Applegate Joins the Center for Responsible Business’ (CRB) Sustainable Food Initiative

Specializing in natural and organic meat production, Applegate pursues nuanced approaches to sustainability within its supply chain. The partnership between the CRB and Applegate is founded on a natural alignment of missions and values as it will accelerate and scale the CRB’s Sustainable Food Initiative while allowing Applegate to capitalize on the vast research pool and next generation thought-leaders at UC Berkeley and within Berkeley Haas.

The CRB’s Sustainable Food Initiative is part of the Institute for Business and Social Impact (IBSI) at the Haas School of Business. The Sustainable Food Initiative seeks to serve as a hub for sustainable food entrepreneurship, innovation, and responsible leadership at Berkeley Haas and to better connect the business school with the sustainable food efforts across the UC Berkeley campus.

“Applegate brings so many compelling projects to the table and the change they are proposing makes them a desirable and strategic partner. We look forward to doing great things together!”
– Robert Strand, Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Business

For more than 30 years, Applegate has been a revolutionary force in the meat industry, most notably in pioneering the now $3 billion market for No Antibiotics Ever meat. Currently, the company is investing in farming systems including organic, non-GMO, and regenerative, where animals are part of a holistic system to enrich soil, boost biodiversity, and improve water retention. Applegate believes that responsible meat production can be a part of the solution in reversing climate change and is committed to building transparent value chains that optimize its operations to reduce its carbon footprint while creating the meat that Americans crave.

“Applegate is excited to formalize our ongoing relationship with the Sustainable Food Initiative at the Berkeley Haas Center for Responsible Business. We look forward to engaging with thought-leadership at the Haas School of Business and across the UC Berkeley campus to advance our mission: Changing The Meat We Eat.”
– John Ghingo, President of Applegate

The CRB looks forward to bridging Applegate’s sustainability efforts with UC Berkeley and Berkeley Haas’ rich history in sustainable food as the launchpad for the farm-to-table movement. The campus is well suited to create sustainable solutions for the food industry, with complementary initiatives that provide policy, business, and science-based innovations. From seeds to soil health, the UC Berkeley community is committed to finding ways to sustain both the land and healthy diets through solutions such as regenerative agriculture. The Haas School of Business is proud to foster cross sector innovation by engaging in interdisciplinary systems change.

The Sustainable Food Initiative was formally launched at Berkeley Haas in April of 2018. Video of the launch can be viewed here. Questions about the Sustainable Food Initiative may be directed towards CRB Program Manager Emily Pelissier at epelissier@berkeley.edu.