The Open Harvest Purchasing Policy:

How Open Harvest Stocks the Shelves

by Bob Hutkins, Board Member

For many consumers, the greater availability of organic foods means more choice, more convenience, and often lower prices. This has led to considerably greater penetration of organic foods in the homes of U.S. consumers. Indeed, according to one recent survey, nearly 70% of U.S. adult consumers buy organic products at least occasionally, and nearly 1 out of 5 adults are weekly organic users.

Although the increased demand for organic and natural foods has been good for Open Harvest business, it has also led to concerns among Open Harvest members about the products carried in the store and whether such products are consistent with the Open Harvest purchasing policies. Indeed, they even challenge many of the fundamental tenets on which Open Harvest was founded. For example, should Open Harvest carry food products produced by Coke, Cargill, or Dean Foods? With so much GMO corn and soybeans already in the food chain, it is inevitable that some Open Harvest products will contain GMO ingredients. Should Open Harvest sell products, even those labeled as natural or organic, that come from faraway places with huge carbon footprints? What about products produced locally right here in Nebraska and that are popular with Open Harvest shoppers, but which are not organic?

When Open Harvest first opened, it was the only grocery store in town that sold so-called natural foods. When the "organic" label was officially recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2002, Open Harvest was again the first and only full-service grocery store in Lincoln to carry such products. Now, natural and organic foods sections are found in Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee, and other area grocery stores, and include products with surprising brand names, including Nabisco's Oreos, Frito Lay's Tostitos, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. What is even more surprising is that many of the products on the shelves at Open Harvest are also manufactured by many of these same multi-national food companies. Coca-Cola owns Odwalla, Kellogg's owns Kashi, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen.

The Open Harvest management, which is responsible for purchasing decisions, is well aware of these issues and regularly reviews products and policies. The purchasing decisions are based on the Open Harvest Guidelines for Purchasing.

These guidelines state that "as much as possible, we will buy products from sources which are local, small scale, etc.", and that "as much as possible, we will sell products that are organically grown, bio-dynamically grown, pesticide free, etc." The Policy further notes that many factors are involved and that the guidelines must be clearly defined and flexible. However, the number one priority is serving customers. Therefore, demand for a product may sometimes override general guidelines, such as when there is no alternative to the product or when the alternative is significantly more expensive.

Thus, the question that has been raised is whether our current policy is consistent with the Open Harvest core values and principles or does it simply reflect modern day realities? If only locally produced, organic foods were to be carried at the store, then that would certainly reduce the number and diversity of products on the shelves. Likewise, if we eliminated products manufactured by multinational food companies, even fewer products would be available. And if locally-produced, but not organic, products were removed, well by that point, the store shelves would be mostly empty. Thus, the purchasing policy reflects a balance between Open Harvest policies, member and customer needs, and the financial well-being of the store.

These issues are certainly not unique to Open Harvest, and indeed, they have been addressed in detail in the media, particularly Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, and in the film, Food Inc. However, unlike Wal-Mart and other privately-owned retail grocery stores, Open Harvest operates as a cooperative, with decision-making done democratically by the members. This means that members have a voice and can express their concerns to the General Manager or other staff members directly or via the suggestion box located at the customer service desk. Indeed, everyone connected to Open Harvest - members, staff, and the Board, has a role in making these decisions. Members are always welcome to attend the Board of Directors meetings (usually the first Monday of the month at 5:30 at the Irving Rec Center) to make comments about this or any other issue.