In recent Chipotle news, Chipotle supports the farming industry with a new acceleration program. Fresh food has got to come from somewhere, and Chipotle gets that. Chipotle also gets that farms are struggling to stay afloat, which is problematic if you're like me and highly enjoy consuming fresh foods. On that note, let's learn more about what Chipotle's doing.
What are they doing?
Well for starters, this is all apart of Chipotle's Aluminaries Project 2.0. What this happens to be is an "accelerator program designed to support growth-stage ventures from across the country who are working on solutions to address problems facing today’s young farmers. The industry-leading program is sponsored by the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation in partnership with Uncharted, both nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. The seven-month annual accelerator program will connect ventures to the people and organizations they need to scale their solutions including mentors, funders, and partners," according to a press release.
Brian Niccol, Chairman & CEO of Chipotle has stated that “As a company dedicated to cultivating a better world and preserving the future of real food, Chipotle is committed to strengthening the farming community and empowering young farmers; by investing in innovation through our accelerator program, these eight ventures will make a significant impact across areas of need for the farmers of today and tomorrow.”
Caitlin Leibert, Head of Sustainability at Chipotle has stated that “The Chipotle Aluminaries Project 2.0 ventures are poised to have a major influence on the future of farming. Growing these organizations by focusing on areas of scale, like strategy and leadership, will lead to the growth of our young farmer community; bringing together the best and the brightest in the industry with a common goal of furthering access and innovation for young farmers is truly inspiring.”
Also according to a press release, "Chipotle is also empowering the next generation of farmers with increased local sourcing, offering education, scholarships, grants, and guaranteed three-year contracts to young farmers across the nation. Chipotle and the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation have contributed over $500,000 to-date to support the next generation of farmers."
The thing is, actions speak louder than words, and Chipotle gets that. The fact that they've contributed over $500,000 to support new farmers shows that Chipotle supports the industry, even when others don't care about it so much.