Dr. Bronner’s Announces Recipients of 2022 Animal Advocacy Funding
Top-Selling Natural Brand of Soap Marks 9 Years of Support to End the Exploitation and Suffering of Animals
December 12, 2022
VISTA, CA – Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soaps and body care products in North America, is proud to mark the ninth year of its philanthropy program to support efforts to end the exploitation and suffering of animals used for food. This commitment is made alongside the company’s other core causes, including regenerative organic agriculture, criminal justice and drug policy reform, fair trade and fair pay, and community betterment initiatives in the San Diego area. By the end of 2022, Dr. Bronner’s will have contributed an estimated $4 million since 2013 to leading organizations that are working to expose and reduce the suffering of animals, and advocate for social and environmental justice while advocating for healthier and more sustainable food systems.
“We approach animal advocacy work as an ecosystem of myriad efforts and strategies, with many paths toward one goal—a better world for all animals,” said David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “We support everything from plant-based nutrition education, legislation to ban inhumane factory farm practices, animal sanctuaries, and undercover investigations that expose the worst abuses on factory farms, among other tactics. We are committed to this work for the climate, for the Earth, for animals, and for our humanity.”
Providing Sanctuary and Modeling Alternatives
Dr. Bronner’s provides financial support and products to animal sanctuaries that provide safe haven for victims of animal abuse. These sanctuaries save and rehabilitate countless lives, and also model alternatives for what a peaceful and non-extractive co-existence looks like between human and non-human animals.
Dr. Bronner’s supports VINE Sanctuary which provides refuge and rehabilitation to hundreds of previously exploited animals. VINE is an LGBTQ-led farmed animal sanctuary that works for social and environmental justice, and for animal liberation through providing refuge and through advocacy. This solar-powered sanctuary illuminates an ecofeminist, intersectional perspective of the ways humans hurt animals, each other, and the environment; and demonstrates how to transform how people interact with animals and the world, for the better. In 2022, Dr. Bronner’s partnered with LUSH, Sara Murray, Stray Dog Institute, and others in a matching campaign that raised $150,000 to support VINE’s programs, including: the In Context podcast for the Unchained network; and its Pride Month Vegan Challenge.
“As an LGBTQ-led animal sanctuary, we illuminate the connections between speciesism, and homophobia and transphobia, and build bridges between the animal and LGBTQ+ liberation movements through initiatives like the Pride Month Vegan Challenge,” said pattrice jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary. “Dr. Bronner’s financial support helps us continue this imperative work, and we are proud to be aligned with this mission-driven brand.”
Advancing Animal Welfare and Plant-Based Lifestyles
Another area of focus for Dr. Bronner’s is to advance animal welfare and promote plant-based lifestyles. To this end, the work of Animal Outlook and Farm Forward have achieved success in their efforts to expose abuses in the animal transport industry and the humanewashing of factory farmed animal products.
“Animal Outlook is proud of its long partnership with Dr. Bronner’s to protect animals and create a more compassionate food system,” said Cheryl Leahy, Executive Director of Animal Outlook. “To revolutionize our relationship with animals, as a society, it takes a collaborative effort between nonprofits, corporations, and individuals to all do our part. Dr. Bronner’s has shown unwavering commitment to a better, vegan future by being a foundational partner to Animal Outlook, which has enabled our collective impact to grow.”
In 2022 Animal Outlook held its 14th annual VegWeek campaign in mid-April, which reached over 100,000 people. Dr. Bronner’s is also an integral supporter of Animal Outlook’s undercover investigation work. In one example, the organization captured over 32 hours of footage of pigs on transport trucks traveling over 1,200 miles in the summer heat. Despite a federal mandate that the animals are to receive a break every 28 hours for water, rest and food, the truck their investigators followed disregarded this mandate, even when outside temperatures reached over 90 degrees. The investigation has renewed calls for increased oversight and greater protection for animals in transit. Animal Outlook continues to push for reforms in the animal transportation industry.
Dr. Bronner’s also funded Farm Forward’s anti-humanewashing campaign which is focused on exposing the deceptive marketing of animal products. Humanewashing fools consumers into paying a higher price for factory farmed products and slows the growing movement of consumers, businesses, and political leaders calling for change in the meat industry. Farm Forward and Dr. Bronner’s have collaborated on improvements to sustainable business certifications, such as B Corp, to include farmed animal welfare as a value and uphold higher standards.
“We’re grateful for Dr. Bronner’s support of our work to end factory farming, and particularly our campaign to expose humanewashing. For consumers to have a voice in our food system they first need to understand where their food actually comes from, which is why truth-in-labeling matters so much,” explained Andrew deCoriolis, Executive Director of Farm Forward. “Dr. Bronner’s model of ethical sourcing, and support as an advocacy partner is invaluable to us.”
