), each product on The Shelf is there to help shoppers cut through the green- and virtue-washed labels. “I went out into the world specifically looking for women- and BIPOC-led food brands who I felt set the bar really high in four main categories: Packaging, conservation, agriculture, and upcycling,” Paknad says.
Currently, 83 percent of products on The Shelf are women-owned, and 33 percent are founded by people of color. The decision to include diversity as a curation metric was a no-brainer for Paknad, who is Iranian American. Before starting Goldune, she rarely saw herself or her family represented in marketing campaigns for sustainable products like, as she puts it, “waifish white influencers hawking $600 hemp pants that only go up to a size 8.” So she created the store she wished existed.
But back to the snacks. Each brand you’ll find on The Shelf is taking a different approach to address the climate crisis. Though, Paknad says, they all have one thing in common: “They chose the future and they chose to be part of the solution, even when it's hard.” So, the
Beeeyyoooond tickled that y'all cosigned our sustainable snack line-up. 💜💜💜💜💜