Results of the natural products industry Diversity Benchmarking Survey

In 2019, as a first step in our J.E.D.I Collaborative work, we co-created a 5-minute benchmarking survey in partnership with New Hope Network & Informa Markets. The goal of the survey was to get accurate benchmark data on the current diversity makeup of the U.S. natural products industry. The survey window was open from September 2019-December 2019 and more than 200 companies completed the survey.

The results of this survey were shared at our leadership launch event in April 2020. The data confirmed that we have a lot of work to do in fostering greater diversity and inclusion throughout our industry. The results of the survey show that our industry leadership teams and boards are primarily run by white men. Smaller companies have higher representation of women and people of color than larger companies to date. Our industry also often targets a majority white consumer, which leaves out a huge percentage of the population of people interested in natural products. 

What’s clear is we need to do better. We need better representation in our organizations, in our marketing efforts, in our supply partnerships and in our consumer base. While this is only one small piece of J.E.D.I work, it is something we will actively monitor over the years.