Animal Advocacy for Social & Racial Justice
Dr. Bronner’s approaches animal advocacy through a holistic lens, wherein animal advocacy and plant-based lifestyle education are part of a greater movement for social justice. Black Veg Society is one organization that shares this perspective. They provide education and resources to predominantly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities about the benefits of plant-based diets and veganism.
“We’re grateful for Dr. Bronner’s support of Black Veg Society which has helped fund a range of community education efforts, including free cooking demos, wellness classes, and special community events to spur engagement in vegan and plant-based campaigns and coalitions among People of Color,” said Executive Director of Black Veg Society, Naijha Wright-Brown.
Protecting the Oceans
Dr. Bronner’s is dedicated to supporting Sea Shepherd whose mission is to protect marine wildlife and end the destruction of ocean habitats. Since 1977, Sea Shepherd has used innovative direct action tactics to defend, conserve, and protect the delicately balanced biodiversity of the seas and enforce international conservation laws. This year, Dr. Bronner’s funded a joint effort by Sea Shepherd Greece and Sea Shepherd Italia to launch the Monachus Defense Campaign for the protection of the Mediterranean Monk Seal, Monachus monachus, working simultaneously in Greece and Italy to protect these seals and their natural habitat. Almost half of all Mediterranean Monk Seals live in Greek waters, inhabiting the National Marine Park of Alonissos in the Northern Sporades, where Sea Shepherd Greece is patrolling with the MV Emanuel Bronner. The ship was donated by Dr. Bronner’s in 2017 and was previously used by Sea Shepherd Germany in Baltic Sea campaigns.
“Sea Shepherd is proud to partner with Dr. Bronner’s in our campaign to protect wildlife in the Alonissos National Park. The MV Emanuel Bronner has been instrumental in assisting local law enforcement and in stopping illegal activities,” explained Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global. “This year we were successful in stopping three spearfishing vessels and three trawlers from fishing in the protected waters of the marine reserve.”
Dr. Bronner’s is also a proud presenting partner of the film, Coextinction. The film is a profound award-winning documentary by Gloria Pancrazi and Elena Jean about the extinction crisis, illuminating the plight of the Southern Resident Orcas.
Animal Advocacy for a Regenerative Organic World
Regenerative organic agriculture strengthens food systems that center small-scale farmers and localized production, and model alternatives to factory farming and industrial agriculture. Regenerative practices sequester carbon in living soil, helping farmers and the land be more resilient to withstand the fluctuations of global markets. Regenerative models also empower food-producing communities with greater land sovereignty and distribution models that prioritize feeding people over generating profits for a powerful few. To this end, Dr. Bronner’s is a co-founder of Regenerative Organic Certified and works to certify all of its major ingredients and its product-lines to this standard. Dr. Bronner’s offers a range of plant-based products for personal care and nutrition, including Regenerative Organic Certified Coconut Oil, and vegan, organic and fair trade Magic All-One Chocolate, which launched in 2021 and expanded its offerings this year.
“Our chocolate is not only a delicious product offering it is also an activist endeavor to support and grow Dynamic Agroforestry efforts led by our supplier farmers who practice regenerative organic agriculture. Our chocolate is a model for how to produce delicious plant-based food that supports climate positive and labor-friendly business and agricultural practices,” explained Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s.
Dr. Bronner’s All-One Animal Advocacy Partners
Overall, Dr. Bronner’s Animal Advocacy program has helped to fuel policy change, establish new organizations and initiatives, and sustain many others with critical resources since it began nine years ago. The work of these diverse groups and efforts addresses a broad range of issues, from advocating for plant-based diets and against factory farms, to passing laws against the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals, and supporting ocean conservation efforts. Dr. Bronner’s has provided funding totaling over $450,000 in 2022 alone. Recipients of funding this year include:
Animal Equality (Mexico)
Animal Justice (Canada)
Animal Outlook
Black Veg Fest
Black Veg Society
Black Vegans Rock
Coextinction
Compassion in World Farming (US & UK)
Factory Farming Awareness Coalition
Farm Forward
Good Food Institute
Humane Society of United States – Farm Animal Protection Program
Nepada Wildlife
Our Hen House
Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary
project FANG: Animal Rights Prisoner Support
Reducetarian Foundation
Sea Shepherd Global
Sistah Vegan Project
SÜPRSEED (SÜPRMARKT)
VINE Sanctuary
Wild Orca
Women Funders in Animal Rights
YEA Camp
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About Dr. Bronner’s
Founded in the U.S. in 1948, Dr. Bronner’s is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and a leading brand worldwide. The company is an independent, family-owned business based in California, committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible personal care and food products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability, and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the “All-One” philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels. The company caps executive salaries at 5 times its lowest paid fully vested position and give all profits not needed for business development to causes and charities it believes in. Dr. Bronner’s generated nearly $170 million in revenue in 2021 and donated an estimated one third of profits to activist and charitable efforts. A bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 1.7 seconds last year, and a bar of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold every 2.8 seconds.