, we are immensely proud of the accomplishments we have achieved through the Sustainable California initiative," GrubMarket CEO Mike Xu said in the release. "From planting hundreds of thousands of trees to supporting cohorts of underrepresented farmers, every milestone represents a step forward in GrubMarket's mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Our dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainability is ingrained in every part of our company, and we are deeply committed to continuing to expand upon our Sustainable California initiative to build the foundation for a healthier, more resilient future for the food industry."

GrubMarket said it will continue to reinforce its commitment to driving meaningful change within the food industry. Moving forward, the company will continue planting hundreds of thousands of trees each year in key agricultural ecosystems across California and other parts of the U.S. and will continue to work with CCOF to onboard dozens more California farmers from underrepresented backgrounds into the transformational Organic Transition Program.

Related link: Learn more about GrubMarket's Sustainable California initiative