Dr. Bronner’s Unveils New ‘Heal Earth!’ Label on Top-Selling 32oz Liquid Soaps to Promote Regenerative Organic Agriculture

Limited Edition Label Part of Concentrated Effort to Combat Climate Change and Promote Alternatives to Industrial Agriculture

March 2, 2018

VISTA, CA – Dr. Bronner’s, family owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, has unveiled a special, limited edition “Heal Earth!” label on its 32oz Castile Liquid Soaps, which will ship to retailers and consumers from February to May this year. The product label is part of a larger initiative by the company to widely promote regenerative organic agriculture throughout its spheres of influence to combat climate change, and promote social and ecological alternatives to industrial agriculture.

“Industrial agriculture and the factory farming of animals are top contributors to climate change, but these are also two practices that we can comprehensively improve through specific ecological and ethical approaches to farming. And that model, regenerative organic agriculture will bring real, immediate results,” said David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “It’s imperative we act now to mitigate climate change. We need to shift our food production system to make regenerative organic agriculture the new model, both locally and globally.”

The label temporarily replaces the iconic Moral ABC label written by company founder Emanuel Bronner, with messaging that introduces the new Regenerative Organic Certification standard, educates consumers about the pillars of this standard and explains why the shift to this form of agriculture and food production is imperative to improving and ensuring soil health, animal welfare and fair labor, and is necessary to holistically replace factory farming and mitigate climate change.

The company is a founding member of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, a diverse coalition of organizations and businesses that have collaborated to create standards for a Regenerative Organic Certification, which will officially launch this year at Natural Products Expo West, 2018.

Regenerative Organic Certification
Regenerative Organic Certified is a holistic agriculture certification encompassing robust, high-bar standards for ensuring soil health and ecological land management, pasture-based animal welfare, and fairness for farmers and workers. It was created to model an ecological and ethical system for agricultural production that addresses the problems of factory farming, climate change, and economic injustice, locally and globally.

“Dr. Bronner’s support and commitment to the creation of the Regenerative Organic Certification standard has been crucial to its development,” said Rose Marcario, Chief Executive Officer of Patagonia. “With Regenerative Organic Certified, we hope to change the way consumers and companies conceive of products’ supply chains, and urge brands in the natural products industry to embrace this important new standard for environmentally and socially responsible agriculture.”

Regenerative Organic Certification was created by a group of companies and organizations now working together under the name, the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Led by Rodale Institute, and spearheaded by Dr. Bronner’s and Patagonia, other founding members of this certification include: Compassion in World Farming, Demeter, Fair World Project, Grain Place Foods, Maple Hill Creamery, and White Oak Pastures. This non-profit has been established to continuously review and update the certification guidelines. The Regenerative Organic Alliance is made up of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare, and farmer and worker fairness, and will regularly reevaluate certification guidelines and update the certification, as necessary.

The standard provides a holistic agriculture certification structure encompassing robust requirements that upholds three pillars: soil health and ecological land management; pasture-based animal welfare; and fairness for farmers and workers. When implemented these standards ensure the use of practices such as:

• Conservation Tillage: minimal soil disturbance maintains soil biology and structure, retains water, prevents erosion and carbon loss.

• Cover Crops and Crop Rotation: diverse and nitrogen-fixing cover crops draw down carbon, return nutrients to soil, control pests, prevent erosion and decrease weeds.

• Rotational Grazing: grass-fed and grass-finished ruminants like cattle rotate through paddocked pastures, return nutrient-rich manure to topsoil, give land time to rest between grazing cycles.

• No Synthetic Fertilizers or Pesticides: land is spared from toxic chemicals and soil ecology is sustained; fertility and pest-control is achieved by composting and rotating in beneficial plants, animals and insects.

To learn more about Regenerative Organic Certification, please visit the Rodale Institute website: https://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerativeorganic/.

Supply Chain
While the Regenerative Organic Certification standard affirms and codifies the ethical supply chain standards that Dr. Bronner’s already adheres to via organic, fair trade and cruelty-free certification, the company is currently working to pilot its supply chain for coconut, palm and mint oils to meet the Regenerative Organic Certified standard. Though Dr. Bronner’s does not produce animal-based products that would be subject to the high animal welfare standards of Regenerative Organic Certification, the company supports the need for these standards to be met by others who raise animals for food or textiles. The company expects to see other leading brands in the Natural Product Industry improve their supply chains to become certified to the Regenerative Organic Certification.

Dr. Bronner’s own organic and fair trade projects, such as Serendipol in Sri Lanka and Serendipalm in Ghana, the world’s foremost producers of Organic and Fair Trade coconut oil and Organic and Fair Trade palm oil, respectively, are key to the company’s commitment to implementing the Regenerative Organic Certification criteria through its supply chain.

Philanthropy & Advocacy for Regenerative Organic Agriculture
In 2018, Dr. Bronner’s has budgeted and pledged over $1 million to support a variety of organizations and efforts working to promote regenerative organic agriculture to increase soil health and mitigate climate change. Recipients of Dr. Bronner’s philanthropy in support of regenerative organic agriculture include: Center for Food Safety, Cornucopia Institute, Ecology Action, Organic Consumers Association, Regeneration International, Rodale Institute, and Soil Health Academy.

Support for the Farm Animal Protection Movement
This year, Dr. Bronner’s has also pledged donations to a variety of animal advocacy organizations working to address the terrible plight of factory-farmed animals and promoting more compassionate and sustainable dietary choices including Compassion Over Killing, Compassion in World Farming, Good Food Institute, Farm Forward, Humane Society of the United States, and Plant Based Foods Association who implement a range of strategies including: promoting plant-based foods and reducing the consumption of factory farmed meat; conducting investigations and research to expose horrific cruelty on factory farms; building legislative campaigns to ban the worst practices in animal agriculture; and working with major corporations and institutions on policies to eliminate the use of factory farm products. All of these organizations are working to create a world where society views animals with compassion and respect, rather than as inanimate objects to be exploited.

In late 2017, Dr. Bronner’s began serving a free organic and plant-based lunch every day of the week to over 200 employees at its company headquarters in Vista, CA.

Climate Action
In addition to its leading role in the creation of Regenerative Organic Certification, Dr. Bronner’s supports a broad array of efforts around climate action. The company is a founding partner of the Climate Collaborative, which leverages the power of the Natural Products Industry to compel brands to commit to lowering their carbon footprint across nine areas: Agriculture, Energy Efficiency, Food Waste, Forests, Packaging, Policy, Renewable Energy, Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, and Transportation. The company has also resolved to honor the Paris Climate Agreement. Furthermore, Dr. Bronner’s has made bold steps to reduce its carbon footprint, via innovations in packaging with 100% post-consumer recycled bottles; and adoption of solar power at its manufacturing headquarters that now provides approximately 50% of electricity needs annually.

Support for Kiss the Ground & Eating Animals Films
As part of the company’s efforts to support advocacy of regenerative organic agriculture, the company is promoting Kiss the Ground, a new book and film from Josh Tickell, on the benefits of regenerative agriculture.

“Our food production system is overdue for a radical overhaul,” said Josh Tickell, author of Kiss the Ground. “The evidence is clear: what we eat, and how it’s produced, is a crucial factor in determining the success or demise of human society on the Earth in the immediate future. Dr. Bronner’s is leading the way in the promotion of the transition needed to regenerative agriculture,” explains Tickell.

Dr. Bronner’s is also supporting Farm Forward, an organization that supports advocacy around the New York Times best-selling book Eating Animals, which has been adapted into a documentary produced by Academy Award winning actress Natalie Portman and directed by Christopher Quinn, the award-winning director of God Grew Tired of Us. The film premiered at the Telluride film festival this past September. Farm Forward collaborated extensively with board member and author, Jonathan Safran Foer, for three years while he wrote Eating Animals and is organizing advocacy around the film. Just like Foer’s book, the documentary uses a combination of humor, adventure, muckraking, and memoir to explore the realities of contemporary animal agriculture alongside the complexities of food ethics.

“We’re incredibly grateful for Dr. Bronner’s generosity and commitment to an ethical, just, and sustainable food system,” said Aaron Gross, Founder and CEO of Farm Forward. “Eating Animals has galvanized resistance to factory farming like no other work. With the support of Dr. Bronner’s, Farm Forward and other animal advocates are able to leverage the book and ultimately the film in tremendous ways,” continued Gross.

Availability of Limited Edition Label
The special, limited edition “Heal Earth!” label on Dr. Bronner’s 32oz Castile Liquid Soaps will be distributed to retailers from now until May 2018. The label includes quotes from influential activists and thought leaders on climate change, the environment, regenerative agriculture and animal welfare and seeks to educate consumers about the connections between food, soil, climate, ecology, and social justice. To view the “Heal Earth!” label, go to:
https://info.drbronner.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/drb-US-liquid-32oz-ROA-peppermint-LSPE32RG5-01-FLAT1.jpg.

Dr. Bronner’s is grateful to those who contributed their voice and support to the creation of the “Heal Earth!” label, including: Wendell Berry and The Berry Center, César Chávez, Yvon Chouinard, Jonthan Safran Foer, Dolores Huerta, Robert Rodale, Roz Savage, Vandana Shiva, and Josh Tickell.

Regenetarians Unite!
David Bronner’s manifesto on the growing regenerative agriculture movement, “Regenetarians Unite!” can be read at: https://info.drbronner.com/all-one-blog/2017/03/regenetarians-unite/.

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About Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. The company is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and widely renowned around the world. Based on 2017 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 2.2 seconds throughout the year. For further information, please visit: https://info.drbronner.com.