Dr. Bronner’s Celebrates World Vegan Day with Announcement of Over $600,000 in Donations to Support Animal Advocacy in 2017

Top-Selling Brand Marks 4^th Year of Dedicated Program to Support Efforts to End Animal Suffering

November 1, 2017

VISTA, CA – Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soaps and bodycare products in North America, is proud to mark the fourth year of its commitment to supporting animal advocacy and farmed animal protection efforts as a core focus of the company’s activism. This commitment is made alongside institutional support of causes such as fair trade, regenerative organic agriculture, drug policy reform, and wage equality. By the end of 2017, Dr. Bronner’s will have donated over $600,000 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.

“When I chose to adopt a vegan diet over 20 years ago, I concluded that though I have the capacity to forget, shut down, and not care about my consumption choices, I want to live in compassionate alignment with the vision that what we choose to eat matters,” says David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “Now, many years later, I’m proud that my family is committing resources over the long-term to take on the terrible plight of factory-farmed animals and to promote more compassionate and sustainable dietary choices,” Bronner continues.

Support Across the Movement
In 2017, Dr. Bronner’s has made donations totaling over $600,000 to a variety of highly effective organizations and initiatives across five designated giving categories determined by donation levels and operational focus. Categories include Core Partners ($25,000-$100,000): Compassion Over Killing, Good Food Institute, Humane Society of the United States, and Plant Based Foods Association; International Allies ($50,000-$100,000): Compassion in World Farming USA & Global, Sea Shepherd USA, Germany, & Global; Grassroots ($10,000): Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, The Humane League, Mercy for Animals, and Vegan Outreach; Movement Building and Infrastructure ($5,000-$10,000): Black Vegans Rock, Gentle Barn, Our Hen House, PETA, Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, Sistah Vegan Project, and VINE Sanctuary; Films and Education ($1,000-$100,000): At the Fork, Eating Animals (via support for Farm Forward), Running for Good, and Vegan Advocacy Initiative.

“Dr. Bronner’s has a holistic approach when it comes to addressing the horrors of factory farming, which is a major reason why its philanthropy is so unique. Whether it’s plant-based food advocacy, legislative wins to ban the worst practices, or working with major corporations on policies to eliminate factory farm products, all are necessary to create the type of world where society views farm animals with mercy and respect, rather than inanimate objects to be used as we wish,” explains Josh Balk, Vice President of Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the United States. “Dr. Bronner’s backs all these effective approaches to ensure numerous paths to a humane society are pursued, including efforts that have tremendous opposition from multi-billion dollar agribusiness interests. The animal movement knows Dr. Bronner’s has its back and more importantly, the animals have a powerful partner on their side,” continues Balk.

In addition to financial donations, the company has donated its soaps and other products to support vegetarian festivals, educational events, fundraisers, animal sanctuaries, and direct action campaigns across the country and around the globe throughout the year.

Support of Farm Forward and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals
This year the company is proud to continue to support Farm Forward, an organization that supports advocacy around the New York Times best-selling book Eating Animals, which has been adapted into a documentary produced by Academy Award winning actress Natalie Portman and directed by Christopher Quinn, the award-winning director of God Grew Tired of Us. The film premiered at the Telluride film festival this past September. Farm Forward collaborated extensively with board member and author, Jonathan Safran Foer, for three years while he wrote Eating Animals and is planning to organize advocacy around the film. Just like Foer’s book, the documentary uses a combination of humor, adventure, muckraking, and memoir to explore the realities of contemporary animal agriculture alongside the complexities of food ethics.

“We’re incredibly grateful for Dr. Bronner’s generosity and commitment to an ethical, just, and sustainable food system,” said Aaron Gross, Founder and CEO of Farm Forward. “Eating Animals has galvanized resistance to factory farming like no other work. With the support of Dr. Bronner’s, Farm Forward and other animal advocates are able to leverage the book and ultimately the film in tremendous ways,” continued Gross.

Launch of Sea Shepherd Germany’s First Ship
This year, Dr. Bronner’s expanded its support of Sea Shepherd to purchase Sea Shepherd Germany’s first vessel, the MV Emanuel Bronner. Dr. Bronner’s donated the ship to support the organization’s efforts to defend wildlife in the Baltic Sea. Dr. Bronner’s published an article and a video entitled, “Protect Our Oceans,” detailing the partnership. For more information, read the blog and watch the video, at: https://info.drbronner.com/all-one-blog/2017/06/one-high-seas/.

“On June 1, I brought my family to Bremen, Germany, where Sea Shepherd Germany’s first ship, the MV Emanuel Bronner, was unveiled,” said Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “The more I’ve gotten to know the amazing individuals involved in this organization, the more I’ve come to believe the soul and mission of Dr. Bronner’s and Sea Shepherd is “All-One”! Motivated by a mutual concern and compassion for the environment and wildlife, both organizations hold a deep belief in the power and responsibility of individuals to take direct action to right the wrongs of the world,” continued Bronner.

Bridging Animal Protection and Regenerative Organic Agriculture to Fight Climate Change
In 2017, Dr. Bronner’s also supported a variety of organizations and efforts working to promote regenerative organic agriculture to increase soil health and mitigate climate change. In particular, Dr. Bronner’s believes in promoting the farming and ranching of only grass-fed and pasture-raised animals as an alternative to horrific factory farming practices. To this end, the company supports advocacy promoting the consumption of much less and much more humanely sourced meat, raised to high-bar pasture-raised animal welfare standards.

“Dr. Bronner’s is particularly keen to help power and coordinate the animal protection and regenerative organic movements, in their mutual aim to end the horribly cruel and unsustainable factory farming of animals, fed by monoculture deserts of carbon and water-intensive grain,” says David Bronner. “One-third of the Earth’s land surface is covered in arable farm and range land. Regenerative practices can restore soil health and organic matter relatively quickly, and coupled with a global commitment to eating much less but much more humane, sustainable, and pasture-raised animal products, can also significantly mitigate climate change.”

As part of the company’s efforts to support advocacy of regenerative organic agriculture, Dr. Bronner’s helped develop the first comprehensive Regenerative Organic Certified standard based on three pillars: soil health, social fairness, and pasture-based animal welfare. To compliment the promotion of the book and film, Eating Animals, the company is also promoting Kiss the Ground, a new book and film from Josh Tickell, on the benefits of regenerative agriculture. David Bronner’s manifesto on the growing regenerative organic agriculture movement, “Regenetarians Unite!” can be read at: https://info.drbronner.com/all-one-blog/2017/03/regenetarians-unite/.

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Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible 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 principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. The company is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and widely renowned around the world. Based on 2016 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 2.4 seconds throughout the year. For further information on Dr. Bronner’s and a full list of the company’s vegan-certified products, please visit: https://info.drbronner.com.