An inside look into Tractor’s sourcing efforts as 7 in 10 consumers express interest in seeing how their beverage choice impacts the planet
HAYDEN, Idaho–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tractor Beverage Company, in partnership with sustainability research company HowGood, today announced the launch of its Organic Impact Tracker – a sustainability impact tracker developed to quantify the benefit of sourcing organic ingredients versus their conventional counterparts. Tractor is the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients, supporting the company’s commitment to transparency and sustainable sourcing and responding to consumer demand for clean ingredients and environmental responsibility.
According to a 2023 online survey of 1,093 U.S. adults conducted by an independent survey-research firm, 63% of consumers are concerned about synthetic pesticides in the food supply, and 69% of consumers are interested in seeing how their beverage choice has an impact on the planet. The Organic Impact Tracker uses five key metrics to show how a single beverage can change the world: synthetic pesticides avoided, organic land supported, carbon emissions avoided, water saved, and improved soil health.
While four of the key metrics are proprietary to HowGood, synthetic pesticides avoided is Tractor’s proprietary algorithm designed to determine the total amount of conventional pesticides offset as a result of using organically grown ingredients to produce its certified organic, non-GMO beverages. Tractor has effectively eliminated 35 tons of synthetic pesticides from the food system since 2020 as a result of sourcing organic ingredients, with a goal to eliminate 1,034 tons by 2033.
“While Tractor is working to make better-for-you craft beverages accessible to all, we are equally dedicated to supporting farming practices that benefit the environment,” said Travis Potter, Co-Founder of Tractor Beverage Company. “We partnered with the best scientists and data analysts in the business to develop a tool that will allow us to measure what matters to us most. Our intent is to encourage farming practices that prevent synthetic pesticides from entering the food system, degrading land, and contaminating water by making this data widely available to the food and beverage industry.”
“We’re excited to partner with Tractor on such industry-leading work to quantify and communicate their commitment to responsibly-grown ingredients,” said João Rafael Brites, Director of Growth and Innovation at HowGood. “Our impact modeling system assesses each ingredient used by Tractor Beverages, pulling from our database of over 600 data sources and 33,000 ingredients, in order to help their customers fully understand the positive impact of choosing a Tractor beverage and play a part in transforming the beverage industry as a whole.”
Metrics for the Organic Impact Tracker are provided by HowGood, an independent research company and SaaS platform with the world’s largest food ingredient sustainability database. HowGood aggregates information from Kerry, a world leader in taste and nutrition. To develop the Organic Impact Tracker, HowGood worked closely with Kerry to evaluate ingredients from 25 beverages in Tractor’s portfolio. The proprietary new metric for synthetic pesticides avoided was developed by Dr. Stephanie Bledsoe, Doctor of Plant Medicine, and consulting agronomist for Tractor.
“Kerry strives to be our customers’ most valued partner, creating a world of Sustainable Nutrition. We are excited to support this initiative to help validate and quantify the positive impact we can all have on our planet,” said Christina O’Keefe, Director of Sustainability, Kerry North America.
The Organic Impact Tracker will debut at Natural Products Expo West 2023. Experts from Tractor Beverage Company and HowGood, as well as Tractor pouring partners Chipotle and PLNT Burger, will present on a panel discussing how the food and beverage industry can use data-backed claims to communicate sustainability at 1:00 p.m. PST on Friday, March 10.
Organic Impact Tracker Press Kit:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oigbeipnpm7m9q2/AADHVt7A9AiMUisiFsnYtBI9a?dl=0
About Tractor Beverage Company: Founded with a mission to create better beverages for all, Tractor Beverage Company is the first and only certified organic, non-GMO full-line beverage solution for foodservice. Tractor’s handcrafted drinks feature clean ingredients that deliver on taste, functionality, and an innovative consumer experience. Tractor’s vision is to use its beverage platform to expand organic farm practices — and, in turn, lead the way to a more sustainable and flourishing future for restaurants, consumers, and farmers. In 2022, Tractor Beverage Company ranked No. 216 on the Inc. 5000 list and No. 10 in the Food and Beverage category on the publication’s prestigious list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Tractor was named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2021. For more information, visit drinktractor.com or follow along on Instagram at @drinktractor.
About HowGood: HowGood is a SaaS data platform and independent research company with the world’s largest database on food product sustainability. With more than 33,000 ingredients, chemicals and materials assessed, HowGood helps leading brands, suppliers, retailers and restaurants improve their environmental and social impact. Through in-depth, ingredient-level insights into factors like greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, labor risk, animal welfare, and other key impacts, HowGood’s data power strategic decision-making for the sourcing, manufacturing, merchandising, and marketing of sustainable products.
About Kerry: Kerry is a world leader in taste and nutrition for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. We innovate with our customers to create great tasting products with improved nutrition and functionality, while ensuring better impact for the planet. Our leading consumer insights, global RD&A team of 1,100+ food scientists and extensive global footprint enable us to solve our customers’ complex challenges with differentiated solutions. At Kerry, we are driven to be our customers’ most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition, and will reach over two billion consumers with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030. For more information, visit www.kerry.com.
