Socially Responsible
WELL BEING OF THE CULTURE, FARMER AND THE ECOSYSTEM
We have been and continue to be pioneers in sustainable, organic production. We are driven by our inherent belief of our responsibility as stewards of all earthly resources given us.
We are dedicated to increasing organic agricultural acreage, as a means to achieve complete sustainability and safety for production of all consumables. Using regenerative and sustainable agricultural methods will create perpetual living soils that help bring balance to the planet.
Many of the foundational organic farming methods are not new. Many farmers remember, or are aware of past generations that practiced more sustainable methods of composting, crop rotation and biodiversity, aeration and wind breaking, rather than the “modern” chemical/mechanical farming culture.
Fortunately, over the past few decades, we have freed our thinking to evolve our consciousness to a more wholistic wellbeing. The human spirit by nature wants to evolve.
Regenerative, sustainable agriculture is built on organic farming. By eliminating chemicals, the soil lives again. By creating compost, the food cycle completes its circle by giving the waste back to the earth to bring life once again. Properly balanced, organic farming is a truly “local” perpetual system.
A living, balanced, healthy soil regenerates the topsoil strata, attracting the life force that bursts nutritious plant life. A balanced, natural soil respiration and plant life breathes life into the atmosphere.
Organic soil is more resilient, water efficient and can work with the natural cycles of change in nature.
Organic farming, utilizing crop rotation and biodiversity, maximizes the health of the environmental immune system.
Regenerative organic agriculture has produced conclusive evidence of long term increased crop yields and quality, leading to greater commercial service and profit. Perhaps even more important and rewarding is the increased health and safety to the farmers and their communities, with production stability, crop quality and the minimization of chemical toxins to families, the food chain and the environment.
At HQO, we continue to improve our internal sustainability “roadmap” by regularly analyzing all facets of our behavior, method and performance.
Our key drivers are:
1) Quality, Safety, Innovation – We pioneered the organic ingredient industry with a mission to create the leading edge of quality and food safety. Innovation is our commitment to improvement.
2) Improving the Quality of life – Our social performance and service for our farmers, associates, team members, staff and customers, stabilizes all of these relationships and minimizes turnover.
3) Global Company, Global Reputation – We are globally integrated so all of our functions have a global effect. Our barometer is our reputation.
4) Financial Stability – We are fiercely independent and privately owned. Managing risk with team analytics, sustainability goals and efficient investment strategies, stabilizes our supply, company health, safety, value and operational performance.
Long-term value for the entire supply chain
From our organic family farmers and employees to our customers and owners, we work each and every day to create more value to all parties involved in our business. HQO participates in the Fair Trade certification program – to ensure fair wages for our growers – and provides only the highest quality certified organic ingredients to our customers. We understand that value takes into account quality of life, safety, fair prices and customer satisfaction.
Farmer Focus –
1) Safety
2) Strong Price Levels
3) Volume
4) Long term relationship
Socioeconomic Vitality
75% of the poor and hungry live in rural areas and depend on agriculture as a way of living. This startling statistic drives home the point that all food manufacturers have a great responsibility to source food that is sustainably grown and paid for with fair wages. HQO takes this responsibility seriously. Our CEO and Vice President of Supply Chain spend a significant amount of their time reaching out and meeting with our family farmers to ensure fair prices are paid and quality of life is respected.
Transparency
As a 100% certified organic supplier, we follow strict rules and regulations and have the paper trail to prove it. If there is ever any question about the authenticity of our product, we will happily supply the paperwork needed to ensure our ingredients are 100% certified organic and often times certified Fair Trade.