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Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/195987
HEAVENLY ORGANICS Growing up near the border of northern India, Amit Hooda saw how difficult life could be. That's why he works with struggling communities to produce honey. PHOTO: HEAVENLY ORGANICS Creating ethical jobs in conflict-stricken regions Opportunity knocks… The foundation of Amit "Once we empowered Hooda's work is the belief that ethics help bring peace. conscientious people "That's what motivated us," says Hooda, to create a with this ethical business model in conflict zones, "where people can make their living through ethical means instead of livelihood, they changed jumping into drug trade, arms trade and prostitution." the family. Once a Two factors played a role in choosing honey as the few families changed, star product. In 2005, when the company was founded, then the whole village demand was growing for organic and non-GMO prodwanted to change." ucts. Hooda also knew the fastest route to employment was to give people work they already knew how to do. In the Himalayas, wild honey was already being harvested by local villages, and its pristine origin stood up to organic standards. Lessons in sustainability… Existing practices for harvesting wild honey were disruptive to the environment and inefficient, so Hooda gathered experts to establish new ones. His team trained harvesters to work at night, when bees are less active, and to cut the hive in a way that left the queen bee undisturbed; they also provided protective suits to minimize injury. "Now they get three times the money from the same hive than they used to get before," since the hive stays intact, notes Hooda. Building credibility… Entering a conflict-stricken region with the promise of money and security wasn't an easy sell. "We were dealing with a lot of broken people who were living out of fear," Hooda explains. Some early suppliers took advantage, filling tins with bricks instead of honey, knowing that containers went unchecked. In the end, though, patience paid off. Hooda's team sought out individuals within families—mostly women, he says—who wanted to make an honest living. "Once we empowered those conscientious people with this ethical livelihood, they pretty much changed the family," he says. "Once a few families changed, then the whole village wanted to change." Working with farmers in northern and central India, Hooda has seen conditions vastly improve, with communities moving closer to cities, more children going to school and amenities becoming more affordable. Earnings have swelled: in the span of three months, Hooda says, a family can make five times more than what they'd previously make in a year. Delivering accessible change… Heavenly Organics has expanded its line to include sugar, condensed milk, chocolate products, and soon an energy bar, using the Himalayan honey. Low prices are a big part of Hooda's strategy. He believes supporting social and environmental causes shouldn't be a luxury. As he puts it, "We want to be known as a company that provides healthy foods and allows every individual to fulfill their social responsibility at a very low cost."—E.M. 24 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com PAPA BEN'S KITCHEN Promoting Holocaust education These cookies are a testament to those who survived the Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau concentration camps—and a way of honoring those who did not. Keeping the memory alive… Ben Lesser, the family patriarch, was born in Poland in 1928, the son of a baker and chocolatier. Most of his family was killed in the Holocaust, but he managed to survive the Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau concentration camps and immigrate to the United States. He married, raised a family, had a successful real estate business and, along the way, rediscovered his passion for baking, using skills he'd learned from his father. He also spoke frequently to school and church groups about the Holocaust. In 2008, at "Papa" Ben's 80th birthday party, his daughter Gail Lesser-Gerber gave him 1,000 commemorative pins to hand out to students and others who attended his talks. "The response was so overwhelming," says Lesser-Gerber. "After his speeches, it seemed to have so much meaning for the students to have this memento as a reminder of what they had learned, to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive." The Los Angeles–based family established the Zachor Foundation (zachor means "remember" in Hebrew) to support Ben and other speakers, but realized they needed a way to finance the thousands of Zachor pins they were giving out. The solution was Papa Ben's Kitchen, which would draw on Papa Ben's Kitchen sells mandelbroyt to finance Zachor remembrance pins for students who hear Ben Lesser speak about the Holocaust.