Profile of John Mackey
Josh Friedland of The Food Section points to this gushing profile of Whole Foods Founder John Mackey, who created a one-stop shop for self-righteousness: organic produce, hormone-free meat, and sodas devoid of High Fructose Corn Syrup. The megachain is invading England now, prompting the puppy love from the Observer’s writer.
The article is mostly hosannas and angelic choirs for Whole Foods’ leader, who the author has quoting philosophy and keeping it real with low-end vehicle rentals and cheap hotels. But the reader gets a peek at dissenting views: Mackey’s anti-union stance, competitive corporate culture, and silent ballot in-or-out votes before new employees can move from probation to hired staff. The piece doesn’t mention the extensive list of other complaints that Whole Workers Unite maintains. Nor does it mention how locally owned organic grocers have gone out of business when Whole Foods moves into the market the older store created.
Read the one-sided piece to get a view into Whole Foods’ history.
Actually, Whole Foods STILL stocks soda with High Fructose Corn Syrup, like Hansens. They also STILL stock lemonade with HFCS, such as Newman’s Own. And, still, more than half of their produce is conventional, not organic.