Growing grapes, making wine, and distributing the final product require the same steps as producing and selling food. And as Dodon’s connection with the local food system has grown, I’ve become increasingly aware of its deep-seated problems. Despite enormous federal subsidies, it fails to provide healthy diets. Production is focused on just a few grains, primarily used to feed the cows and chickens that supply dairy, eggs, and meat. It contributes about thirty percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Sadly, these outcomes are not consistent with our values. Dodon is internationally recognized for its commitment to the environment, especially our extensive adoption of agroecological approaches to farming. But our environmental commitment extends beyond farming practices, and we ask suppliers to do the same. Using renewable energy sources, managing water use and quality, addressing transportation and packaging, reducing waste, and commitment to workers are all considerations in our procurement decisions.
As a business, we seek to enrich our community and support the local economy. We want empowered employees who feel valued because they are. Our farming emphasizes the natural environment, climate, and ecosystem functions. Ultimately, our purpose is to produce excellent products that reflect these values.
Achieving these aims requires a holistic approach beyond Dodon’s production practices. We are committed to creating prosperity for our employees, the community where we operate, the environment, and our customers. In short, we want to support businesses that share our values. In the following paragraphs, I’ll share how we put these values into practice.
Product quality. For physical products, quality is often in the eye of the beholder. But the quality of natural products, especially food products, can be judged by their nutrient density. When grown in healthy soil with a living ecosystem, plants have more vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, making them more resilient to adverse biotic and abiotic stresses. The resulting nutrient density improves the flavor characteristics of food (and wine) and significantly benefits human health.
So when Katie set up the new food program, she looked for suppliers using the regenerative methods we practice. Green Dirt Farm in Weston, Missouri, produces its Prairie Tomme from intensively grazed ewes that improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and build organic matter. The diverse grass forage at Green Dirt Farm also results in rich, complex cheeses.
The Bertanges forest in central France, the source of many of the barrels used at Dodon.
Sustaining and restoring ecosystems. Research conducted by Will Steffen and others for the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research finds that biodiversity loss, not climate change, may be the greatest threat to ecosystem resilience and human well-being. Suppliers that rely on natural products, including cooperages and cork producers, can directly influence these outcomes through forest management practices. For example, in France, barrel staves come from Quercus species grown in forests with a dense understory of diverse vegetation. When harvested, “mother” oaks remain unharvested, so that they may nurture the new growth.
After harvest in Bertranges, mother oaks are seen in the background.
Waste and the circular economy. In much of the U.S. economy, we extract resources, make products from them, and then discard them as waste. This is different from what happens in nature, where the waste product of photosynthesis (oxygen) provides an essential resource for humans. In a circular economy, waste is eliminated or recycled.
Tom and Nuno Silva in front of M.A. Silva’s wood stove that provide heat and energy for their raw material center in Alter do Chão in Alenteja.
We look for vendors seeking to reduce waste and recycle whenever feasible. For example, our corks supplier, M.A. Silva, strives to use 100% of its raw materials. Starting with the bark from Quercus suber, the cork is graded for its suitability as a natural stopper. If the raw material doesn’t make the grade, it is ground and bonded to make granulated stoppers. Any residual chips or sawdust are used in Silva’s wood-burning furnace to produce heat for the facility and hot water for their sterilization process.
Of course, there may be room for improvement in cork use. The bonding process currently relies on polyurethane, a hydrocarbon. Burning the residual material results in smoke pollution and the release of carbon dioxide. An alternative might be to produce biochar, capturing the heat from the pyrolysis for Silva’s facilities. The ton of ash produced each week could also be used to make soaps. Finally, there is only a limited market for used cork stoppers, despite the remarkable opportunity to use this durable material in various alternative uses, from floors and countertops to clothing, handbags, and even bathtubs.
Animal welfare. Like plants, how animals are raised influences the health impact of the food they produce. There is also a moral dimension to the way we raise animals. When purchasing animal products, we seek farms that provide humane conditions, plenty of fresh forage and water, and protection from the elements. Semi-structured scales like the Animal Welfare Indicators are available to assess how animals are treated. These principles support our decision to sell some of Dodon’s lamb to our club members and partner restaurants. There is not enough ethically raised meat to meet local demand, so it only made sense to bring Dodon’s animal husbandry full circle.
Valued workers. We’re proud to have a highly motivated team that shares our commitment to innovation, nonconformity, excellence, and justice which result from mutual respect and the opportunity to contribute to the common good. We seek partners that offer workers livable wages and benefits, safe working conditions, and professional and skills development opportunities. These businesses engage their workers through formal and informal participation and feedback mechanisms.
Valued Community. Dodon only exists because of our community. We have individual and collective responsibility for our effect on its social and economic well-being. This obligation extends beyond the farm’s borders. We thus assess a supplier’s engagement and impact on our local economy, preferring small-scale, locally-owned businesses, especially those that address specific community-oriented problems, including promoting health, reducing poverty, and advancing social justice.
And finally, price. According to the Rockefeller Foundation, the actual cost of food is about three times what we pay for it. Despite steady increases, the $4.80 per pound we currently pay for ground beef doesn’t include diet-related healthcare costs like those associated with obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, or strokes. It does not include the costs of climate change, chemical and nutrient pollution, or biodiversity loss. Nor does it include the costs of agricultural subsidies that incentivize grain and meat production over fruits and vegetables.
Cork products for sale in Porto.
So it should be no surprise that we, or our suppliers, charge modestly higher prices for our products. We, and they, value nutrient density, seek to restore ecosystems and eliminate waste, draw on renewable energy, pay living wages and benefits, and support our communities, almost always without the government subsidies that sustain commodity producers.
The Dodon team is presented with daily choices to champion businesses that enhance the environment, stabilize the climate, support their workers, and improve their community and ours. Admittedly, no business can “get it all right.” Still, we are committed to doing our best daily to make values-based purchasing and production decisions for the greater good of our community and planet.
We welcome your feedback, comments, and questions, and we appreciate your ongoing support.