Now that Wal-Mart Is Going Organic… What About Your Corporate Catering?

By now, you’ve likely heard the big news that Wal-Mart is investing in organic foods. And while the knee-jerk reaction in the media may have been a collectively raised eyebrow, the truth is, Wal-Mart’s move says a lot more about American culture than it does about Wal-Mart’s… and as an employer, it’s worth considering how your own workplace culture fits into the picture, particularly when it comes to your corporate catering and organics. 

Consider this: Wal-Mart’s partnership with Wild Oats, and their intention behind expanding their existing organic grocery business (permitting customers to buy organic food at non-organic prices) signals that not only is the organic food game about to change, but that the world’s largest retailer considers it a game worth playing. Organics aren’t a niche market anymore; Wal-Mart’s research shows that 91 percent of its shoppers would like to buy affordable organic food products. So Wal-Mart will do what it does best: give their customers what they want, at cheaper prices than their competitors, because they can make production less expensive and more efficient thanks to the economy of scale.

This is where your office’s corporate catering comes in. If your company hasn’t jumped on the organic food bandwagon when it comes to the office meals and business lunches you feed your staff, this Wal-Mart news should be a wake-up call: it’s not really a bandwagon anymore. If Wal-Mart customers are clamoring for organics, chances are good your staff wants to eat organic as well.

Of course, you have a bottom line to consider, too. And organic corporate catering is usually more expensive than non-organics (at least for now — some experts are predicting, however, that Wal-Mart may shift the entire landscape of organics). So even if your employees would like to eat organic at the office, is organic catering worth the increase in cost?

Scientifically, maybe. There’s little doubt that eating organic means we consume far fewer residual pesticides, but some questions remain about whether the levels we do consume with conventional foods even make a difference — and those levels vary widely depending on whether you’re talking about organic produce, meat, or dairy. The debate about organic vs. conventional in the scientific community is often heated, and rarely results in clear answers.

But a lot of people, likely including your employees, want to eat organic anyway. We want to eat less pesticide-tinged produce, we want our dairy to come from cows that haven’t been pumped full of growth hormones, and we want the animals whose meat we consume to have had a better life. And the current perception is that organic can give us what we want.

In many ways, as an employer, the people who work for you are your customers. It’s part of your job to make them feel appreciated and to keep them engaged. After all, employees who feel appreciated and engaged will work harder, be more loyal, and simply perform at a higher level than those who don’t.

If your employees do place a premium on organic food, then it might be wise to take a page from Wal-Mart: give them what they want. Organic corporate catering could be a valuable way to communicate your appreciation and boost their engagement. The cost may be a little higher, but after all, employee satisfaction is one of the best investments you can make.

You’ll find the perfect corporate catering solution for your workplace at Waiter.com — and a diverse line-up of menus to ensure everyone in the office leaves the lunch table feeling happy, well-fed, and utterly appreciated!