Sustainable food brands are becoming increasingly popular as people become more conscious of the impact their food choices have on the environment. But what exactly is a sustainable food brand? It’s a company that not only considers taste and profit, but also the planet. This means that they ensure their foods are grown, manufactured, packaged, and distributed in the most eco-friendly and ethical way possible.
Gone are the days of chemical-laden ingredients, resource-intensive monocrops, and plastic packaging. These sustainable food and beverage companies are paving the way for a better future. In this article, we will explore some of the most innovative and eco-friendly brands on the market today. Join us as we take a closer look at what makes these companies stand out and how they’re making a positive impact on the world.
QUICK LINKS TO THE MOST SUSTAINABLE FOOD BRANDS
Looking for eco-friendly food options? Check out these sustainable food brands across the world:
USA and Canada
- Nature’s Path
- Vital Farms
- GoMacro
- Lundberg Family Farms
- No Evil Foods
- One Degree Organic Foods
UK and Europe
- Alara Wholefoods
- Island Bakery
- Toast Ale
- Wholy Greens
Australia
- Pana Organic
- Wilderbean
- The Vegan Dairy
These companies prioritize sustainability and ethical practices in their production processes, making them great choices for environmentally conscious consumers.
Top Sustainable Food Brands in the USA & Canada
1. Nature’s Path
Nature’s Path is a family-owned sustainable food brand that offers a wide range of organic snacks, cereal, granola, bars, oatmeal, waffles, and chips. The company owns several brands under its umbrella, including EnviroKidz, Love Crunch, Que Pasa, and Qi’a, all of which contain only organic ingredients. Nature’s Path is also committed to helping farmers transition to organic production.
Nature’s Path is one of the few brands that have trialed circular shipping, sending reusable granola containers to pilot cities. The company’s packaging is 97% reusable, recyclable, or compostable, with a goal of reaching 100% by 2025. Nature’s Path is also pioneering the regenerative agriculture movement, with some of its oats already Regenerative Organic Certified. The company donates $2 million worth of organic food every year to those in need and supports urban garden projects, schools, food banks, and endangered animal organizations.
2. VITAL FARMS
Vital Farms is a Certified B Corp that partners with over 300 small family farms in the US to produce pasture-raised, Certified Humane eggs, as well as ethically produced butter and ghee. The company’s hens are fed a supplemental feed of soybean and corn, which is certified organic for the brown organic carton and new Restorative carton. Each Vital Farms pasture-raised hen enjoys outdoor access to a minimum of 108 sq. ft of pasture, roaming room, and is rotated to a new section of pasture every 21 days.
Vital Farms is committed to traceability, with each egg carton clearly listing the farm name, which can be searched to get a 360° look at the actual pasture. The company also educates and engages consumers about the unsavory sides of egg production, such as the culling of male chicks and the “retirement” of hens when their egg production declines. Vital Farms is also pioneering “restorative eggs,” an effort to produce eggs using regenerative farming practices. They currently have five farms actively practicing regenerative principles.
3. GOMACRO
GoMacro is a mother-daughter-owned plant-based protein bar company that produces 100% organic, vegan, gluten-free, and Certified Clean, FODMAP Friendly bars. The company partners with responsible suppliers, like local organic oat farms, fair trade chocolate distributors, and Fair for Life cinnamon producers. GoMacro’s facilities are 100% powered with renewable solar and wind energy, and their cartons are compostable or recyclable. The company diverts more than 60% (via upcycling or recycling) of its annual waste and has planted over 1,000 acres of forest to earn status as a Carbon Neutral company.
GoMacro also donates nearly 500,000 pounds of food scraps to local farms for animal feed every year. The company’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices makes it one of the most ethical and sustainable food brands for those on the go.
4. LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS
Lundberg Family Farms is a sustainable food company that sells sustainably grown rice, side dishes, quinoa, brown rice syrup, and rice cakes and chips. Most of the products are certified organic, while others are either Non-GMO Project Verified or “grown with earth-preserving practices.” The Lundberg family started in sustainable rice after fleeing the 1937 Dust Bowl in Nebraska. Once resettled in California, they knew sustainable farming was the only way forward.
Lundberg takes steps to leave the land healthier than how they found it and is an active partner for environmental organizations like the Sustainable Food Trade Association, One Step Closer, and the Climate Collaborative. Their products are produced in a TRUE Zero Waste Certified facility where 99.7% of their waste is diverted from landfill, and electricity use is offset. Lundberg’s partnership with TerraCycle ensures that their flexible packaging can skip the landfill for a second life as durable plastic goods.
