The award honors the state's outstanding organizations and individuals who demonstrate a commitment to ethical business practices in the workplace, the marketplace, the environment and the community. A partnership among the Rotary Club of Portland, Willamette University, Samaritan Counseling Center and the Portland Business Journal is behind the award.
According to the Oregon Ethics in Business Web site, "Pacific Natural Foods has a variety of programs in place which go above and beyond compliance expectations for a food processing company…In 1997 PNF established a rigorous, extensive, comprehensive program called 'Certified to the Source' which is designed to document the true origins of their food. Not willing to live with the damage done to the word 'organic' over the past several years, PNF wants to know for themselves where their food comes from."
PNF is a producer of prepared organic foods such as soups, soymilk, nut and grain beverages, and iced tea.