Sourcing to Protect Pollinators, Merchants Move Toward a Greener Future
Walmart Corporate | April 15, 2021
As people rediscover the outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, many turn to gardening to express creativity and relieve stress. But this serves a more fundamental purpose: enabling pollinators.
An estimated 1 in 3 bites of food we take is possible because of animal pollinators. Pollinators include butterflies, bees, birds and other animals. Despite their value, pollinator habitats are declining at an alarming rate. Walmart and its merchants are doing their part to restore, improve and expand pollinator habitats while minimizing the use of pesticides that can harm pollinators.
Merchants like Abraham Hernandez, a live plants buyer, and people across the supply chain, are working to source and label plants that are attractive to pollinators. Abraham says the move to label pollinator-friendly plants could capture as many as 1.3 million SKUs in perennials and annuals.
“COVID turned a lot of people toward DIY activities, and one of those was gardening, which brought us about 22 million new consumers,” Abraham said. “And with so many people having to stay at home, they want to have something fun to do, which gardening provided. There’s also a real STEM benefit for kids and families, because you’re outside, burning calories, measuring, planting, and even promoting healthy eating if you’re growing something organic.”