Nutiva® Reveals Plans to Give Back to City of Richmond

RICHMOND, Calif., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutiva®, the world's leading brand of organic hemp foods, coconut oil and chia seeds, announced today its commitment to enrich its new Bay Area home of Richmond, California through several give-back initiatives. Launching October 1^st, Nutiva will support its dedication to sustainability by planting fruit trees in every public school in Richmond and will partner with the Richmond Community Foundation to deliver monetary donations to important local causes. Nutiva will continue to deliver 1% of its annual sales to sustainable agriculture projects globally – raising a total of $400,000 this year alone.

"Our hope is that we can inspire and educate on the importance of healthy living to our very own community—giving kids the opportunity to grow and eat their own food in a positive environment," said Nutiva founder and CEO John W. Roulac. "The community of Richmond has welcomed us with open arms and we are thrilled to give back and help this town continue to thrive."

Kicking off the campaign on October 1, Nutiva—in partnership with Common Vision—will plant its first fruit tree at Washington Elementary school in Richmond.  This will mark the beginning of a five year pledge to plant an orchard of 15-30 fruit trees in every public elementary, middle and high school in the area.  Once the trees reach maturity, each orchard will produce approximately 2,000 pounds of fruit annually, which will then provide nourishment to students through the schools' cafeteria system and after school programs. The second tree planting will follow on October 2 at Levonya Dejean Middle School.

"We're proud to be working with Nutiva to pioneer a new way for non-profits and businesses to make a difference in their community," shares Leo Buc, project director for Common Vision. "By partnering to create an orchard in every school in Richmond, we can create a lasting legacy of fresh organic fruit for Richmond students."

Nutiva will also donate $25,000 to three Richmond non-profits that are focused on health/wellness and sustainability.

Urban Tilth
Nutiva's donation to Urban Tilth will support its garden development program in Richmond schools. Richmond youth under the tutelage of Urban Tilth cultivate over 10,000 pounds of food per year in gardens at schools and abandoned lots to build a more sustainable, just, and healthy food system.

Youth Enrichment Strategies
Nutiva's donation to Youth Enrichment Strategies will send five Richmond youth to outdoor summer camp followed by a year-long leadership development program to help these adolescents transition into successful young adults. Each year, YES brings hundreds of youth and their families to beautiful outdoor camps, often introducing them for the first time to the value of nature and healthy living.

Richmond Grows
Nutiva's donation to Richmond Grows will support the Richmond Seed Lending Library. Nutiva will partner with Richmond Grows on the showing of Seeds of Freedom in downtown Richmond to support the California's Right to Know about GMOs initiative. The movie showing, which also features two additional short videos, will occur at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts on October 24 at 6pm. More information and registration is at Nutiva.com/films.

Through its corporate giving program, Nutiva strives to share its core values of community, well-being, passion and purity. Nutiva's vision to revolutionize the food world is realized in its support of local organic gardening, healthy eating, and deepened relationships with nature. 

For media inquiries, please contact Marci Mollins at Saeger Media Group; 310-391-4518. For more information, please visit: www.nutiva.com or fan on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Nutiva

About Nutiva®
Nutiva is dedicated to a healthy and sustainable world, demonstrating its mission to nourish people and planet by using delicious organic ingredients, enriching the soil, and donating 1 percent of sales to sustainable-agriculture groups. Founded in 1999, Nutiva is the world's best-selling brand of nutritious organic hemp foods, extra-virgin coconut oil, and chia seeds. Fifteen thousand retailers in the United States, Canada, and the European Union offer Nutiva products, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Publix, Safeway, Loblaws, and Amazon.com.

Media Contact:
Marci Mollins
[email protected]
310.691.4518

SOURCE Nutiva