Corporate Responsibility

Austin, Texas – Whole Foods Market is launching an in-store meat apprenticeship program for its team members. The intensive 18-month training program is designed to transform aspiring butchers into skilled meat cutters and teach them the company's standards for quality, animal welfare, food safety, and sanitation.

Sales at Target stores in Canada have been a little uneven since the company entered the market earlier this year, but at least the company can point to an unrivaled environmental accomplishment.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- An increasing majority of Americans (63%) report they have had a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the condition of the facilities, according to a new survey by Bradley Corp., manufacturer of commercial restroom furnishings. That’s up from 51% one year ago, according to the company's fifth annual national Healthy Hand Washing Survey.

Walmart awarded a $500,000 grant to the Northwest Arkansas Council to support the advancement of healthy living and economic improvement initiatives throughout Northwest Arkansas. 

The grant is part of a three-year commitment by Walmart to fund the Greater Northwest Arkansas Development Strategy, a regional growth and development plan spearheaded in 2010 by the Northwest Arkansas Council, local chambers of commerce and other organizations. 

Walmart held another one of its Global Sustainability Milestone Meetings on Thursday and shed new light on priorities and initiatives that promise to have far-reaching implications on suppliers as well as competitors.

The highlight of the meeting was an update on the company’s Sustainability Index which has been rolled out to 200 product categories and 1,000 suppliers with a total of 300 categories and 5,000 suppliers expected by year end, according to the company.

Brita has become an official supporter of the collaboration launched by the Partnership for a Healthier America and its honorary chair, First Lady Michelle Obama, to encourage everyone to drink water more often.  

Mississauga, Ontario -- Target announced that an additional 44 store locations in Canada have been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. This means that all 68 newly launched Target locations have been awarded LEED certification, a first for a major retailer in Canada.

Target is pursuing LEED certification for all 124 stores scheduled to open in Canada this year through the LEED Volume Program, which streamlines the certification process for buildings in both Canada and the U.S.

FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Jelly Belly has introduced Camo Beans, a special selection of jelly beans inspired by the art of camouflage, as part of its initiative to support military families.

Jelly Belly Camo Beans come in 3.5-oz. bags in 12-ct. cases and come with seven flavors inside each bag: chocolate pudding, green apple, licorice, juicy pear, orange sherbet, toasted marshmallow and watermelon.