It is impressive that over 90% of all name-brand organic dairy marketers fully participated in the Cornucopia research study permitting their customers to understand how their products are produced. Unfortunately, 0% of private-label marketers (store brands) were initially willing to participate. Sunnyside Farms, which is sold in Raley’s, Bel Air, Food Source, Nob Hill, Save Mart, Lucky and Food Maxx should be applauded for their leadership as among the first retailers willing to be transparent with their private-label products. This is a high ethical standard that consumers should expect from organizations wanting to participate in this industry.
Sunnyside Farms has been diligent in their efforts to secure a source for their organic milk that is of high integrity and comes from family farmers, not industrial-scale factory-farms where many of their competitors (Trader Joe's, Wal-Mart, Costco, among others) are procuring all or some of their "organic" milk. Sunnyside Farms writes:
“Due to the controversy surrounding factory farms producing organic milk, we determined that doing our homework was critical when we decided to introduce our own organic dairy products under the Sunnyside Farms brand.
Sunnyside Farms partnered with a group of grass-based family dairy farmers close to our headquarters, in Northern California, who represent the highest ethical standards in terms of how they care for the land and their animals. Sunnyside Farms is pleased and proud that research performed by The Cornucopia Institute revealed that these dairy farmers are adhering to both the letter of the law and the spirit of what our customers feel organics is all about.”
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