Responsible Sourcing Partnerships Help Drive UNFI's Climate Action Progress
April 1, 2025 5 minute read
UNFI has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, including energy efficiency initiatives, green building practices, rooftop solar, optimized routes, and fleet electrification. These initiatives drive real business results through reduced operating costs, generating return on investment and meaningfully lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Our sustainability efforts also extend to our supply chain and the products we source. For UNFI, this means promoting regenerative and organic farming practices, which supports soil health and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This approach strengthens the resiliency of our supply chain and helps our customers stand out in the market through responsible sourcing.
Effective responsible sourcing hinges on strong, transparent, mutually beneficial relationships with our suppliers that align with our climate action strategy. Through the UNFI Climate Action Partnership (CAP), we foster these relationships by providing resources and support to help suppliers measure, manage, and minimize their climate impact, in addition to helping them differentiate based on their climate leadership and action.
UNFI recently attended Expo West, an annual event in Anaheim, California, showcasing the latest trends and products in the natural, organic, and healthy products industry. UNFI participated in several events focused on the future of the industry and positioning our partners for success. This included a collaborative, invite-only Climate Summit for 50 supplier and retailer partners. At the Summit, we shared key details of UNFI’s sustainability goals with our suppliers. We outlined our strategy to achieve them and the need for collective action. Partners like Whole Foods and Ahold Delhaize USA highlighted the importance of climate action to their businesses and the role that partnerships and responsible sourcing play in their respective success. They also shared best practices for driving meaningful climate action in their supply chains.
One of UNFI’s key collaborative partnerships is with Nature’s Path Foods, a CAP member dedicated to organic farming. They prioritize responsible sourcing practices like soil carbon sequestration, animal welfare, and fair labor practices through programs like Regenerative Organic Certified.
Manuel Gorrin, Director of Mission and JEDI at Nature’s Path, praised CAP for its support and opportunities to connect with like-minded companies: “UNFI’s Climate Action Partnership has provided meaningful opportunities to connect, celebrate, and draw inspiration from UNFI’s dedicated Sustainability Team and other purpose-driven companies committed to climate action,” he said. “Through comprehensive case studies about our sourcing practices, trade show features, webinars, and network amplification, UNFI has significantly elevated our story, our delicious products, and the incredible people behind our family-owned and always-organic business.”
By supporting our customers' and suppliers' climate commitments, we Win Together, making progress toward shared sustainability and responsible sourcing goals, while driving growth.
This story is part of an ongoing series celebrating UNFI’s progress on our sustainability and impact goals. To learn more about our efforts, we invite you to explore our recently published Impact Report.