GreenCentryFunds

Whole Foods Market Inc.

Founded in 1980 as one small store in Austin, Texas with 19 employees, Whole Foods Market Inc.* is now the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, with approximately 160 stores in North America and the United Kingdom and nearly 27,000 employees.

By helping to stimulate demand for organic foods, Whole Foods has played a major role in spurring the use of agricultural techniques that help to protect the environment. According to the Whole Foods web site, the company "works closely with farmers to develop sustainable agricultural methods that will help to eliminate harmful pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides from our environment and food chain. We are also a major outlet for produce from small, family-run local and regional farms." Whole Foods was America's first nationally "Certified Organic" grocer, with stores certified by Quality Assurance International.

The company also has a program to promote sustainable fishing and is in the early stages of a comprehensive effort to help protect farm animal welfare. In addition, Whole Foods has been lobbying for rules requiring the labeling of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients.

In terms of operations, Whole Foods has a decentralized management structure that allows stores significant autonomy. As a result, while all stores have recycling programs, many of the company's environmental achievements occur on a store-by-store basis. For example, a few stores have installed solar panels that provide approximately 20% of their electric demand. The Las Vegas store was contructed of "green and sustainable materials throughout," according to the company. Several stores operate composting programs for vegetable waste. And a group of Whole Foods stores in the Midwest purchases enough wind energy to rank Whole Foods among the top ten wind energy purchasers in the U.S.

* As of March 31, 2010, Whole Foods Market Inc. comprised 0.54% of the Green Century Balanced Fund and 0.11% of the Green Century Equity Fund. Portfolio composition will change due to ongoing management of the Funds. References to specific investments should not be construed as a recommendation of the securities by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.