CEO speaks on his eco-friendly business

Gary Hirshberg, the president and chief executive officer of Stonyfield Farms, addressed a group of about 35 Wharton graduate students in Vance Hall yesterday. The Stonyfield Farms corporation, a major manufacturer of yogurt based in New Hampshire, is a leader in the search for new methods of money-making that are as environmentally friendly as they are profitable. Hirshberg, an environmental educator turned businessman, discussed the radical image environmentalism possessed when he first became involved in business in the 1970s, an image that made it easy for businesses to dismiss environmental causes as being economically non-viable. "I started at a time when, unlike President Clinton, most of us weren't exhaling," he joked. Changing to a more serious tone, Hirshberg pointed out the energy waste that he said characterized the food industry. "We're investing 30 calories of fossil fuel energy to get one calorie of food out," said Hirshberg, whose company currently uses two calories of fossil fuel for the same output. He then went on to explain the importance of soil conservation to the Stonyfield method of organic farming. "The whole basis of organic farming is forming the soil," he said. Emphasizing the difference between his environmentally friendly strategy and the chemical-reliant ones employed by other food producers, he mentioned the Kraft Foods display at the Land Pavilion in Disney World's Epcot Center. "The message was, basically, buy Velveeta and leave the food growing to us," he commented. Hirshberg also discussed the financially desperate situation of Stonyfield Farms when he first began the corporation. "We literally started without a nickel in our pockets," he said. As a result of these financial difficulties, his company was forced to look for novel ways of advertising. "I don't advertise -- I put our mission on our lids," he said. The Stonyfield yogurt lids have advocated numerous political causes over the years, including a campaign for gun safety. "We give out 10,000 trigger-locks a year now for free," Hirshberg said. Stonyfield Farms has been a leader in finding new ways of both increasing efficiency and helping the ecosystem. Some of these methods include using light-weight packaging, producing less trash and saving money. Hirshberg wrapped up by discussing the importance of family farms to the Stonyfield organic approach. "Only when someone is close to the land, smelling the air and drinking the water, will things happen," he said. Many of the students in attendance were impressed by Hirshberg's environmentally friendly approach. "I think he's a business leader. He's found a way that's not only good for the consumer, good for the environment, but that is good for profit," said Andrew Scheffer, a Wharton student pursuing a master's in business administration. Convinced by Hirshberg's success, Travis Katz, a Wharton graduate student and co-president of Net Impact, a student group for increasing business activity in helping resolve social issues, spoke of the viability of these ecological business methods. "I think it seems from what he's saying that these things aren't just good for the planet, but it's also good business strategy," Katz said.

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