2024 Natural Grocers Sustainability Report

PLANET

QUALITY

NUTRITION EDUCATION

COMMUNITY

CREW

ALWAYS AFFORDABLE SM PRICING

ANIMAL WELFARE

HEALTH

PEOPLE

Things We Won’t Carry and Why

Quality matters for human health, economic health, and the planet’s health. At Natural Grocers, quality is measured as much by what we don’t sell as by what we do. Since the 1990s, we have maintained a growing list of ingredients which we won’t sell in our stores and why. Our Quality Standards Team stays abreast of the latest research to evaluate product issues and concerns, and review specific ingredients, resulting in ongoing modifications to this list. As our commitment to quality remains constant, o ur list of Things We Won’t Carry and Why is always growing.

Egg Standards

OUR MINIMUM EGG STANDARD IS FREE RANGE In 2016 we established our own egg standards and were the first major US grocery chain to offer an exclusively free-range egg supply chain. Our egg ranking system has three tiers. Our minimum standard, Bronze, is higher than what most U.S. grocers offer. Bronze: Minimum of 2 square feet of outdoor access per hen (the amount a sizeable panel of animal welfare scientists and veterinarians determined to be necessary to allow for chickens to exhibit their natural behaviors) Silver: Enhanced outdoor access space with a minimum of 20 square feet per hen and/or at least 6 hours of outdoor access per day Gold: Outdoors all day long with a minimum of 108 sq. ft. of outdoor space per hen; certified organic . More info is available at: Egg standards In the United States, ‘cage-free eggs’ likely does not mean what the average consumer thinks it means. The United States Department of Agriculture’s definition of cage free is that hens are not caged during the laying cycle; the hens may be caged when not producing eggs, and there is no requirement for the hens to spend time outdoors. The cage-free labeling requirements do not address farm ecological practices, nor humane standards of care such as space requirements per hen in the barn. WE DO NOT SELL EGGS FROM CAGED HENS. PERIOD.

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NATURAL GROCERS ® | SUSTAINABILITY REPORT