Bringing Passionate Ideals to the Marketplace

Nutiva began in 1999 as an idea in the mind of John W. Roulac, the author of four books on home composting and industrial hemp. Nutiva is the third successful business John has founded since jumpstarting the modern home-composting movement in the early 1990s with his best-selling book, Backyard Composting. That book has sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Popularizing Hemp Foods
Nutiva introduced America’s first hemp food bar at a time when the extraordinary nutritional value and ecological benefits of hemp foods were little known. The hemp food bars earned Nutiva a welcome place on the shelves of health food stores across the nation. Nutiva then introduced other superfoods that included hemp oil, shelled hemp seeds, and hemp protein powder—which in 2003 was awarded the title Best New Supplement at the Natural Products Expo Show in Washington, DC.

Defusing Government Backlash
Nutiva’s success in the marketplace sparked a government backlash based on misinformation and prejudice dating from the 1930s. Drug enforcement agencies and US Customs seized hemp food shipments from Canada in the mistaken belief that hemp foods were drug-related. In a united effort with customers and the entire industrial hemp industry, Nutiva launched a grassroots campaign and a challenge in the courts that resulted in the end of the government embargo and cleared the way for hemp foods to appear on grocery shelves across the nation.

Fast Company magazine honored Nutiva in March 2005 in recognition of its victory in this David vs. Goliath struggle.

Nutiva continues to innovate with organic superfoods, including our organic extra-virgin coconut oil, which has unique health benefits.

Nutiva’s sales have doubled in each year since 2003. Next year Nutiva will use more than two million pounds of organic hempseed to supply 3,000 natural food stores in the US and Europe, including Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and The Vitamin Shoppe.

 

A Values-driven Business
Nutiva brings higher standards of quality and ethics to the food industry. As John Roulac says, “We realize that making a reasonable profit enables the company to grow, yet profits can’t be placed above the health and welfare of people or the planet.”

Nutiva was one of the first food companies to place the Non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) symbol on its labels.

As an expression of its corporate citizenship, Nutiva donates 1 percent of its sales to organizations such as the Land Institute, Bioneers, and the Watts Garden Club that promote sustainable agriculture.