Shining a spotlight on environmental sustainability
Canadians who support Earth Day values often use their purchasing power to buy food that is sustainably produced and eco-friendly. left, Viktor Cvetkovic via getty images.
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 each year to raise awareness about environmental challenges and motivate individual and community action to build a more sustainable planet. First held in the U.S. in 1970, Earth Day is today marked in more than 190 countries worldwide.
Earth Day went international in 1990, with Canada being among the countries that year to join the global environmental movement. Ever since, sustainability activities and events on and around April 22 have steadily expanded across the country. This year, Canadian urban and rural communities are leading with a number of green initiatives – from promoting “sustainable mobility” by walking, cycling and using public transit, to planting trees to help remove greenhouse gases from the air.
Earth Day is not just a single day of global recognition. It also encourages Canadians to reduce their environmental footprint through actions and choices on a daily basis. One practical route to positive environmental action is through consumer purchasing power and the building of markets for food and other products that are sustainably produced and eco-friendly.
“Forging partnerships with local farmers and suppliers contributes to sustainability and helps us offer our customers fresh organic produce and other products at affordable prices. ”
Meeting growing consumer demand for sustainable products
Organic grocer Healthy Planet has made sustainability a cornerstone of its mission as a business and is finding a ready market among customers with similar values.
“Since Healthy Planet began as one mall kiosk 25 years ago, our focus has been on sourcing our products locally wherever we can and bolstering local communities,” says Muhammad Mohamedy, general manager of Healthy Planet. “Forging partnerships with local farmers and suppliers contributes to sustainability and helps us offer our customers fresh organic produce and other products at affordable prices.”
The company works with many local sources for products. This not only means lower production costs and lower prices for consumers, but it also benefits the environment through less spoilage and food waste, and a reduction of the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation.
In addition to supporting sustainable food production, Healthy Planet also works hard to source eco-friendly and ethically produced goods, and makes promoting health and wellness central to its mission as well.
It has expanded to 35 stores in Ontario and plans to add three more locations in the province in 2024. Continuing to sell vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition and natural beauty products, the company has steadily added more food products and has transformed into a full-scale grocery store. It also serves a growing national customer base through Canada's largest online health store – www.healthyplanetcanada.com – where consumers can choose among tens of thousands of products.
Organic Retailer of the Year
The success of this evolution was recently recognized by the Canada Organic Trade Association in its annual Organic Leadership Awards. Healthy Planet was named Organic Retailer of the Year for 2024 for its outstanding contribution to promoting organic products and practices across Canada.
“We are honoured to receive this seal of of approval confirming we are heading in the right direction,” says Mohamedy. “Although our business is constantly evolving, our vision remains the same – to support our communities and to provide products that support healthier individuals and families and a healthier world.”
Aligned with its health and wellness values, Healthy Planet provides additional supports to help customers to understand our food can support their health. “We believe strongly in educating our customers,” says Mohamedy. “In all our stores, we have in-house holistic nutritionists who offer personalized advice and guidance to help individuals understand their nutritional needs and achieve their wellness goals.” Other healthy living advices comes from free classes and seminars, and articles and resources on the website.
Direct action for the environment
Healthy Planet also supports local charities and environmental, social and health-related initiatives. It makes donations to community food banks and also works with the Second Harvest organization’s food recovery network, which channels surplus edible food from businesses through its food recovery network and brings it to people in local communities who need it.
Healthy Planet has also been recognized for its financial donations to Hamilton Health Science Foundation, Make a Wish Foundation and World Wide Fund for Nature.
For Earth Day 2024, Healthy Planet is taking direct action to benefit the environment. In partnership with Tree Canada, the company is purchasing around 4,500 trees, and staff are to help plant them over time in select communities served by Healthy Planet. The impact will be amplified, as the federal government is to match the donation to reach more than 9,000 trees planted.
“At Healthy Planet, giving back to our communities and creating a lasting impact, environmentally and more, remains a central priority,” Mohamedy says.
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