Paving the way towards a brighter, greener and more sustainable future, one date at a time.
Don't Settle. Date Sustainably🌴 It may sound *cheesy* but at Joolies, everyday is Earth Day🌎 As a brand that holds sustainability at the heart of our mission, Earth month is especially important to us. You may wonder, "why is sustainability such a big deal in the food industry?" Let's get into it because taking care of our planet is really hot.
The food industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, with transportation being the top contributor. The various stages involved in food production--livestock and crop production, processing, packaging, transportation, and disposal--all demand large quantities of energy and resources that have a negative impact on the environment. It's simple physics--for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's Third Law). When you take into account the emissions of each stage, the food system attributes roughly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, not all hope is lost because we can lead the shift to a more sustainable food future!
According to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project, food companies collectively saved over 600 MILLION metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2019 compared to their baseline year. What the heck does that even mean? Think of it like this: all that carbon dioxide saved equates to taking 131 MILLION cars off the road for a year. That's a lot of cars if you ask us!
While greenhouse gas emissions is a main concern, the food system also contributes to deforestation, soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. Given the scale of these environmental impacts, it is crucial for food brands to take action to reduce their contribution to climate change. But in turn, we need your help by continuing to demand sustainable and environmentally-friendly products. We as brands cannot afford to ignore the potential risks of losing market share and damaging our reputations by turning a blind eye to the environmental impacts of our industry.
See how short those newer date palm trees are? That's regenerative ag in action at the Joolies date farm!
Food brands have a unique opportunity to drive positive changes throughout the supply chain. By embracing sustainable practices, promoting plant-based diets, and supporting eco-friendly technologies, food brands can make a huge impact on our planet. Imagine the difference it would make if they invested in regenerative agriculture and renewable energy sources, reducing their carbon footprint and creating a more sustainable food system. In case you didn't know, the Joolies single-origin date farm has been championing regenerative ag since day 1! By implementing regenerative agriculture, we're not only restoring the soil, but also enhancing biodiversity, sequestering carbon and promoting a healthy ecosystem.
And you as a consumer have the power to support these efforts by making sustainable food choices from those brands doing their part to help make a brighter and greener future. Let's take a look under the hood of some trailblazing brands that are putting in the work to be part of the climate change solution.
Joolies is changing the date-ing game! We let no date go to waste by upcycling our imperfect, yet equally delicious, medjool dates into value-added products like Ugglies, Date Toppers, Jooliettes, and date syrup. Recently, we have revamped our packaging to use less material, but still post-consumer recycled, helping to alleviate the premium price of our dates, without compromising our commitment to sustainability. Read more about sustainable farming practices and commitments.
Challenges: For the past 30 years, Joolies has been growing organic medjool dates on our single-origin family farm in Coachella Valley, CA. Our vibrant brand’s mission is to attract attention for younger generations to eat more dates. We take pride in the fact that all of our products are organic, glyphosate residue-free, and sustainably packaged. But let’s be real, it can and is tough to keep up with big conventional brands on price.