I wrote this letter today for Target. It concerns their lack of discipline selling organic foods, specifically milk. Feel free to modify a copy and send a letter yourself! Keep corporations informed of the need to have a healthy economy means caring for our home ( Earth ).
Kevin Chavis
2406 17th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
T 612 7290330
September 30, 2007
Robert J. Ulrich
Chairman and CEO
Target Corporation
1000 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Dear Robert,
I am rather upset about an article I recently read in the Sunday edition of the Star Tribune. It appears that your Archer Farms brand sells milk that claims to be Organic but is not. You can claim that it was potentially organic, but that would be very hard to buy. The organic food industry is very lucrative, and like any other rapidly expanding market, ripe for corruption. This is a black mark on your company and taints my opinion of the entire Archer Farms brand.
I am fully aware that Archer Farms is a brand. It sounds like a true farm, and does probably mislead masses. The City Pages ran an article about the brand and its ambitious plans. I think it is great that you create store brands that create added value for your store. I was hoping you would go the route of Roundy’s organic store brands, marketing at us eco-conscious consumers. But the organic milk incident does not help your cause.
Honestly, my preference for food shopping starts with the local coops, then Rainbow, and lastly you. The potential for change is there, especially if you focus on relocalizing your store contents. But this latest incident only reifies what organic consumers fear, that major corporations do not care about the standards and only want our money. I am not an anti-capitalist, my priority is fixing our environment through the dollar.
Here’s a way to regain our confidence: go beyond the ho-hum spiffy organic of the corporate market. Ensure that your suppliers are adequately certified. Label the products in a way that consumers can virtually visit the farms as Organic Valley does. And inform the public of the value of organic foods - health, environment, and local agriculture economy. A carbon impact label would also be helpful, as Wal-Mart now keeps track of several items. Visit the Wedge Coop - you get a receipt that shows you the percentage of products you purchased locally!
As savvy as Target has been this century, I am certain you will find a way to strike a balance between profit and the common good. Your actions make a huge impact, whether that is positive or not long-term will be determined by choices made today.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely yours,
Kevin Chavis
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further sources:
City Pages: The Farm that doesn't exist
Star Trib: Was Target's organic milk just regular?
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