United Natural Foods Celebrates 50 Years of Partnership and Purpose

UNFI Foundation makes commitment to award $2 million to nonprofits advancing access to healthy, sustainable food in 2026

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) today announced that the UNFI Foundation’s new “50 for 50” initiative will award 50 grants to nonprofit organizations covering all 50 U.S. states in 2026. In honor of UNFI’s 50^th anniversary, the Foundation plans to distribute a total of $2 million to programs that strengthen local food systems across the U.S. and Canada.

The UNFI Foundation awards its first “50 for 50” grant to representatives from Food Finders at UNFI’s Spring & Summer Selling Show in Long Beach, Calif. To celebrate UNFI’s 50th anniversary, the Foundation will distribute 50 grants covering all 50 U.S. states throughout 2026.

The announcement was made during UNFI’s first Spring and Summer Selling Show of 2026 in Long Beach, Calif., honoring the state where UNFI was founded in 1976. At the show, UNFI Chief Executive Officer Sandy Douglas and UNFI Co-Founder and Board Member Michael Funk joined 3,500 of the Company’s retail customers, suppliers, and community partners to celebrate five decades of partnership and purpose.

“For 50 years, UNFI has believed that better food builds stronger communities,” said Sandy Douglas, UNFI CEO. “As we mark this milestone, we want to honor the people and partners who share that belief and work every day to make our industry vibrant, resilient, and sustainable. The UNFI Foundation’s ‘50 for 50’ initiative is another way to recognize this work – and invest in a better shared future.”

Douglas, Funk, and UNFI Foundation Chair Matt Echols presented the first “50 for 50” grant — a $10,000 donation — to Food Finders, a Southern California nonprofit that recovers surplus, wholesome food and redistributes it to communities facing food insecurity. In 2024 alone, Food Finders rescued more than 15 million pounds of food, turning potential waste into millions of meals.

“We’re honored to be the first grantee of the UNFI Foundation’s ‘50 for 50’ initiative,” said Diana Lara, Executive Director of Food Finders. “This support helps us continue expanding our food recovery efforts and ensures more families across Southern California have access to nutritious meals.”

UNFI Honors Legacy Partners: Sacramento Natural Foods Co‑op and Lundberg Family Farms

As part of the celebration, UNFI also recognized two long‑standing partners with the Michael Funk Legacy Award, honoring businesses that have paved the way in innovation and sustainability across the food retail industry.

• Sacramento Natural Foods Co‑op, one of UNFI’s earliest customers, was honored for its decades‑long commitment to local farmers, sustainable practices, and community education.
• Lundberg Family Farms, a UNFI supplier since 1976, was recognized for its multigenerational leadership in organic rice production, regenerative agriculture, and environmental stewardship.

“UNFI has been a trusted partner to our business for nearly five decades,” said Brian Munn, President & General Manager of Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. “From our early days as a small buying club to the co-op we are today, UNFI has consistently supported our mission, our growth, and our commitment to local and sustainable food. We’re honored to receive the Michael Funk Legacy Award and appreciate the role UNFI continues to play in supporting our cooperative food systems.”

“Our industry has long been shaped by pioneers who believed in doing the right thing — for people and for the planet,” said Michael Funk. “Partners like Sacramento Natural Foods Co‑op and Lundberg Family Farms have helped transform natural and organic food from a movement to the mainstream, and UNFI is proud to have supported their growth along the way.”

Connecting the Food Retail Industry to Better Food and Innovative Solution

UNFI’s West Spring and Summer Selling Show in Long Beach brought together more than 1,700 retail representatives and over 1,800 supplier brands across natural, organic, fresh, specialty, and conventional categories. Exhibitors showcased thousands of innovative products designed to help retailers prepare for the upcoming seasons.

UNFI will host its Central/East Spring and Summer Show February 11-12, 2026, in Orlando, Fla.

About UNFI

UNFI is North America's premier grocery wholesaler delivering the widest variety of fresh, branded, and owned brand products to more than 30,000 locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, ecommerce providers, and food service customers. UNFI also provides a broad range of value-added services and segmented marketing expertise, including proprietary technology, data, market insights, and shelf management to help customers and suppliers build their businesses and brands. As the largest full-service grocery partner in North America, UNFI is committed to building a food system that is better for all and is uniquely positioned to deliver great food, more choices, and fresh thinking to customers. To learn more, visit www.unfi.com.

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Source: United Natural Foods, Inc.