The Produce Moms Podcast - EP229: Achieving Gender Equality, Responsible Consumption And Production, And Celebrating Ten Years Of Fair Trade Practices With Joanna Jaramillo, Marketing Manager At Wholesum

EP229: Achieving Gender Equality, Responsible Consumption And Production, And Celebrating Ten Years Of Fair Trade Practices With Joanna Jaramillo, Marketing Manager At Wholesum

08/17/22 • 39 min

“We want to make sure the contribution we make is a positive one in the world.” Joanna Jaramillo (33:57-34:00)

You’ve probably seen Wholesum’s ripe, organic Poppies or Darlings snacking tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, or bright and crisp bell peppers when shopping for groceries, but did you know Wholesum’s produce is 100% fresh, organic, responsibly grown, they use 100% renewable energy on their farms, and the company has a decade under their belt of being fair trade certified? A true, progressive leader in the agriculture industry, Wholesum was one of the first to dedicate their entire farming portfolio to organic food back in the 90’s!

Their commitment to making a positive impact on our planet is even more impressive. Wholesome has committed to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 12, and they publish a report every year to showcase their successes, but also be held accountable by all stakeholders as a way to identify opportunities for improvement. It’s not too often you find a company who’s so willing to be criticized by all of their stakeholders, whether it’s the communities they work in, their employees, their suppliers, customers or consumers. The report captures data across the board of Wholesum’s farming operations, such as their energy use, renewable and non-renewable outputs, water recirculation, waste management ,recycling, social impact, gender equality and the impact of fair trade on their farms.

“What moved my soul when I experienced Wholesum was to see how these fair trade premiums were spent, and to see how this one farming operation, this one brand, the cucumbers I buy at Whole Foods, turn into real funds that the workers can vote on where they want their money to be spent.” Lori Taylor (3:13-3:38)

In 2018, Wholesum made a commitment to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact, which is when they decided to commit to Goal 5 and 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals. We’ve talked to several stakeholders in the UN’s SDGs in previous episodes, but if you aren’t familiar, these are a set of 17 goals developed by the United Nations to get businesses and government agencies to collaborate on solving some of the world’s biggest problems. The 17 SDGs are:

No poverty
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
Quality education
Gender equality
Clean water and sanitation
Affordable and clean energy
Decent work and economic growth
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Reduced inequalities
Sustainable cities and communities
Responsible consumption and production
Climate action
Life below water
Life on land
Peace, justice and strong institutions
Partnerships for the goals

Although Wholesum’s core values align with each of these goals, and they want to ensure they are measurably making an impact towards all 17, they decided to focus on Goal 5, gender equality, and Goal 12 responsible consumption and production, because they knew they could make a direct impact towards these on their farms. As they continue to report yearly and build a roadmap of progress, they can take on more of the SDGs and incorporate them into their operations.

“Gender equality is a basic human right. We need to make sure that we, as a company, are respecting both men and women. There have been inequities for women in farming in the past, and so we need to shed light on those and be the progressive company we are and move forward to acknowledging these problems and doing something about it.” Joanna Jaramillo (23:18-23:53)

There are many ways Wholesum is ensuring gender equality is available across their entire operation. For one, they’re focused on providing equal pay, equal opportunities, and no violence or harassment is promoted in the company culture. They’re also well aware of the duties many women have in their household when they’re off from work, so Wholesum is starting projects to promote work-life balance.

During one of their needs assessments, they found that many women weren’t going to the doctor regularly because they didn’t want to take time off work or were waiting until they felt sick. Wholesum is now setting up mobile clinics on site so women can have their regular check ups and are educated on the importance of preventative care. They’re also building certain pathways for personal development and promoting from within the company for more women to have leadership opportunities. Even Joanna herself started as the Marketing Coordinator in 2018 and is now the Marketing Manager!

“It’s a very difficult task to go through each of these 17 goals and determine how to work towards achieving them all at once.” Joanna Jaramillo (17:49-18:01)

To make an impact with SDG 12, Wholesum looks at all of their inputs, all ...

