GrubMarket Reflects on Two Years of the "Sustainable California" Initiative

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Aug 06, 2025, 08:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally, today proudly reflects on the incredible progress made with its Sustainable California initiative since its inception in 2023. In just two years, the program has made strides in environmental stewardship and farmer empowerment, teaming up with the non–profit organization, One Tree Planted, to reforest critical regions of the State; partnering with California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) to provide grants and mentorship that help socially disadvantaged farmers obtain organic certification; and offering AI-powered software to help California-based farmers streamline their operations. The impact of Sustainable California has stretched from restoring watersheds and boosting biodiversity to promoting more equitable access to organic markets.

In its work alongside the global reforestation non-profit, One Tree Planted, GrubMarket has successfully planted over 130,000 trees across California, including drought-stricken areas ravaged by wildfires and deforestation. This extensive reforestation effort has not only helped preserve key watersheds and agricultural ecosystems but also helped enhance biodiversity, fight the impacts of climate change, and sequester carbon dioxide. As part of this tree-planting project, dozens of different tree species have been planted, and hundreds of hectares of land have been reforested, benefiting both the local wildlife and farming industry.

Looking forward, in partnership with One Tree Planted, GrubMarket has committed to planting an additional 100,000 trees in the Sierra Nevada region, which was severely damaged by the 2013 Rim Fire. This effort aims to rebuild forest landscapes, increase habitat for wildlife, and improve watershed health. By focusing on an area that still bears scars from wildfires, GrubMarket hopes to accelerate ecological recovery and ensure that California's working landscapes remain resilient for generations to come.

As part of its Sustainable California initiative, GrubMarket has also supported farmers transitioning to organic agriculture as a sponsor of the CCOF Organic Transition Program for the past two years. GrubMarket and CCOF have provided grants, mentorship, and technical assistance to underserved California-based farmers making the challenging leap to organic production. In 2023, the program kicked off with a strong cohort of 10 farmers selected out of dozens of applicants, collectively representing hundreds of acres of farmland located across 10 different counties in California. This group cultivates a diverse array of vegetables, berries, grapes, livestock, and poultry. By fostering inclusivity and opportunity within the farming community, GrubMarket has helped promote the adoption of organic farming practices. In 2025, GrubMarket renewed its commitment to continue supporting socially disadvantaged farmers in the CCOF Organic Transition Program.

"We have been honored to partner with One Tree Planted to restore California's landscapes with the planting of over 200,000 trees," said Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket. "We will continue to work together to bring the forest back to life, create habitats for wildlife, and protect the watersheds that sustain California's farms, including in the Sierra Nevada region, a special place in California's natural heritage where vast swaths of forest remain scarred by the Rim Fire. At the same time, our continued partnership with CCOF underscores our long–term commitment to empower socially disadvantaged farmers to adopt organic practices and thrive in a more sustainable food system."

The third pillar of the Sustainable California initiative was introduced in the wake of the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area in early 2025 and has focused on directly helping California farmers facing challenges associated with a deteriorating environment. To help them improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of their farming practices and operations, GrubMarket committed to offering free software subscriptions to all farmers based in California for the entire year of 2025, including its suite of AI-powered SaaS products:

WholesaleWare ERP - the only Enterprise AI-enabled ERP solution for the industry, which assists farmers with efficient and accurate inventory, order, and operations management.

Orders IO - eCommerce technology that provides farmers with mobile apps and online ordering portals to increase their sales capacity and digitally transform the cumbersome offline ordering process.

GrubAssist AI - Artificial Intelligence agents specifically aligned and trained for the agriculture industry, to help farmers expedite and enhance operational efficiency across tasks such as business analysis, inventory analysis, order entry, and cashflow analysis.

Over the past two years, Sustainable California has grown into a multi–faceted, company–wide effort dedicated to preserving California's farming environment, empowering farmers, and reinvigorating the state's fragile agricultural ecosystem.

"Reflecting on these past 2 years, we are immensely proud of the accomplishments we have achieved through our Sustainable California initiative," added Mike Xu. "From planting trees to supporting cohorts of underrepresented farmers to offering cutting-edge technology solutions to help farmers achieve greater efficiency, every milestone has represented a step forward in GrubMarket's mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Our dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainability is ingrained in every part of our company, and we are deeply committed to continuing to expand upon our Sustainable California initiative, to build the foundation for a healthier and more resilient future for the food industry."

California farmers and community members interested in GrubMarket's Sustainable California initiative are encouraged to learn more at sustainability.grubmarket.com or by emailing [email protected].

About GrubMarket

GrubMarket is the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally. As the enterprise AI solutions provider for the American food supply chain, a first mover in the tech-enabled B2B food eCommerce space, and a pioneer offering cutting-edge, AI-powered software-as-a-service solutions, GrubMarket uses technology to fundamentally transform the American and global food supply chain. GrubMarket has been named to the prestigious CNBC Disruptor 50 list for three consecutive years. GrubMarket operates in all 50 U.S. states and has a global presence in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand further across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.