Despite its green branding, Whole Foods has no environmental standards for its meat and is in fact buying from some of the polluting agribusinesses in the world like Tyson Foods.
Industrial meat producers like Tyson are the main source of water pollution across the country. Excess manure and fertilizer pollution from the vast quantities of feed grown to raise meat is polluting local waterways in the Heartland, washing downstream along the Mississippi River and causing a massive Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico each summer. These meat companies are also some of the greenhouse gas emitters globally.
As one of America's largest grocery stores with a brand trusted for sustainability, Whole Foods should be setting environmental standards for its meat. Urge Whole Foods to hold Tyson and other suppliers accountable for improving agricultural practices to make meat less polluting.
For more information about pollution problems from Whole Foods, read our report "Flunking the Planet."
