Imagine a world where honey bees are your family’s livelihood. The hives are tucked deep in the jungles of Chiapas and Quintana Roo, and have been tended by Mayan communities for generations. Although there is a centuries-old beekeeping tradition there, honey production has only recently been recognized as a viable and stable income opportunity in the global market.

If you aren’t on a vegan diet, chances are you didn’t know that all sugar isn’t considered vegan. It doesn’t come from an animal so what’s the issue? Bone char. Bet you didn’t know that many sugars are processed with bone char either. Bone char, usually made from the bones of cows, is used in the decolorization process for sugar – meaning it whitens the sugar through a filtration process. Standard sugar packages won't explain all of this, but the process is unacceptable to many vegans and they avoid sugar as a result.

When I was in Brazil this past year for a food industry show, I met a brother and a sister who lived and worked on their family’s biodynamic aloe vera farm. I learned that on this farm the siblings made cleaning products from the aloe vera that they grew.

I love working with family-owned businesses, especially those that truly believe in what they do. Maine Root Soda Company, based right here in Austin, TX, is one of those companies.

Hey fellow Whole Bodies! Jeremiah here, the Senior Global Whole Body Coordinator. Having been in the natural products industry for 15 years I have never seen a more exciting time than now. Check out the shelves this month for all kinds of fun EXCLUSIVE products launching. Many of them are what we call "mission driven" or, in other words, they support a cause besides just making a profit.

My name is Jessica and I am the Whole Trade Guarantee Specialist. In my role I have the opportunity to promote social responsibility through the ethical sale and trade of commodity products. We donate 1% of all Whole Trade Guarantee sales to the Whole Planet Foundation, which funds micro-credit loans to women all over the world to help end world poverty.

Last year, Whole Foods Market launched a certification program called Whole Trade Guarantee, a program for sourcing socially responsible products from developing countries. Tune in to hear grocery product specialist Perry Abbenante tell us more about it.