From a Movement to the Mainstream: UNFI Co-Founder Shares Company’s Journey to Deliver Better Food

April 2, 2026           5 minute read

It all started with a belief that more people should have the opportunity to eat better food.  

More than 50 years ago, UNFI Co-Founder Michael Funk was passionate about eating produce that was pesticide free – but local stores didn’t have many options. 

So he set out to find his own source. One day, while picking apricots in the Sacramento Valley, he wore gloves to protect his hands from the pesticides he assumed were on the fruit. But the farmer told him they hadn’t sprayed pesticides on produce in years.  

“In that moment, a light went off in my head,” Funk said. He immediately saw the potential for selling food free from chemicals, and soon began selling fruit on the street. 

“I didn’t realize it, but I was getting into the distribution business, and it went from there,” Funk said.  

Over the last half century, that business has grown into UNFI, one of the largest wholesale distributors of healthier food options in North America. And while the company’s size and scale have grown considerably, the spirit of innovation that began in that apricot orchard still endures at UNFI today.  

Building a Supply Chain from the Ground Up 

Funk traces UNFI’s origins back to the summer of 1976. At the time, people were becoming increasingly aware of the food they were eating. Yet, supply of natural and organic food was limited, and the quality often fell short, Funk said.  

He and a small team began distributing the kind of produce they wanted to buy and eat, delivering these products to local grocery co-ops. In those early days, customer demand quickly helped shape the business. Shoppers wanted more refrigerated items, so Funk expanded into cheese and dairy products. 

“That was the root part of our business. It started out with the hard stuff – produce and perishables. If you can do that, the other things are easier.” 

From a Movement to the Mainstream 

In the decades that followed, the appetite for natural and organic products grew. Media coverage increasingly highlighted both the benefits of healthier food and concerns about contamination in the food supply.  

Funk recalls a national TV story in 1989 about a pesticide sprayed on apples. The response was immediate. “We sold out of every case of organic apple juice, applesauce, apple everything,” he said.  

Consumers were paying attention, and demand soon began to outpace supply. 

“That was the tipping point,” Funk said. “People didn’t just want natural products; they wanted organic natural products.  

Between the mid-80s and the mid-90s, UNFI grew at about 50% a year before going public in 1996 and becoming the country’s first certified distributor of organic food in 2002.   

Advocating for Better Food and Better Standards  

Over time, the company connected more farmers and suppliers with more retailers across North America. “Our customers wanted us to be their forager to get organic products,” Funk said. “So, we were out there encouraging and advocating for all the supply we could get.” 

Funk and the team worked to advance the organic movement not only on store shelves, but also by advocating for legislation – like organic labeling and Non-GMO labeling -- to support stronger standards and better transparency for retailers and consumers alike. 

Rooted in Sustainability from the Start 

As UNFI evolved, the company didn’t lose sight of the values that inspired Funk from the start.  

“A core part of the mission was to help clean up the earth, the water, to support the wildlife,” he said. “I realized later on that wasn’t really enough – we needed to look at sustainability in the bigger picture.” 

Over the years, UNFI has expanded on these enduring values with the creation of The UNFI Foundation and operational investments like rooftop solar panels, hybrid trucks, LEED-certified distribution centers, and more. Today, the company continues to prioritize sustainability to drive operational excellence, nourish communities, and protect shared resources across North America.  

Listening, Learning, and Adapting for the Future 

Funk attributes much of UNFI’s growth to its team’s ability to listen, learn, and continually adapt to the needs of its customers and suppliers.  

“If you're going to be in business for ten years, 20 years or 50 years, you better learn how to listen to your customers,” Funk said. “We learned early on that respect isn’t just given – it’s earned.” 

Today, Funk recognizes the impact UNFI and its people have had on the grocery industry and beyond. And he believes the company’s story is still being written.  

“I know we’re going to have a lot of success in front of us and have a major impact on the world we live in.”