Dr. Bronner’s Announces Recipients of 2021 Animal Advocacy Donation Program
Top-Selling Natural Brand of Soap Marks 8 Years of Giving Program to End the Exploitation and Suffering of Animals
December 13, 2021
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 eighth 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 reform, drug policy reform, fair trade & fair pay, and community initiatives in the San Diego area. By the end of 2021, Dr. Bronner’s will have donated over $3.5 million since 2013 to a variety of leading organizations that are working to expose and reduce the suffering of animals, while advocating for healthier and more sustainable food systems.
“Factory farming of animals and attendant destruction of ecosystems to grow their feed is one of the most avoidable human causes of ecosystem collapse and climate change,” said David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “Eating an organic, plant-based diet is the single most impactful choice a person can make to stop their contribution to the mass suffering of factory farm animals while reducing their carbon footprint. Our animal advocacy seeks to better protect all life on Earth while helping avert climate related catastrophe.”
The All-One Animal Advocacy Family
To-date, Dr. Bronner’s Animal Advocacy program has helped fuel policy change, establish new organizations, and sustain a host of others with critical resources. The work of these diverse groups addresses a broad scope of issues, from advocating for plant-based diets, to passing laws against the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals, to ocean conservation and protection efforts. Dr. Bronner’s has made donations totaling over $545,000 in 2021 to highly effective organizations and initiatives across three categories determined by donation levels, funding needs, and operational scale and focus. Donation recipients by category, include:
National Changemakers:
Animal Outlook
Compassion in World Farming USA
Encompass
Farm Forward
Good Food Institute
Humane Society of the United States
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
VINE Sanctuary
International Allies:
Animal Equality Mexico
Animal Justice Canada
Compassion in World Farming UK
Sea Shepherd Global
Movement Builders:
Afro Vegan Society
Black Vegans Rock
Black Vegfest
La Raza for Liberation
Earth Species Project
Factory Farming Awareness Coalition
Project FANG
Farmed Animal Funders
Our Hen House
Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary
Reducetarian Foundation
Sistah Vegan Project
SUPERMARKT
The Transfarmation Project
Vegan Outreach
Womxn Funders in Animal Rights
Youth Empowered Action Camp
Animal Advocacy for The Climate
2021 bore witness to the COP26 climate summit, during which the imperative to dismantle industrialized CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) meat production (aka factory farming), and quell the rising rates of global meat and fish consumption, were once again largely ignored by global leaders. Given that the global industrialized agriculture system that buttresses increasing rates of meat consumption, is a leading contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, Dr. Bronner’s animal advocacy giving program prioritizes organizations working to shift U.S. and international agencies toward more climate responsible and humane agriculture policy.
Noteworthy animal advocacy and climate-centered policy efforts supported in part by Dr. Bronner’s giving in 2021 include: increasing the accessibility of plant-based foods and meat-reduction efforts through institutional dining initiatives, public education and market development (Farm Forward, HSUS, Good Food Institute, and the Reducetarian Foundation); farm transformation projects providing support for former CAFO animal farmers who have been trapped by debt, as they transition to farming high-value plant crops (Animal Outlook and The Transfarmation Project); Citizen-led initiative to ban shark fin trade in the European Union (Sea Shepherd Global); and intersectional advocacy like the Pride Month Vegan Challenge (VINE Sanctuary) and the Dairy Free Future campaign (Afro Vegan Society).
The crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to expose systemic inequities such as disparate access to healthcare and education, housing insecurity for working families and racial prejudice in the justice system. The pandemic has further strained global supply chains, and exposed the fragility of corporatized monoculture food production and distribution systems in the U.S.
Many of Dr. Bronner’s animal advocacy partners are focused on plant-based nutrition and lifestyle education and promoting alternatives to factory farmed products. Work to reduce the consumption of animal products and end factory farming alongside support for regenerative organic agriculture models, has the additional impact of strengthening food systems that center small-scale farmers and localized production. Regenerative organic plant-forward food economies can sequester carbon in living soil, avoid unnecessary transportation-related emissions, are more resilient to withstand the fluctuations of global markets, and empower food-producing communities with greater land sovereignty and distribution models that prioritize feeding people over profits.
In a recent article, Bruce Friedrich of Good Food Institute wrote: “One promising complement to our work is regenerative agriculture. Overarchingly, this system of farming principles and practices aims to rehabilitate ecosystems, enhance soil and other natural resources, protect animal welfare, and promote social equity. Indigenous peoples have practiced regenerative agriculture for millennia.”
Many Paths Toward One Goal
Dr. Bronner’s animal advocacy giving program anchors efforts to protect animals, the Earth, and human lives, in a diverse portfolio of philanthropic support. The company’s grantees and partners utilize myriad strategies to reduce the suffering and exploitation of non-human animals, increase public awareness, and create lasting change. These strategies include:
- Engaging in advocacy and education on animal rights, veganism, and plant-based eating;
- Expanding the markets for alternatives to factory farm products;
- Pursuing legislative changes to ban the worst practices on factory farms;
- Working with major corporations on policies to eliminate or reduce the use of factory farm products;
- Conducting undercover investigations that generate mainstream media coverage to expose the public to the worst abuses occurring on factory farms;
- Operating animal sanctuaries that provide safe haven for victims of animal abuse and educational opportunities for the public.
In addition to its philanthropy program, Dr. Bronner’s also highlighted select animal advocacy organizations on its online store in 2021, allowing consumers to donate a portion of their purchase to Encompass, La Raza, and Vegan Outreach. The company also donated its soaps and other products to virtual conferences, educational events, fundraisers, and animal sanctuaries. The company continues to serve its on-site employees free, vegan organic lunches daily, and this year launched a new vegan, organic and fair trade food product—Magic All-One Chocolate.
“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 are practicing regenerative organic agriculture. Our chocolate is a model option for how we can make delicious plant-based food choices and at the same time support climate positive and labor-friendly business and agricultural practices,” explains Mike Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s.
###
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 donates all profits not needed for business development to causes and charities it believes in. “Dr. Bronner’s generated nearly $190 million in revenue in 2020 and donated 40% of profits to activist and charitable efforts, totaling an estimated 8.6% of revenue.” A bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 1.51 seconds last year, and a bar of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold every 2.83 seconds.