Nature’s Path Organic Foods is family-owned, independent company with an undeniable passion for making healthy, great-tasting organic cereal products. They’ve been in the business since 1985 and are now North America’s number one organic cereal manufacturer! As if nourishing us with yummy cereal wasn’t enough, Nature’s Path’s aspirations go beyond the breakfast table as they aim to advance the cause of people and planet along the path to sustainability.

Nature’s Path was founded on the principle of earth stewardship. As a child, CEO and Founder Arran Stephens, was told an important message by his father - "Always leave the soil better than you found it." The message stuck, and has become the guiding principle at Nature’s Path. It is the cornerstone of everything they do. 

Their tasty ingredients are sourced from organic farms, they’re buying up farmland and converting it to organic, and they are trying to run the business with the health of the soil in mind at every step. All of their products are vegetarian and certified organic, which means they don’t contain artificial preservatives, additives or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). As a founding member of the non-GMO Project, Nature’s Path is proud to add the Non-GMO verified seal to its products as an assurance to consumers that every effort has been made to ensure that GMOs are out of the equation!

In their eyes sustainability is a path of continual improvement and in 2008, Nature’s Path signed a declaration of sustainability. Here are some of the many initiatives that Nature’s Path is doing to minimize their ecological footprint and leave the earth better than they found it.

• Nature’s Path chooses non-toxic soy-based inks on all of their paperboard packaging as vegetable inks are easier to recycle and better for the environment.

• In their factories, they donate line waste that can’t be reused to local farmers, thereby reducing the trips to the landfill. They also donate damaged product to the food bank whenever possible.

• A portion of the energy used to make their cereals come from "Green Certificates” which come from 100% new green electricity generated in British Columbia.

• They have reduced the amount of paper used in packaging and have reduced their granola packaging by 10% and granola bar packaging by 36%. But don’t worry - the amount of product hasn’t changed, just the amount of wasted box space!

• As of 2009, they have lightened the weight of their cereal boxes, saving an additional 186 tons of paperboard each year.

• They donate 1% of their EnviroKidz sales to environmental causes and the EnviroKidz™ EnviroFund has raised nearly $1 Million for endangered species and environments since the launch of the EnviroKidz brand.

• They compost office food waste and use it to fertilize their demonstration grain field, organic garden, and picnic areas.

• They even have an experimental green roof at their headquarters.

• They have a Director of Sustainability & Stewardship to champion and monitor their work towards goals of zero-waste and climate neutrality.

• They are on the path to being zero-waste certified and completely carbon neutral by 2010.

To learn more about how Nature’s Path keeps it green, and how you can help, check out their website at www.naturespath.com or join us on Facebook at Nature’s Path Organic Foods, and follow us on Twitter @NaturesPath and @Envirokidz