Newport Beach-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) has boosted locally sourced produce purchases.
The company’s 2019 sustainability report shows a 20% increase in such buying. That’s a move from 29 million pounds to 35.5 million pounds of produce bought from small- to medium-sized farms. The growth flows from a 2016 Chipotle initiative to back local growers.
The chain also intends to keep pumping money into local farms with details Friday on $250,000 in grants for 50 farmers via a partnership between its Chipotle Cultivate Foundation and the National Young Farmers Coalition.
The two groups have given more than $500,000 so far to education, scholarships and other support for farmers.
A separate accelerator program, Chipotle Aluminaries Project 2.0, run by the Foundation and Denver-based social impact nonprofit Uncharted, will this month name eight organizations to participate in the program this year.
The accelerator aims to mentor farming innovations.
