Woman Led: Fighting for Environmental Justice
GROW Program and Our Border Community
An important pillar of our business model is to give back to the communities we impact. We are headquartered in San Diego and form part of the bustling bi-national community on the Mexican border. To that end, it is important that we are helping shape the communities we touch in a positive manner.
Moms vs. Maquiladoras
Tijuana, one of the busiest land border crossings in the world, is also home to over 300 maquiladoras, or assembly plants. While this provides a lot of jobs, it often results in the unregulated pollution of waterways and local communities.
In the 1980s and 90s, a fierce group of stay-at-home mothers decided to fight against the contamination that was affecting their children and community in Tijuana. They banded together as Colectivo Chilpancingo, and after a decade of work, they successfully lobbied the government in closing a battery recycling plant and secured a commitment from the government to safely dispose of the over 45,000 tons of waste that the plant left behind.
Protecting Our Communities
Today, Colectivo Chilpancingo, in partnership with the Environmental Health Coalition and the GROW program, continues the fight for environmental justice, defending the right to live in healthy and sustainable communities. In 2011, the Alamar River began to be channelized, depleting the area of its natural ecosystem, an area of natural recreation, and displacing part of the community.
The unchannelized portion is one of the few lush, nature-rich areas left in Tijuana while the channelized portion has divided the Chilpancingo community. Trash and pollution now plague the once nature-rich neighborhood. The displaced families are now compelled to take up shelter in shanty towns across the channel, and women and children are forced to cross a freeway and haphazardly constructed paths to make their way across the polluted channel and into their town to work or attend school.
Through the work being done by the Environmental Health Coalition and the GROW program, we support these communities along our border in their struggle for environmental justice, improving air pollution and preserving the river.
To learn more about the work they continue to do in conjunction with the Environmental Health Coalition, you can visit their site or follow them on Instagram.
Woman Led: Meet Daniella, our General Manager
Women Making a Difference
Organics Unlimited is a proudly woman-owned and woman-led company. We believe that through diversity and inclusion in the workplace we can foster creative collaboration and empowerment that strengthens our communities and economies. To celebrate this year’s Women’s History Month we’re highlighting the women leaders that make us who we are.
Third Generation Banana Wholesaler
Daniella is the newest generation of this family business: fourth generation of organic growers in her family and the third generation of organic banana wholesalers.
A San Diego local, she started her career in advertising and dedicated seven years to developing digital marketing solutions when Facebook, Pinterest, and Snapchat’s API platforms were in their nascent stages.
In her free time, she would help out with the family business and join Mayra at industry trade shows. It was at one of these event where, upon seeing how passionate industry members were about impacting social change, that she made the leap to dedicate herself full-time to the family business. She worked her way through the different departments, learning to drive a forklift to load bananas (admittedly not her forte), coordinated warehouse operations and logistics with the farms, and contributed to marketing efforts.
What drives her is her mission to positively impact our food system. She is a firm advocate for fair pricing for growers and a decentralized food system that prioritizes local, independent farmers.
Q & A with Daniella
Why are you passionate about what you do?
Daniella: I’m passionate about contributing to a resilient, sustainable food system. At Organics Unlimited we do that by supporting a decentralized food system that supports families, small growers, and independent retailers: the heart of our communities.
Who has inspired you?
Daniella: I’m inspired by the pioneers of the Organic Movement. Folks like the Lively brothers, David Weinstein, and my own grandfather. As organic has gone “mainstream,” consolidated and absorbed by Big Ag, my intention is to continue to live by the values that drove the original movement. I do this for our communities, for our environment, and our future.
What are your hobbies? Reading and drawing! I love a good novel and on weekends you can find me at a local coffee shop drawing for hours.
What piece of advice would you give a woman who’s just started her career?
Daniella: Nobody knows what they’re doing 100% of the time, confidence matters. You don’t need to know everything to take the next step. Yes, it will feel uncomfortable but discomfort is necessary to grow, learn, and evolve in your career (and it feels SO good when you master it).
What values are most important in a leader?
Daniella: You need to be passionate and believe in what you do because that is transmitted to your team. It’s important to lead by example and walk the talk; a leader doesn’t sit back and tell people what to do, she is down in the trenches working alongside her team.
Woman Led: Meet Sophia, Operations Manager in Colima
Women Making a Difference
Organics Unlimited is a proudly woman-owned and woman-led company. We believe that through diversity and inclusion in the workplace we can foster creative collaboration and empowerment that strengthens our communities and economies. To celebrate this year’s Women’s History Month we’re highlighting the women leaders that make us who we are.
A Logistical Leader
Sophia is the Operations Manager for Tropipack, our sourcing and logistics partner in Colima. Her first role on the team was as an intern at one of our farms.
In 2020 she joined the Tropipack Team as Logistics Coordinator where she immediately stood out as a quick thinker and hard worker. She grew quickly on the team, garnering the trust of her teammates through her honesty and advocacy. In 2021 she took on the role of Operations Manager, supervising small grower relationships, and overseeing the timely and proper packing and transport of GROW bananas from farm to border.
Sophia is a serious boss lady, during her tenure on the team she has already improved internal processes and driven efficiencies throughout the operation. Her team knows her as a capable leader and avid problem solver who advocates for her people.
Q & A with Sophia
Why are you passionate about what you do?
Sophia: As a young girl I was surrounded by agriculture since most of my family is dedicated to the production of different crops. Because of this, the love, respect, and appreciation for nature and everything it gives us was instilled in me at a young age. I find no better way to honor all of my memories as a young girl on the farms with my family than to collaborate in making it possible for Mexican produce to reach other families across the globe.
Who has inspired you/who is your role model?
Sophia: The person who has helped shape me, my values, and principles, has been my mother. I am inspired by her perseverance and determination, and by the way in which she’s overcome the obstacles she’s faced throughout her life.
What are your hobbies?
Sophia: Reading, research, and learning new things. In my free time I am collaborating on a masters thesis on the development of microorganism based products that significantly improve the absorption of nutrients in plants, and promote resistance against pathogens or even directly counteract the pathogens.
What piece of advice would you give a woman who’s just started her career?
Sophia: Never stop doing what you’re passionate about, this is how you honor who you really are. Even when the journey is difficult, never stop moving and learning. It doesn’t matter if it feels like it’s moving slowly because at a certain point you’ll look back and realize how much you’ve accomplished, you’ll see all of that effort rewarded and will feel proud of yourself for everything you’ve achieved and learned in the process.
What values are most important in a leader?
Sophia: Responsibility, respect, communication, empathy, and trust. These are the basis to being a great leader because when you exemplify these values in serving your team, so too will your team be guided by these values in serving the company.
