By Anna Leung & Barbara Liu
VIRGINIA- RIJI Green, a social business that is committed to fighting slavery through fair trade, has partnered with Whole Foods Market on a new bag that helps support survivors of human trafficking. RIJI Green’s eco-friendly bags are made in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. RIJI Green is beyond fair trade; their survivors receive fair wages, healthcare, daycare, literacy training and a supportive network to help them become thriving survivors of human trafficking.
In partnership, all Whole Foods Market stores in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, and New Jersey (Marlton, NJ and Princeton, NJ only) have RIJI Green customized “Whole Foods Market” jute totes. Customers can now purchase the totes for $18.00 at their local Whole Foods Market store to support survivors of human trafficking through economic empowerment.
With these bags, RIJI Green hopes to inspire customers to use their purchasing power to help end modern day slavery. “Collectively, our purchasing power can have tremendous impact in eliminating poverty, preventing slavery, changing lives, transforming communities and creating a fairer world,” said Anna Leung, founder of RIJI Green.
RIJI Green also has an online store for holiday shoppers to buy gifts that keep on giving. Gift choices include messenger bags, wallets, organic cotton totes and kids backpacks. RIJI Green also offers customers the opportunity to custom design their totes and t-shirts online as well.
About Whole Foods Market® Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company’s motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 78,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 15 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2013, the company had sales of $12.9 billion and currently has more than 360 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
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