Whole Cities’ approach to community partnerships are guided by Whole Foods Market’s Community First Principles,
an expansion of the Core Value: We care about our communities and the environment.  Guided by these principles, we aim to build partnerships with community-led organizations to build thriving local food systems and grow community health.

How did these principles come about?

That starts in the great city of Detroit where the vision, heart and ethic of Whole Cities Foundation were born.

Before building in Detroit, Whole Foods Market committed to discovering how a presence there could meet the needs and reflect the desires of the people of Detroit, be respectful and responsive to local cultures, and increase access to fresh foods across all income levels.

Whole Foods Market charted this path to its first Detroit store with deep community engagement. Grassroots leaders and neighbors engaged, challenged, critiqued and inspired the project. Store staff listened, adapted, shared and evolved.

A store and the Let’s Talk Food nutrition and culinary education program emerged from the process. And, a new model for Whole Foods Market work called Community First: using a community’s best interest as the lens for looking at all major decisions made there.

The Community First process in Detroit led to the establishment of the Whole Cities Foundation. We are committed to expanding access to fresh food and healthy eating education by supporting grassroots partnerships on the local level.

Community First Principles in Action

Our Community First Principles define our approach to building partnerships with community-led organizations to build thriving local food systems and grow community health. They help us meet the needs and reflect the desires of the people we serve, be respectful and responsive to different perspectives, and increase access to fresh food. Through our Community First Principles blog series, we are spotlighting our seven principles in action and examining what it means to bring to life the Whole Foods Market Core Value of “caring for our communities and the environment.”

The Importance of Being Open and Honest

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Meeting the Needs and Reflecting the Desires of the Community

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Why We Seek to Understand Before Being Understood

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The Role of Consistency in Advancing Long-Term Community Health

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Cultivate KC: Patience in Action

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Staying True to Whole Foods Market’s Core Values Through Community First Grants

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