5. NO EVIL FOODS
No Evil Foods is a sustainable vegan food brand that uses only plants, with recognizable, wholesome ingredients and no soy protein isolate. The company’s product line includes vegan “chicken,” “chorizo,” “Italian sausage,” “roast,” and “pulled pork.” No Evil Foods partners with responsible suppliers to produce its products, like local organic oat farms, fair trade chocolate distributors, and Fair for Life cinnamon producers.
No Evil Foods’ facilities are powered with renewable solar and wind energy, and their cartons are compostable or recyclable. The company diverts more than 60% (via upcycling or recycling) of its annual waste and has planted over 1,000 acres of forest to earn status as a Carbon Neutral company. No Evil Foods also don
Sustainable Food Companies in the UK & Europe
ALARA WHOLEFOODS
Alara Wholefoods is a London-based food company that produces locally sourced, organic superfoods, granola, muesli, and cereal-based sustainable snacks. The company was founded almost 50 years ago by Alex Smith, who used £2 he found on the street to gather wasted fruits and vegetables to sell. This eventually evolved into Alara Wholefoods.
Alara Wholefoods was the first zero waste food manufacturer on earth and the first Fair Trade cereal company in the 90s. The company uses ISO 14001 and SMETA audits to ensure workplace ethics. Alara Wholefoods uses 100% renewable energy, packages everything in home-compostable eucalyptus cellulose, and offsets their emissions by partnering with Indigenous farmers to plant trees in Africa and South America. The company even has a permaculture garden around their factory.
ISLAND BAKERY
Scotland’s Island Bakery is one of the most eco-friendly food brands that make use of the local wild and unspoiled landscapes to provide some of the most delectable and planet-friendly organic biscuits. The company offers sweet and savory oat cakes, cheese biscuits, oat crumbles, shortbread, and some gluten-free varieties.
Island Bakery uses locally sourced and organic ingredients and powers their bakery using renewable energy from wind, water, and wood from the Isle of Mull.
TOAST ALE
Toast Ale is an England-based Certified B Corp and winner of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise & Sustainable Development. The company brews planet-friendly beers with surplus fresh bread to replace 1/3 of the fresh malted barley otherwise used, which cuts down water, energy, and land use, and carbon emissions.
All of Toast Ale’s profits are donated to charity organizations working to support sustainable food systems. The company also donates meals, offers employee volunteer days, and uses renewable energy, including heat sourced from the fermenting beer.
WHOLY GREENS
Wholy Greens is a Netherlands-based brand that produces sustainable pasta made with 50% vegetables, which are upcycled and sourced from 24 local, like-minded, and sustainable farmers. The company combines ugly produce with hearty, ancient grains (like spelt) to provide nutritious and sustainable pasta.
European shoppers can find Wholy Greens’ pasta in several shops throughout the Netherlands and via online retailers. The company’s commitment to sustainability and reducing food waste makes them a valuable addition to any sustainable food companies list.
Ethical Food Brands in Australia
11. PANA ORGANIC
Pana Organic is a Melbourne-based chocolatier that offers a range of vegan, gluten-free, and organic chocolate bars, frozen desserts, spreads, drink blends, baked treats, and gifts. The company’s chocolate bars are packaged in 100% recycled cardboard that’s printed with non-toxic, vegetable ink. They work with local suppliers to get their organic ingredients, and their chocolate bars are made by hand. Pana’s HQ is equipped with solar panels that supply 15% of the energy for their operations. Through their give-back program, they’ve planted more than 55,000 trees and regularly support local charities.
12. WILDERBEAN
Wilderbean is a sustainable and ethical food brand that offers healthy and planet-based chickpea pasta, chickpea mac & cheeze, and dahl. The company uses locally grown legumes and other ingredients to keep its food miles down. In doing so, they’re able to provide protein-rich meals that require far less water and land than animal sources. The company’s production site is powered with solar panels, saving 3 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere every year. Each product comes in a certified 100% compostable pouch and 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard printed with vegetable inks.
13. THE VEGAN DAIRY
The Vegan Dairy is a husband-wife brand that makes artisan-quality vegan cheese, butter, and crème. Only vegan, organic, additive-free, and gut-supporting ingredients are used. To keep their footprint small, they’ve replaced a common vegan cheese ingredient (cashews) with a more sustainable alternative (hemp) in some products. TVD’s ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, and when a local supplier isn’t available, they only work with those who are responsible and have a like-minded mission. They also have 100% waste-free production and use 100% plastic-free and home compostable or reusable packaging.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE FOOD BRANDS
Sustainable and ethical food brands are becoming increasingly popular in Australia as more people are becoming aware of the impact of their food choices on the environment. The three brands discussed above are just a few examples of the many ethical and sustainable food brands available in Australia. By supporting these brands, consumers can make a positive impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future.
