Eden Foods
"Eden Foods began in Ann Arbor in the late 1960s with friends sourcing natural food. Youth motivated by a study of a worldwide phenomenon centered upon macrobiotics: eating a diet of whole grain and seasonal local plant foods that are not nutrient depleted and without toxic chemical adulteration..
"Natural foods were simply not available at the time, so they started the Eden food co-op to bring them in. Their initial $200 orders to Erewhon in Boston and Chico-san in California were well received and caused a local stir. This lead to co-op members traveling rural roads, knocking on doors looking for farmers to grow food using organic methods...
"In 1972 Eden opened its first warehouse and established relations with artisan Japanese traditional food makers. Imports of sea vegetables, teas, miso, shoyu, umeboshi plums, kuzu root starch, rice vinegar, rice bran pickles, mirin, etc. followed, and this solidified Eden as an important natural food source for the United States and Canada.
"Eden is the oldest natural and organic food company in North America and the largest independent manufacturer of dry grocery organic foods. We are deeply rooted in Michigan about twenty miles southwest of Ann Arbor. It is here we manage grower relations, manufacturing, trucking, quality control, customer and retailer services, marketing, import/export, accounting, databases and websites.
"Over 95% of EDEN foods are sold in natural food stores, co-ops, and supermarkets via traditional natural and grocery distribution channels. Web site, employee, and wholesale sales make up the remainder.
"All EDEN food moves through one of our warehouses in either southeast Michigan or central California. In 2008 Eden completed a 70,000 ft2 Michigan warehouse addition. Design, construction, and operation reflect our commitment to sustainable growth and follow LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) principles. Our original builder's son utilized 80% recycled steel forged in the area. It uses energy efficient lights and insulation, preserves native flora, and is good-neighbor landscaped for our very close residential neighbors. This warehouse meets a gold LEED certification level, the second highest possible rating...
"In 2009 Eden Foods was selected as the best food company in the world, and the third best company overall by The Better World Shopping Guide. They acknowledged Eden's outstanding record in social and environmental responsibility. The company earned A+ and A ratings in ten food categories. This is further explained at edenfoods.com/betterworld..." [1]
Board
Accessed February 2013: [2]
