Patagonia – one of the most socially and environmentally responsible companies - How to achieve sustainable food production for increased profit and well-being

We’re in business to save our home planet.
We aim to use the resources we have – our voice, our business and our community – to do something about our climate crisis.
source: https://eu.patagonia.com/pl/en/activism/

Solar panels at Patagonia HQ provide a portion of our power and shade for employee vehicles. Ventura, California. Photo: Tim Davis

Ventura (HQ), CA, United States
259 W Santa Clara St

Reno, NV, United States
8550 White Fir St

Website: https://eu.patagonia.com/pl/en/home/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PATAGONIA/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patagonia_2/

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1% for the planet

https://eu.patagonia.com/pl/en/one-percent-for-the-planet.html

Since 1985, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. We’ve awarded over $89 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities. In 2002, founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, created a non-profit corporation to encourage other businesses to do the same.

1% for the Planet is an alliance of businesses that understand the necessity of protecting the natural environment. They understand that profit and loss are directly linked to its health, and are concerned with the social and environmental impacts of industry.

If you’re a business owner (or have any influence over your boss), please consider becoming a member of this socially and environmentally progressive group. By contributing 1% of total annual sales to grassroots environmental groups, members of 1% for the Planet affect real change. And members receive other benefits: The satisfaction of paving the way for more corporate responsibility in the business community and the recognition, support and patronage of conscientious consumers who value serious commitment to the environment.

Patagonia films

Featured videos:

Growing food and fiber with industrial techniques has devastated our climate. Conventional agriculture contributes up to 25% of the emissions driving the climate crisis. But there’s another way. Regenerative Organic methods can build healthy soil which helps draw carbon back in the ground.

Because healthy soil traps carbon, many believe that Regenerative Organic farming methods have the potential to change the way we grow food and fiber and restore the health of our soil and climate. These practices help build healthy soil that could help draw down more carbon from the atmosphere than conventional methods.

Regenerative Organic agriculture could be a viable way to help stop climate change before it’s too late. In 1996, Patagonia decided to exclusively use organic cotton and recycled cotton. Now we’re taking our commitment even further by growing the cotton in our clothes with Regenerative Organic methods. The highest organic standard, this farming method supports people and animals working together to restore the health of our planet to create a brighter future.

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11.08.2020 La Junquera, a family farm in Southern Spain, leads the way for Regenerative Organic Agriculture, showcasing its potential and providing tools for a transition to healthier soil and more effective land stewardship.

For hundreds of generations, the Gwich’in people of Alaska and northern Canada have depended on the caribou that migrate through the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. With their traditional culture now threatened by oil extraction and climate change, two Gwich’in women are continuing a decades-long fight to protect their land and future.

The Arctic Refuge is home to lands and wildlife vital for the subsistence way of life of Alaska Native communities; and it serves a vital role as a remaining link with the unspoiled natural world and a source of hope for future generations, even for those who may never set foot there. The Trump administration is proceeding with plans to give oil and gas companies the right to drill in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge. Drilling will destroy intact wilderness and violate the human rights of the Gwich’in, who rely on this sacred place to sustain their culture and way of life. The Gwich’in are fighting to protect their future, but they can’t win this battle alone.

Patagonia Films presents Treeline: A Story Written in Rings, available in full for the first time. Follow a group of skiers, snowboarders, scientists and healers to the birch forests of Japan, the red cedars of British Columbia and the bristlecones of Nevada, as they explore an ancient story written in rings. Watch the film, exclusively here starting January 27th.

We thought cotton was “natural” because it was made from a plant. We were right about the plant. However, very little is pure or natural about cotton when it is grown conventionally. In the fall of 1994, after learning of the impact of conventional cotton farming, Yvon Chouinard urged Patagonia employees to take our cotton to 100 percent organic by 1996. It took us 18 months to make the switch. Ever since all our virgin cotton has been grown organically. Today, still less than 1% of the cotton grown worldwide is organic. You have the power to change the way clothes are made. Demand Organic Cotton.

People are rising up to protect Europe’s largest wild river—the Vjosa. This waterway runs untamed from source to sea, embracing a mosaic of habitats and cultures that have been tied to it for thousands of years. Vjosa Forever chronicles the ongoing struggle to secure the future of this unique river system, from political uncertainty and opportunistic greed to the hope of creating a Vjosa National Park (the first of its kind in Europe). With an Albanian election in April of 2021, river-lovers, local citizens and global conservationists fear that this “Queen of Europe” faces its greatest danger yet. At this historic moment, people everywhere have an obligation to speak for the Vjosa; to keep it running wild, forever. Help create the first wild river national park in Europe. Share this video and join the movement for #VjosaNationalParkNow Nice words and inaction won’t save one of Europe’s last wild rivers. Take action now https://eu.patagonia.com/nl/en/films/…

To survive, wild fish need clean, undammed rivers, accessible spawning habitat and watersheds undiluted by inferior hatchery stocks. To thrive, wild fish need wild fish activists—a lot of them—to protect, advocate for and defend them. Wild fish activism comes in many different shapes—everything from crushing barbs, keeping fish wet to contributing time, money or talent or taking a leadership role in an advocacy group. It all counts, and it’s all valuable. Best yet, the reward is good times on the water, a supportive community and a future that includes our passion. As anglers and activists, we stand for the waters we stand in, and we will protect what we love. It’s not too late. It’s not too early. It’s every day.

