To address issues of racial injustice, we all need to take collective action to build the type of systems we want to see. Words mean nothing unless we change our behavior. We commit to progress, action, and accountability. We commit to being actively anti-racist.

This will take time and hard work and we commit to both. We will develop concrete goals and progress metrics, but first need to take the time to determine, with third party support, what they should be. You can expect to hear more in the coming weeks as we begin.

Here is how we’re getting to work:

Supporting Black Communities

• This work cannot begin without a strong, foundational understanding of racism in America. Imperfect is collecting and sharing resources that amplify Black voices so our community can read, listen, and learn as a step toward racial justice. Dedicated time for employee education, particularly around race as it intersects with food and farming, will be put in place.

• We are making financial donations and matching employee gifts up to $10,000 to the NAACP and Appetite for Change, an organization that uses food to create health, wealth, and social change in North Minneapolis.

• We will seek opportunities to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to offer internships and encourage entrepreneurship in the food and sustainability sectors.

Improving Internal Practices

• We will create an independent Diversity and Inclusion Board to audit our internal policies and processes to ensure equal opportunity and fairness. Additionally, an expert third party will be hired to conduct an internal audit of our practices and diversity efforts.

• 19.2% of all our employees are Black and 66.1% are non-white, but our senior leadership team does not reflect the same level of representation. Effective immediately, we are mandating diverse candidate slates for all senior hires, independently audited by the Diversity and Inclusion Board, adjusting recruiting timelines, and guaranteeing equal pay for equal work.

• All people managers and the leadership team will go through anti-racist and implicit bias training programs with bi-annual refreshers.

• We will publish an annual public impact report tracking our progress in areas such as employee and applicant demographics, marketing, hiring, sourcing practices, partner relationships, and our support of organizations fighting for racial justice. Our hope is that our employees, customers and community hold us accountable.

Sourcing to Promote Racial Justice

• We will develop and grow long-term relationships with Black-owned farms and producers as part of our sourcing strategy.

• We are implementing a Code of Conduct for our growers and suppliers to ensure that our partners share our commitment to racial justice. There will be clear consequences for partners who violate this Code of Conduct.

We are committed to change and we will not settle. Thank you for accompanying us on this journey and keeping us accountable.