Progressive Grocer Recognizes UNFI Foundation With 2024 Impact Award
January 2, 2025 5 minute read
The award recognizes “grocery industry retailers, suppliers, and solution providers that [are] making the world a better place.”
Every day, the UNFI Foundation works to empower changemakers to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. It dovetails with our commitment to create a better future for communities by improving access to quality food, empowering associates to give back, and protecting the planet we share.
As a result of this commitment and work, the UNFI Foundation was selected by Progressive Grocer for one of its 2024 Impact Awards, recognizing our achievements in the category of Philanthropic Innovation and Corporate Giving. The UNFI Foundation was selected from among more than 200 nominees across grocery retail, wholesale, and manufacturing, all of whom are trying to make the world a better place through their sustainability actions.
The UNFI Foundation was chosen because of how it implemented its new corporate giving strategy. One of the key pillars of this new strategy was to deliver directed “impact investments,” investments that generate measurable social or environmental benefits alongside financial returns, to help accelerate progress in the Foundation’s key focus areas. Unlike traditional philanthropy, which focuses solely on grants or donations, impact investing seeks to leverage financial assets to achieve the Foundation’s mission while also sustaining or growing those assets.
An early impact investment, and a significant milestone in this strategy, was achieved in 2023, when the Foundation made its first impact investment of $100,000 into MadCapital’s regenerative-agriculture fund. This fund aims to transition over 25,000 acres of farmland to regenerative or organic practices, marking a substantial step towards more sustainable food production. It is part of the Foundation’s overall commitment to the regenerative agriculture sector in order to help make capital more accessible for farmers committed to sustainable agricultural practices.
By focusing its strategy on regenerative agriculture, UNFI is not only supporting the financial needs of farmers but also promoting practices that enhance soil health, biodiversity, and resilience against climate change. This strategic investment is key to delivering on our promise to serve customers with products that align with their values and consumer demand. Retailers are increasingly looking to meet the growing consumer desire for sustainably produced food, and regenerative agriculture offers a solution that ensures food is grown in a way that is better for both people and the planet.