After 35+ Years, This Organic Cereal & Snack Brand Is Still Family-Owned & Operated With Ethics At Their Core
We not only love to see women of color leading the way in sustainability, but also family-run businesses ascending through decades of hard work.
Most people are aware of the delicious granola brand known as Nature’s Path. Over the last 35 years, Nature’s Path has grown to be North America’s largest certified organic breakfast and snack company with a product line of over 150 cold cereals, granolas, hot oatmeal, waffles, bars and cookies.
Image by MelaninASS
But most people don’t know the beautiful story of how the brand started:
Nature’s Path was founded in Vancouver BC in 1985 by Arran and Ratana Stephens.
Image courtesy of Nature’s Path
The seeds of Nature’s Path was planted in the 1950’s when Arran Stephens was growing up on his family’s second-generation organic berry farm in Canada. Arran’s father taught him how to care for and nurture the soil, telling him to “always leave the Earth better than you found it”. Ratana, who emigrated from India, met her life partner Arran and they got married in 1969.
Arran had already opened the Golden Lotus, the first vegetarian restaurant in Canada, and together, they would go on to open several more successful vegetarian restaurants and a health food store.
In 1895 - Arran and Ratana founded Nature’s Path Organic Foods and in 1989, opened the first organic cereal manufacturing facility in North America. These two were pioneering the health conscious / sustainability sector before it became popular!
Image courtesy of Nature’s Path (1985)
In 1999 - Nature’s Path becomes North America’s largest organic cereal manufacturer and opens its second manufacturing facility in Washington.
Image courtesy of Nature’s Path (1989)
Nature’s Path operates on the triple-bottom line of social responsibility, environmental sustainability and financial viability. Still family owned and operated after 35+ years, this company stands out as still being focused on integrity and ethics.
Source: https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/our-path/our-family/