Gaia wins environmental sustainability award

Gaia, based in Brevard, NC, said it has won a SEAL 2020 Business Sustainability Awards in the Environmental Initiative category. The awards honor the most sustainable companies in the world and celebrate their leadership, transparency and commitment to green business practices.

SEAL, which stands for Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership, also doles out awards for environmental journalism.

“Over the past five years, corporations have increased their investment in sustainable business practices, thereby raising the bar for ESG excellence,” ​commented Matt Harney, who founded the SEAL Awards. “Our mission at SEAL is to rigorously assess and then celebrate extraordinary sustainability leadership.”​

Harney, who has a background in investment banking, also works with the Tabby Awards, which is concerned with teh mobile apps and gaming fields.

Gaia said its entry was based on its Gaia Herbal Roots Initiative, which aims at improving the access to herbs and quality food in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities while also looking to strengthen regenerative farming systems.

Among teh specific actions were four $5,000 grants given out in 2019 to small farms, non-profits, and social enterprises that focus on regenerative agriculture and prioritize justice for farmers.  In addition, the initiative helped 200 farmers in Nicaragua set up a turmeric farm using regenerative practices.

“Gaia Herbs is dedicated to operating a business as a force for good and making a positive global impact,”​ said Bill Cave, interim president of Gaia Herbs. “It is humbling to have our initiatives acknowledged, as we believe that a high-quality product is no longer enough and that we must take responsibility to promote a larger social and environmental impact in communities around the world.”​