Artifishal is a film about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature.

Thanks for watching our film, and for your comments — our primary goal with the film was to shine a spotlight on these issues, to spark dialogue and encourage changes in the way we think about river and fish conservation and fishery management. The common ground we all seem to share is a love of rivers and an interest in seeing wild fish return in greater abundance. Patagonia has been working to protect wild rivers and wild fish for over 40 years. We were founded by an avid fly fisherman – and we’re proud of all our connections to the fish world, which range from our fly fishing and salmon product lines, to the over $20 million in grants we’ve given to local groups working on these issues in communities around the world.

To that end, whatever your point of view, we hope you visit Patagonia Action Works, to learn more about and support groups working to protect wild rivers and wild fish – https://www.patagonia.com/actionworks…

Further, this is the 3rd film we’ve made about these issues. First was Damnation, which highlights the destructive effect of obsolete dams on healthy river ecosystems and habitat; and then, Blue Heart of Europe, which shares the shocking story of a tsunami of dam development in the Balkans region of Eastern Europe, and calls for a stop to the construction of 3,000 new hydropower dams and diversions. We couldn’t agree more that habitat destruction, dam building, mismanaged harvest, and pollution of our waterways are also incredibly important issues – check out these films to get a sense for some of our advocacy across the issues. Watch Blue Heart here: https://youtu.be/OhmHByZ0Xd8 Watch DamNation here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai…

If you have questions about our position – please visit https://www.patagonia.com/artifishal…. and review our “Get the Facts” section and visit our Provisions Sourcing page for more information on our Salmon products: https://www.patagoniaprovisions.com/p…

Fishpeople tells the stories of a unique cast of characters who have dedicated their lives to the sea. Featuring Kimi Werner, Eddie Donnellan, Dave Rastovich, Matahi Drollet, Ray Collins and Lynne Cox.

Patagonia’s Founder – Yvon Chouinard

If you don’t do it correcty, there’s nothing to be gained.
Patagonia Founder | Yvon Chouinard | Talks at Google

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Yvon-Chouinard/100053120027508/

Patagonia started with a mountain climber-turned-dumpster diver who lived off 50 cents a day. It never cared about being cool or maximizing profits. Instead, it’s always focused on being socially and environmentally responsible. And yet, it’s become a billion-dollar company and a status symbol for the biggest and richest companies in the world. This is the story of Patagonia.

Chouinard is a legendary climber, surfer and environmentalist. He is also the reluctant entrepreneur who founded Patagonia, Inc., one of the most respected eco and socially conscious companies in the world.

1% for the Planet’s 3rd Annual Global Summit April 3-5, 2019 Portland, OR

31.10.2007 Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard speaks at Google’s Mountain View, CA, headquarters as part of the Authors@Google and Innovators@Google series. This event took place on October 10, 2007.

ARTICLES

Exclusive: Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard talks about the sustainability myth, the problem with Amazon—and why it’s not too late to save the planet

Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard set the standard for how a business can mitigate the ravages of capitalism on earth’s environment. At 81 years old, he’s just getting started.

“You want the truth? It’s hopeless. It’s completely hopeless.” That’s what Patagonia founder and chairman Yvon Chouinard told the L.A. Times about the plight of the earth amid climate change. In 1994. Regardless, Chouinard and his company have spent decades—and millions of dollars—fighting for environmental causes around the world while investing in more sustainable business practices. What’s more, Patagonia has embraced and promoted the B Corporation movement, while Chouinard led such efforts as 1% for the Planet, a collective of companies that pledged to donate 1% of sales to environmental groups and has raised more than $225 million since 2002. Meanwhile, over the past 46 years, Patagonia has become a billion-dollar global brand, making it the ultimate do-good-and-do-well company.

But Chouinard remains unsatisfied. The 81-year-old is more focused than ever on demonstrating, by Patagonia’s example, the lengths a company can go to protect the planet. During a break from fishing near his Wyoming home, Chouinard is both passionate and wry in discussing his business philosophy, what we get wrong about sustainability, why he’s so excited about regenerative agriculture, and Patagonia’s rising political machine.

