Seeds of Change
Encyclopedia
Seeds of Change is an organic seed
and food
company owned by Mars, Inc.
Until summer 2010, the company was based in Santa Fe, New Mexico
and produces of a line of processed organic foods including pasta sauces and salad dressings. Seeds of Change was founded in 1989 as a seed company specializing in organics by Gabriel S.M. Howearth.
The company devotes 1% of its net sales toward sustainable organic farming initiatives. Its products do not contain genetically modified organism
s (GMOs) and are not irradiated
.
. In 1996 the Research Farm moved north to a site closer to the company's Santa Fe offices. The farm includes over a thousand varieties of plants on six acres of land originally cultivated by the Tewa people on a flood plain along the Rio Grande River in El Guique, New Mexico. The farm is certified organic by Oregon Tilth
.
In August 2010, Mars, Incorporated
announced that it would close the El Guique farm and move some management to Los Angeles. A final tour of the farm was provided on Saturday, August 14. A spokesperson for Mars indicated the closure was due to a "strategic shift" and that not all the employees would retain their jobs.
One farm employee was left as of August 14, 2010. Others were relieved of their jobs without prior notice about August 1, 2010.
http://internalcommshub.com/open/professional/casestudies/claytonjones.shtml Employee Liz Clayton-Jones, Mars UK stated in an interview "One of the principles [of the Mars company] is "Freedom", which is embodied by the fact that we're a family-owned, private business with the freedom to innovate, invest and define success by our own high standards. In addition, our "Associate Concept" is fundamental to the way all our employees are treated and respected: we believe our employees are our most valuable assets. Common to this is our egalitarian culture of equality and accessibility, which stems from the Quaker roots of the Mars family."
The property is being sold without consideration for the value of the accumulated knowledge that was on store at the site.
, Seeds of Change seeks to strengthen and protect traditional shade cropping cabruca cacao cultivation in Brazil. The 1% Fund also supports the Environmental Working Group
, the Organic Trade Association
, the Organic Center, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation.
Seed company
Seed companies produce and sell seeds for flowers, fruit and vegetables to theamateur gardener. The production of seed is a multi billion dollar business, which usesgrowing facilities and growing locations world wide. While most seed is produced by large...
and food
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
company owned by Mars, Inc.
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
Until summer 2010, the company was based in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
and produces of a line of processed organic foods including pasta sauces and salad dressings. Seeds of Change was founded in 1989 as a seed company specializing in organics by Gabriel S.M. Howearth.
The company devotes 1% of its net sales toward sustainable organic farming initiatives. Its products do not contain genetically modified organism
Genetically modified organism
A genetically modified organism or genetically engineered organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one...
s (GMOs) and are not irradiated
Food irradiation
Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield, and improvement of re-hydration...
.
Research farm
The Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens were founded in 1989 in Gila, New MexicoGila, New Mexico
Gila is an unincorporated town in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. It is 30 miles northwest to Silver City, New Mexico.-History:Gila and the nearby town of Cliff were settled in 1884. The area was and is primarily a ranching and farming community...
. In 1996 the Research Farm moved north to a site closer to the company's Santa Fe offices. The farm includes over a thousand varieties of plants on six acres of land originally cultivated by the Tewa people on a flood plain along the Rio Grande River in El Guique, New Mexico. The farm is certified organic by Oregon Tilth
Oregon Tilth
Oregon Tilth is an American nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting and advocating organic food and farming, based in Corvallis, Oregon...
.
In August 2010, Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
announced that it would close the El Guique farm and move some management to Los Angeles. A final tour of the farm was provided on Saturday, August 14. A spokesperson for Mars indicated the closure was due to a "strategic shift" and that not all the employees would retain their jobs.
One farm employee was left as of August 14, 2010. Others were relieved of their jobs without prior notice about August 1, 2010.
http://internalcommshub.com/open/professional/casestudies/claytonjones.shtml Employee Liz Clayton-Jones, Mars UK stated in an interview "One of the principles [of the Mars company] is "Freedom", which is embodied by the fact that we're a family-owned, private business with the freedom to innovate, invest and define success by our own high standards. In addition, our "Associate Concept" is fundamental to the way all our employees are treated and respected: we believe our employees are our most valuable assets. Common to this is our egalitarian culture of equality and accessibility, which stems from the Quaker roots of the Mars family."
The property is being sold without consideration for the value of the accumulated knowledge that was on store at the site.
1% Fund
In a partnership with Conservation InternationalConservation International
Conservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
, Seeds of Change seeks to strengthen and protect traditional shade cropping cabruca cacao cultivation in Brazil. The 1% Fund also supports the Environmental Working Group
Environmental Working Group
The Environmental Working Group is an American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability...
, the Organic Trade Association
Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association is a membership-based business association that focuses on the organic business community in North America. OTA's mission is to promote ethical consumerism, promoting and protecting the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the...
, the Organic Center, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation.