A Different Side to Food
Feb 10th, 2012 by raissac
Last class, we talked about how consumers identify their needs and determine what level of needs they have satisfied through the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I’ve used and studied this framework for a number of times already, but it’s only this term that I have looked at it in a different way, which is having it related to sustainability.
Being the food adventurer/guru that I am, I’m easily fascinated with the food services/companies that take a unique approach in what they provide to their customers. In other words, if I see a food company that uses wholesome and organic ingredients or if they partake in corporate social responsibility, they will usually have won me to their side already. It is very common that companies these days just “greenwash” their customers into thinking that they are eco-friendly, but I like to give the benefit of the doubt to these food companies.
One food service company that I think that’s doing a splendid job on being sustainable is One Planet Catering. Another exciting fact about this food catering service is that it’s Vancouver-based, which continually to amazes me on how Vancouver is adapting to the sustainability trend.
Going back to the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, One Planet Catering satisfies the physiological needs by recognizing that in order to enjoy the benefits our natural resources provides for us, there is a strong need to constantly sustain these environmental systems if we wish to continuously consume them. Their website opens with a quote from John Seed saying, “May we grow into true understanding – a deep understanding that inspires us to protect the tree on which we bloom, and the water, soil and atmosphere without which we have no existence.” This embodies their whole understanding of how to preserve out environmental systems in order to satisfy our physiological needs.
Aside from using only organic and natural ingredients when making their food, One Planet Catering has set up a solid vision and mission statement, plus a list of goals as well. They are focused on creating awareness among their customers by informing them of the list of ingredients and nutritional values in the food they serve, which will help them be inspired to make positive choices regarding their own health and the environment. In relation to the quote by John Weed, One Planet Catering enjoys giving back to different communities. They have made it a goal to donate 2% of their earnings for a specific social or environmental cause. Currently, they are pursuing a lunch program with Quest Outreach that feeds the hungry in Vancouver, especially children. As they expand, they will seek to partner with more non-profit organizations to further expand the meaning of their cause.
I honestly look up to this company as they try to differentiate themselves from other competitors by being fully sustainable in their day-to-day operations. As mentioned in the video (see below), Michael Kraus (owner of the company) said that there are companies out there that only want to work with sustainable companies. I think this gives One Planet Catering a competitive edge as they are considered one of those sustainable companies in the industry, which will help them stand out.
To know more about this company, here’s a video of Michael Kraus talking about the company’s philosophy and more: