As Nutiva rounds its tenth year as a pioneering organic food brand, the firm is focused to meet its goals in the new year and new decade. According to Nutiva founder and CEO John W. Roulac, "2010 is the perfect year for people to switch to delicious organic hemp and coconut foods. Choosing Nutiva also supports the many beneficiaries of 1 percent of our company’s sales."

Looking back to 2009, Roulac said that Nutiva thanks its customers for helping the brand achieve many milestones, including being named an Inc. 500/5000 fastest-growing brand, having Nutiva Coconut Oil rated by Amazon.com as their #1 most-requested organic and natural gift, and having Whoopie Goldberg taste Nutiva Hemp Oil on the NBC show The View.

Since 1999, said Roulac, the company’s core vision and tagline has been "Nourishing People and Planet"—in sharp contrast to mainstream food corporations that "abuse the land, exploit farmers, sell industrial goop as food, and receive huge subsidies from the federal government."

Seeking to be part of the solution, Nutiva expresses its corporate citizenship by  sourcing from fair-trade suppliers, supporting sustainable agriculture, planting 100,000 coconut palms, offering healthful organic hemp and coconut superfoods, and continuing to donate 1 percent of its sales to sustainable programs.

Healthy People
According to Roulac, the old adage "You are what you eat" holds true. Eating nutrient-dense certified-organic foods is key to vitality, he asserted. "The mighty hempseed is packed with 33 percent protein, and hemp oil has an ideal ratio of healthy Omega-3, GLA, and SDA fats. Most Americans are mineral-deficient, and hempseed is rich in the important mineral magnesium, used in over 300 biochemical processes. Just three tablespoons of Nutiva Shelled Hempseed or Hemp Protein supply half the daily need for magnesium. Hempseed is also rich in iron and zinc. Shelled hempseed looks like sesame seeds, tastes like sunflower seeds, and is ideal in smoothies or as a topping for salads, soups, oatmeal, or vegetables. Hemp oil makes a fine salad oil or can be drizzled on pasta or bread."

And those looking for the worlds best cooking oil, said Roulac, need look no farther than Nutiva’s organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil. Nutritionists are starting to recognize the benefits of replacing Omega-6-laden corn and soy oils (which cause an Omega 3/6 imbalance) with coconut oil, which contains the beneficial medium-chain triglyceride lauric acid and is tasty in stir-fries or on toast, oatmeal, or yams.
"How many more trillions of dollars must we spend on "fixing health care" before our society wakes up from its slumber and chooses organic foods for a healthy lifestyle?" Roulac asked.

Giving Back
Since its founding in 1999, Nutiva has followed in the footsteps of Patagonia and Working Assets, which donate 1 percent of sales to nonprofit groups. Nutiva’s goal in 2010 is to donate $125,000. Roulac said that the company is proud to support the following sustainable-agriculture projects:

• Eco Farm’s 30th Annual Conference, held at Asilomar, California
• Common Vision’s California School Fruit Tree Planting
• The Cornucopia Institute  ("watch dogs" to protect organic integrity)
• Coconut Coops, supporting small Philippines-based coconut growers with organic farm training, small-scale bio-fertilizer plants, planting 100,000 coconut palms, and building a value-added coconut candy kitchen.

A Healthy Planet
Nutiva helps reduce packaging waste with bulk sizes of its Coconut Oil in 54-oz and 1-gallon pails, as well as 3-pound bags of Hempseed and Protein. The firm’s products are free of the hexane commonly used to process soy foods and fish oils. Over 98 percent of Nutiva foods are certified-organic—safer for consumers and the planet. Organic farming cuts the use of agro-chemicals, protects farm workers, eliminates water pollution, and maintains soil fertility naturally. Nutiva is preparing to plant 100,000 coconuts in its supplier regions: Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Mexico. Growing more coconut palms helps reduce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and all coconut by-products (shells, husks, and seedcake) have beneficial uses. Hemp is an excellent sustainable rotation crop that improves the soil and out-competes weeds in the field. Its strong stalks are made into energy-efficient building materials known as "hempcrete," and the use of hemp fiber in bio-composites is increasing.

About Nutiva
Nutiva is dedicated to a healthy and sustainable world, demonstrating its mission to nourish people and planet by using nourishing organic ingredients, enriching the soil, and supporting worthy causes. Founded in 1999, Nutiva is the world’s best-selling brand of nutritious organic hemp foods and extra-virgin coconut oil. Its products are offered nationwide, as well as in Canada, Mexico, and the U.K., at more than 6,000 natural food retailers. Follow the company at http://www.facebook.com/Nutiva.