MINNEAPOLIS, April 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cascadian
Farm, a certified organic food brand founded in 1972, has announced
that they will be working with the Xerces Society to
plant thousands of acres of pollinator habitat at the
brand's supplier farms by the end of 2020. Cascadian Farm has
been working with The Xerces Society, a leader in pollinator
conservation, for several years to protect pollinators and their
habitat. This expanded partnership represents a first-of-its kind
effort to conserve pollinators, bringing together an organic brand,
farmers, and scientists to work on this shared goal.
Pollinators – chiefly bees – are necessary for the reproduction
of nearly 85 percent of the world's flowering plants. Yet,
since 2006, regions around the world have been reporting an average
annual loss of 30 percent of worker honey bee populations.
The U.S. Interagency Presidential Pollinator Health Task Force
identifies and lays out strategies for the multiple stressors on
pollinator health: habitat loss, poor nutrition due to reduced food
diversity, viral and parasitic diseases and pesticide
exposure.
"Cascadian Farm has chosen to focus on pollinator habitat as a
solution, given our brand's connection to nature," said
Stephanie Moffat, associate
marketing manager for Cascadian Farm. "As a pioneer in the
organic food industry, we are excited to use our scale to aid in
this important cause."
The Xerces Society's Eric Lee-Mӓder, Pollinator Program
Co-Director, adds, "Cascadian Farm represents one of the most
respected, credible, and leading edge brands in the organic and
natural foods sector. Beyond simply embracing this concept and
working to truly make pollinator conservation a central part of the
brand's mission, this partnership sets a high bar for the rest of
the food industry. We believe this is a huge and critical step
for ensuring a secure future for pollinators."
Cascadian Farm has worked to protect pollinators over the past
several years. Efforts such as an on-package "bee-friendlier"
donation code and Buzz Crunch cereal have led to contributions of
more than $200,000 over the past two
years to the Xerces Society and University of
Minnesota Bee Lab. Additionally, Cascadian's home farm
in Skagit Valley, Washington,
demonstrates the brand's commitment by using pollinator-friendly
organic farming practices. For example, the farm uses a diverse
crop production system with different crops blooming at different
times. Also, the farm has leveraged Xerces' pollinator habitat
evaluation tool, which led to planting a flowering summer blooming
cover crop and planning for a fall-blooming native wildflower
meadow.
ABOUT CASCADIAN FARM
Since 1972, Cascadian Farm has grown beyond our original farm and
is recognized as a pioneer in converting conventional farms to
organic. We were organic before "organic" was a trend, and even
before it was certified by the USDA. From day one, we've farmed in
a way that helps to preserve the soil, and safeguards the rivers
and streams around us, working in harmony with the land.
ABOUT XERCES
The Xerces Society is a non-profit conservation organization
dedicated to the protection of bees, butterflies, and other
invertebrate wildlife. For over forty years, the Society has been
at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing
the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to
implement conservation programs.
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SOURCE Cascadian Farm