“We want to make sure the contribution we make is a positive one in the world.” Joanna Jaramillo (33:57-34:00)

No poverty
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
Quality education
Gender equality
Clean water and sanitation
Affordable and clean energy
Decent work and economic growth
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Reduced inequalities
Sustainable cities and communities
Responsible consumption and production
Climate action
Life below water
Life on land
Peace, justice and strong institutions
Partnerships for the goals

“It’s a very difficult task to go through each of these 17 goals and determine how to work towards achieving them all at once.” Joanna Jaramillo (17:49-18:01)

To make an impact with SDG 12, Wholesum looks at all of their inputs, all ...

Previous Episode

EP228: Helping Picky Eaters Of Any Age Develop A Healthy, Happy Relationship With Food With Maryann Jacobsen, Family Nutrition Expert

“Food is so personal, so cultural, and such an integral part of how we live life, how we celebrate... how we do everything!” Lori Taylor (3:00-3:08)

You want your kids to grow up eating healthy, and that means more than just the types of food you’re eating. Without a healthy relationship to food, your children can develop all sorts of unhealthy eating patterns that no amount of broccoli can counterbalance. Maryann Jacobsen, registered dietician, world-renowned family and nutrition expert, and four-time author, is dedicated to helping improve everyone’s relationship with food and nutrition (that goes for you, too!).

It all started when Maryann became a mom and she started doing research when it was time to introduce solids to her first child and she discovered the different ways you can truly help your child enjoy eating a wide variety of nutritious foods. Like most parents, you’ve probably experienced the “honeymoon phase” with your child when they were a baby – they’ll eat almost anything! But when it comes time for the terrible two’s and three’s, you can forget it. Your kids start desiring and trying to exercise having more independence, usually by rejecting foods. This is a completely normal part of childhood development, but a tough one for parents.

“It’s kind of like one day they’re eating everything and the next day they’re not even hungry.” Maryann Jacobsen (5:58-6:02)

This is part of the healthy relationship with food Maryann is talking about. Dealing with a picky eater? Maryann suggests you focus on exposure. Exposing kids to healthy foods and bringing them in as a normal part of life is key, especially during these picky, independent stages. Expose them to having family style meals and dinner as a meal together, too, so they have a healthy relationship with the connection and culture food brings us. Another one of Maryann’s tips is having a “learning plate”. This is a great way to plant a seed with a child who might be super resistant to tasting or trying new things. If you have a “learning plate” for them to learn about the food and be exposed to it, without there being any added pressure, you create a safe environment for them to try new things.

“At puberty, girls are all of a sudden gaining weight and body fat in preparation for their periods, and it’s a time where they’re highly at risk for developing eating disorders or disordered eating. They might be on social media comparing their bodies to other girls’ bodies and it’s a whole different ball game now,” says Maryann.

This is one of the reasons she wrote her book (and coordinating journal) called My Body’s Superpower. In the book, it teaches girls to use their “superpowers”, like hunger signals, to create healthier habits and lead a happier life overall. As kids become teenagers, they’re getting money from allowances and jobs, and they’re eating out with their friends more when you aren’t around to help guide them in their healthy decision making. The book helps girls develop a healthy relationship with food rather than slipping into common, unhealthy patterns that are seen in teenage girls, like skipping meals and binging later. Even Maryann remembers the days when it was popular to not bring food to your lunchtime at school.

“As a female myself, I truly appreciate the time and effort you have dedicated to supporting girls during that stage of puberty and helping them understand the change in their bodies.” Lori Taylor (16:44-16:56)

What are some of Maryann’s other top tips? Closing the kitchen down between meals to avoid mindless snacking, yet having healthy snacks easily available, and always letting kids know what meal they’re eating next and when. Don’t feel overwhelmed when your kids are being picky and know this is a healthy, normal part of their development!

You can start taking steps to helping your kids have a healthy relationship with food by picking up one of Maryann’s phenomenal books, The Family Dinner Solution: How to Create a Rotation of Dinner Meals Your Family Will Love, How to Raise a Mindful Eater: 8 Powerful Principles for Transforming Your Child’s Relationship with Food, From Picky To Powerful: The Mindset, Strategies and Know-how You Need to Empower Your Picky Eater, Fearless Feeding: How To Raise Healthy Eaters From High Chair to High School, and of course, My Body’s Superpower: The Girls’ Guide to Growing Up Healthy During Puberty.

How to get involved

Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!
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