GrubMarket Launches “Sustainable California” Initiative to Support Agricultural Sustainability and Promote Better Food Systems in California

Today, we have a major announcement. We are beyond excited to announce the launch of our Sustainable California initiative, a commitment to promote and enhance agricultural sustainability in California by making meaningful investments from a portion of our net profits in the following endeavors: preserving the farming environment of the Central Valley and other areas of California through methods such as planting trees; promoting organic farming practices by financially supporting local farmers to obtain organic certifications; and developing innovative technologies that improve the sustainability of California’s farming system in areas including farming and food procurement, sales, storage, and logistics. The Sustainable California initiative will address the numerous challenges facing California’s agriculture industry today, including water scarcity, soil depletion, environmental preservation challenges, and climate change. We are uniquely positioned to pioneer this movement due to our strong relationships with California farmers and producers and our fundamental mission to promote safer and healthier food practices and products.

Through active tree planting efforts in geographically and biologically diverse areas throughout California, Sustainable California aims to create greener and more sustainable environments that will deliver countless benefits to the food ecosystem. Through this initiative, GrubMarket will contribute to the reforestation in California, which will help reduce our collective carbon footprint, mitigate the effects of climate change, preserve precious land that can be used to grow more fresh, organic produce, and retain our underground water system which is essential for farming.

To further amplify the power of the Sustainable California initiative, GrubMarket will also provide funding and resources to farmers seeking organic certification in California. Right now, organic agriculture represents just 4-5% of cropland in California; nationally, this number is less than 1%, because organic certification is an expensive and rigorous process. However, California produces over 40% of the organic commodities sold in the U.S., including most of the country’s organic vegetables. It is important to support California farmers by enabling them to produce more high margin and high quality organic products. By offering financial and resource support for obtaining organic certification, Sustainable California will encourage farmers to adopt organic farming practices, which are essential for long-term agricultural sustainability. This will help farmers increase their revenue, improve product quality, and promote the adoption of sustainable growing and harvesting practices. Organic is the future of food and farming in California.

“California farmers, especially farmers in the Central Valley, are challenged every day as farming becomes harder and harder, due to an increasingly hot climate, depleted water supply, and deteriorating soil conditions from over-farming. The farm-grown produce available today in California’s local farmers’ markets are much less in richness, variety, and diversity, compared to several years ago. Moreover, the past few years have seen economic uncertainty and supply chain disruptions that have presented a unique opportunity for long-term innovation in food production and environmental protection. We are excited to launch the Sustainable California initiative to protect, support, and uplift California’s fragile agricultural ecosystem,” said our CEO Mike Xu. “It can be easy to take food for granted, yet sustainable food production is one of our society’s most critical needs. The Sustainable California initiative is not only our way of giving back to the local agricultural community, but also reflects our commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture, protecting the environment, and ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from the bountiful resources of California.”

As GrubMarket continues scaling its business and advancing its technologies, it will continue to reinforce its commitment to ensuring a more sustainable future for California’s agricultural ecosystem. The Sustainable California initiative will be funded through a portion of our net profits.

Any California farmers and growers, and technologists interested in learning more about or benefiting from this initiative, please send a message to [email protected].

Let’s work together to preserve the sustainability of California’s farming environment by empowering farmers and reinvigorating California’s agricultural ecosystem!