Fast Company: How do we cope with the idea that to be in business means we are polluters and hurting the planet?

Yvon Chouinard: Everything man does creates more harm than good. We have to accept that fact and not delude ourselves into thinking something is sustainable. Then you can try to achieve a situation where you’re causing the least amount of harm possible. That’s the spin we put on it. It’s a never-ending summit. You’re just climbing forever. You’ll never get to the top, but it’s the journey.

FC: About eight months ago, you wrote a new mission statement for the company: “Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.” What impact has that had so far?

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The Patagonia Adventure: Yvon Chouinard’s Stubborn Desire to Redefine Business

An Inspiring Business Leader Who Built a Clothing Brand Dedicated to Environmental Stewardship

Nearly 60 years ago, Yvon Chouinard bought a few tools at a junkyard, taught himself blacksmithing and made rock-climbing hardware that he sold from the trunk of his car. Chouinard had no lofty goal in mind. He simply wanted to make enough money to go climbing and to make better climbing equipment. Even after he hired a few friends, rented space and formed a company called Chouinard Equipment, its first catalog — a one-page sheet of items and prices — warned customers not to expect fast delivery during the summer. That was climbing season.

Those humble beginnings spawned Patagonia, the global outdoor clothing and gear company widely admired for its values-laden business practices and financial success. Chouinard (pronounced shwee-nar) didn’t set out to make Patagonia one of the world’s most socially responsible and influential companies. But he has continued to do business his own way by defying conventional business wisdom. How? By putting the earth first, by making products that last, by telling customers to buy fewer of them, by sharing earnings with grassroots environmental groups, by spreading the gospel of sustainability far and wide, and, yes, by telling people who work there that, so long as their jobs get done, they can surf when the waves are up, ski when the powder’s fresh, and climb mountains when the urge strikes.

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Forbes

Yvon Chouinard is founder of outdoor wear maker Patagonia, based in Ventura, California.
Since Patagonia was founded in 1984, it has has an open office plan – not even Chouinard, the owner, has his own office.
His apparel business took off in the 1970s when Chouinard imported rugby shirts from England and sold them to climbers.
Since 1985, Patagonia has set aside 1% of sales to finance grassroots environmental groups in the U.S. and abroad. Revenues hit $800 million in 2017.
In May 2013 Patagonia launched Tin Shed Ventures which provides seed funding to environmentally and socially responsible start-ups.

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard on democracy

Tin Shed Ventures

https://tinshedventures.com/

Tin Shed Ventures is Patagonia’s corporate venture capital fund, which invests in start-ups that offer solutions to the environmental crisis. Originally launched as $20 Million and Change in May 2013, Tin Shed Ventures partners with businesses focused on building renewable energy infrastructure, practicing regenerative organic agriculture, conserving water, diverting waste and creating sustainable materials.

The Tin Shed name is rooted in Patagonia’s history. In 1957, a young climber named Yvon Chouinard decided to make his own reusable hardware. Using supplies procured from a junkyard, he taught himself how to blacksmith. By 1970, Chouinard Equipment had become the largest supplier of climbing hardware in North America—produced in a tin shed in Ventura, California. But there was a problem. The company’s gear was damaging the rock as popular routes had to endure repeated hammering of steel pitons. So Chouinard decided to phase out of the piton business, even though it comprised 70 percent of the company’s sales at the time. He introduced an alternative: aluminum chocks that could be wedged in the rock and removed by hand, rather than hammered and left behind.

The audacious move worked. Within a few months, the new chocks sold faster than they could be made. Patagonia has since expanded from a climbing hardware company into a global outdoor apparel brand with $800 million in sales while maintaining a strict commitment to sustainability in its products and supply chain. Tin Shed Ventures is funding the next generation of responsible business leaders who share these core values.

We started the fund because we felt existing models for start-up capital were broken. Traditional investors tend to focus on short-term growth and profit, then quickly flip the companies in which they invest. We take a completely different approach to investing. We place environmental and social returns on equal footing with financial returns and provide long-term, patient capital that helps to support forward-thinking entrepreneurs for the long haul. Overall, our aim is to support like-minded start-ups that embody Patagonia’s mission statement – “We are in business to save our home planet.”

Because we take this unconventional approach, our coalition of companies has been able to do some incredible things. In addition to investments aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save water and regenerate soil health, our solar investments are providing clean energy for thousands of households throughout the US. We consistently rally together with fellow B Corps to develop solutions to the environmental crisis and magnify the impact of our investments.

Ultimately, the goal of Tin Shed Ventures is to prove that business—and investments—can be engines for positive change. We’re excited to fund and mentor the next generation of responsible businesses, and we hope other investors will join us in doing so.