Today, the CEO of the organic yogurt company ” Stonyfield Farm ” is offering a new business model for America. One that is clean, green and provides a return on investment.

Wednesday evening, Hirshberg will discuss the financial advantages of eco-friendly businesses as part of ” The Nature of Things ” lecture series, sponsored by the Utah Museum of Natural History.
Hirshberg, 55, has overseen the growth of Stonyfield Farm from a seven cow organic farming school in 1983 to a company with $300 million in annual sales. He also is profiled in the Oscar nominated documentary ” Food, Inc., ” and is author of ” In Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World. ”

Hirshberg presents evidence that businesses not only can save the planet, but they can also simultaneously deliver higher growth and superior profits.

” Running a green business is not just an ethically and environmentally responsible activity, it is the basis for economic growth in the 21st century, ” he said in a telephone interview from his office in New Hampshire.

America has a long tradition of making products as cheaply as possible and then spending heavily on advertising and selling. But China has surpassed the U.S. manufacturing sector, “so now we must use a different approach,” he said. Businesses can reap profits by reducing costly carbon footprints and making sustainable investments.

Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, seeks to reduce its carbon emissions by 25 percent and double the fuel efficiency of its mammoth, 6,900-truck fleet, which consumes more than 134 million gallons of diesel fuel each year, Hirshbert said. It also aims to reduce energy use by 20 to 30 % in its more than 6,600 big-box stores.

Many organic dairy farmers also are making more money than their traditional counterparts. Last year, milk prices hit a 30 year low, forcing many farmers to shut down operations or borrow to keep them running. At the same time, organic dairy farmers were getting prices up to 120 % higher than market.

” People will buy if there’s a perception of value, ” he said. ” Even in tough times, the cheapest products may not sell. That’s why Apple is doing so well in this economy. In the case of organic products, [ some ] consumers pay more because they’ll have lower health-care costs. ”

Additionally, the sustainable organic system avoided the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that pollute the soil, water air, and food.

Companies can take baby steps by employing simple conservation methods, such as using energy-efficient light bulbs. But Hirshberg said conservation is not enough.

” We are not going to conserve or reduce our way out of this economic quandary. We must also do restorative work, such as rebuilding our topsoil. We’ve also sent a lot of carbon into the atmosphere. No matter the industry, we can regain control of our economic destiny with new ways of thinking. “