Our Mission & Principles
Our Mission
Our mission is to illuminate the crucial role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in long-term health while providing accessible, high-quality hemp-based food products rich in these vital nutrients. By fostering awareness and offering innovative solutions, we empower individuals to optimize their well-being and thrive.
Our Principles
Transparency: We are an open book. Anyone can ask us where we have sourced our raw materials from. We'll provide you with a list of all the ingredients used in our products.
We're not hiding anything behind the phrase "proprietary formula", which permits manufacturers to withhold important information about what's really in their product. We welcome your curiosity.
Community: At Hemp & Co, we believe in food integrity. That means, wherever possible, we seek out food that is grown locally first. Food creates community. It's important to know who has grown our food and what their principles are. Food can never be better than the farming that produced it.
Industrialisation & the Age of Nutritionism: Industrialisation of our agriculture has had a deleterious effect on our long-term health and the health of our planet. Consequent to industrialisation is the age of nutritionism. With the age of nutritionism we have lost our sense of food identity.
As an ideology the central premise of nutritionism is the nutrient. Fish, chicken, and beef are merely delivery systems for the fats and proteins and whatever other nutrients we need.
Instead of keeping our food culture alive, we’ve placed it squarely in the hands of science and marketing. Instead of eating food we eat nutrients. Now we no longer know what’s good for us, struggle to make sense of the prodigious amount of diet information and don’t know who to trust.
Industrialisation, innovation, technology, and globalisation are as unalterable as the weather. We recognise this. However, we believe there is a point where food science and technology no longer serve the common good. We believe we have reached this point.
As much as possible our products will be handmade and fresh. Within the bounds of safety, regulation, and health, we will keep our products as close to their natural state as possible. And ensure our processing methods have minimal environmental impact.
Information credibility: Information provided has been carefully researched. I have only published information from respected leaders and experts in their field. Any claims I make about the benefits of a food have come from cited human (not animal) studies. Also, I have considered ‘conflict of interests’ when recommending a particular article or study.
Environment: We are committed to doing our part to understand the impact our activities have on the environment. We are committed to knowing where our ingredients and materials have come from, and ensuring you, our valued customer, are clear on how to dispose of purchases you make from us. We consider the environment in all that we do as a business.
We do our best to buy local products, however New Zealand is an island, and as such we are reliant on importing certain goods. We can’t escape this. However, we endeavor to keep this to a minimum and we do our best to make sure the integrity of our international partners is aligned with our own.
As an individual, I am conscious of the impact I have on the environment. To this end I do my best to 'make do' where possible, to minimise my consumptiion level, to buy from my local farmers market as much as possible, and bike to the shops when I can.
Suppliers: Were geographically possible we will get to know our suppliers first-hand. We want to look them in the eye whilst asking those probing questions. We want to partner with companies that share our values and beliefs.