Some companies will go to the ends of the earth to support a good cause. That's literally what Supervalu did this spring by co-sponsoring a renowned explorer's expedition to Ellesmere Island, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
The Eden Prairie, Minn.-based wholesaler/retailer supplied funding, along with 600 pounds of its new Wild Harvest private-label organic food, to explorer Will Steger and his six-man team, who traversed 1,400 miles of the Arctic territory between late March and June. One of numerous polar expeditions taken by Steger under his foundation's Global Warming 101 program, the trip sought to raise awareness and chart the effects of climate change on Ellesmere Island. The team posted regular updates during the journey on the program's website, www.globalwarming101.com.
Mike Erlandson, Supervalu's vice president of government affairs, explained in a statement that sponsoring Steger's expedition was in keeping with the retailer's commitment to environmental preservation and research. Steger, meanwhile, said he was happy to have the high-quality provisions.
“Organic food has a decreased environmental impact on the earth, so it's great to see a company with Supervalu's reach so committed to environmental sustainability,” Steger said just before departing in March.
Supervalu stated that it recently retooled its charitable donation standards to include more funding to environmental stewardship programs. In addition, the retailer operates its ValuEarth initiative, which works to make sure that company operations are as environmentally friendly as possible.