Whole Trade™ Guarantee

The Whole Trade™ Guarantee is Whole Foods Market's proprietary certification program for products sold in its stores. To earn the label, products must meet standards across four areas: product quality, fair pricing for producers, decent wages and working conditions for workers, and environmental responsibility. The program applies primarily to imported goods from developing countries.

To support the credibility of the program, Whole Foods partners with established third-party organizations — TransFair USA and the Rainforest Alliance — to verify compliance and ensure transparency throughout the supply chain. This makes the certification more than a self-imposed label, grounding it in recognized external standards for fair trade and sustainability.

A social impact component is also built into the program: one percent of proceeds from Whole Trade certified products is directed to the Whole Planet Foundation, which funds micro-loan programs in developing countries. Whole Foods has set a goal of certifying at least half of its imported products from those countries under this program within ten years. It is relevant to producers, manufacturers, and agricultural suppliers in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States who sell or seek to sell through Whole Foods Market.