Did the Election of Joe Biden & Kamala Harris Give Us a Mandate?

By MaryAnne Howland

An unprecedented 79 million voters gave Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the White House. With an electoral college win of 306 to 232, it is considered a landslide tally according to the GOP when referring to their victory in 2016. Indeed, this year yielded the highest number of votes in a presidential election in history. But is it a mandate? Despite this remarkable feat, 73 million people voted for the incumbent, whose hallmark in his 4-year record in office is a divisive and retaliatory agenda. We have our work cut out for us.

We are in a pandemic-ridden economy with an assault on our businesses, our environment, our healthcare system, our human rights and even our democracy itself all at the same time. The last four years of emboldened practices of dehumanization and delegitimization of norms and laws has triggered a need for healing in the way that our country has never seen before. As we move toward building an economic system that works for all, reimagining anti-racist, economic and environmentally just solutions, we must move beyond ideals and promises. Our solutions need to become policy.

Fair and just legislation that impacts our lives and livelihood requires public policy that protects the common good. Fair and just business practices require corporate policy that creates common ground, a level playing field, and promotes a culture of dignity and respect.

There is a responsibility and an opportunity for the natural products industry to play a strategic role in healing our nation. Intrinsic is our commitment to developing, supporting and advancing transformational public and corporate policy.

When we embed our values of anti-isms within our own businesses to address racial inequalities and eliminate disparities with how we hire, who we hire, our supply chain, and our community stewardship, along with a timeline, measurement, transparency, and a budget, they become corporate policy. We are accountable.

The Biden/Harris administration is right there with us. The incoming administration pledges to build back better with policies such as the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure women are paid equally for equal work; Police Reform legislation that impacts your diverse workforce; laws to prevent and reverse environmental damage and toxicity in vulnerable communities; and eliminate systemic shocks, persistent stressors, and pandemics that disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income communities.

The merger of American Sustainable Business Council and Social Venture Circle, who’ve represented the natural products industry for over a decade, has formed the largest collective of social impact and sustainable business leaders in the US. We are using our voice, our dollar, and our vote to support economic equity, racial justice, climate change, and all of the above to hold the government accountable. We recognize that the path to systemic solutions requires civic engagement, and as business leaders we have made a pledge to get engaged, take bold action, and join the revolution to build back better from the inside out. Together. Join us.

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