In light of the recent news about allowing genetically modified salmon into our food supply, Whole Foods Market is leading the way in giving consumers a meaningful standard that they can trust when making food choices. The standards as proposed in this pilot program will go a long way in helping reconnect consumers with their food and to nature. It will also connect them to Whole Foods in a deeper relationship based on trust. Underestimate this at your own peril. Consumers want their problem solved. They want easy, engaging and effective. They also want leadership and certainty. That pays dividends to the triple bottom line.

Just as the movement to label Genetically Modifed Foods is gaining momentum, we are well on our way to reclaiming control over our food supply and our health.  Attention animates. Awareness fosters action.

Transparency fosters trust. Locally grown food benefits local economies far beyond simple profit and loss. A case in point is Rodney K. Taylor director of food services for the Riverside Unified School District. In only a few short years in the life of a bureaucracy, he’s taken an $8 million dollar deficit and turned it into a $1.5 million operating budget surplus by nurturing relationships with local farmers.

The market is us and we will demand delicious, nutritious, safe and affordable food. The easiest way to start is to grow local. Whole Foods and the Riverside Unified School District are textbook examples of leadership and not surprising, of profitability.