A Message from Our CEO:

In recent weeks we have been witness to the most recent evidence of systemic racism in our society.

• The murder of yet another Black person by police
• A violent response to just and peaceful protests
• A pandemic that is impacting Black, Brown and Indigenous communities at far higher rates than white communities
• The continuation of immigration policies that are pulling families apart and endangering the lives of millions in this country and world wide

That history continues to repeat itself despite the generations of hard work of so many, serves as a gut check that we haven’t been doing enough.

At Chabaso and Atticus, we’ve been asking ourselves how to build a community and food system that is good for everyone. It is clearer now more than ever that this work must be at the forefront of everything we do.

We are committed to the following steps to turn our values into actions:

Listen to our staff and workers.

• Our employees will be our guide in our tactical and strategic decision making process.
• Examine our human resource policies, guided by our employees, to ensure we are cultivating a healthy, inclusive, and just workplace.
• Create a board of advisors that reflects the racial and ethnic composition of our staff, and has the industry experiences and networks to guide our work moving forward and to hold us accountable.

Examine how we can use our platforms to amplify the voices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples and support the work that needs to be done to achieve racial justice.

Use our buying power to support Black and Brown farmers in order to directly address the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality and exploitation in our food system.

Commit to the B Corp Certification Process to set specific metrics, provide third-party accountability and report on our progress.

We know this is not enough. This is our first step. We will be building and strengthening this work over time. We will use every tool we have to show up, and support an equitable future. We will continue to listen and take action.

Systemic issues, require systemic changes. This is not optional, to do nothing and expect someone else to fix this only enables the problem. This will be a marathon, and we are here for the long run.

In solidarity,

Charlie Negaro Jr.