Building community is at the core of our vision, which we deliver through education, outreach and giving. We are proud to donate a percentage of our annual profits back to the community. We support groups and organizations that promote: Co-operative Development, Organic Agriculture, Community Projects, Environmental Preservation, Healthy Food Programs.

Growing from 9 founding partners to a thriving worker-owned business, The Big Carrot is run in the same democratic manner as when we first opened. We are Canada’s largest worker owned natural food market and continue to set standards for quality and selection of natural foods while observing a worker-owner model. The first Big Carrot location opened on the Danforth in 1983. By 1987 we had moved across the street into the community hub now known as the Carrot Common. We opened our second location in the Beaches in 2018.

We are committed not only to providing healthy options, but supporting and building healthier food systems. Through collaboration, funding, and education we support systems that are better for people and the planet.

We consider ourselves organic stewards - protecting the hard work of all the farmers before us. Our produce department is all organic (with a handful of wild, seasonal items). We prioritize organic in all of our purchasing decisions. We've donated over a million dollars to organic farms, organizations and education events over the last 15 years.

The Big Carrot has been advocating against GMOs in our food system since 1999. During our three-decade commitment to this movement, one of our proudest accomplishments is being a founding member of the Non-GMO Project. The Project's non-profit mission is to preserve and build sources of non-GMO products and provide verified non-GMO choices. In 2007, we re-affirmed this commitment by creating a store policy to prioritize the purchasing of Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified products. Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified is always the best way to avoid GMOs - that is why we offer over 7,000 products that are verified to one of both of these programs.

As a worker-owned system, we value products that are produced in a system that fairly compensates the growers. The Big Carrot is committed to carrying Fairly Traded products that support social justice and fair labour. We only sell Fair Trade organic coffee (bag, bulk or freshly brewed) and cane sugar. In addition to these categories we offer hundreds of products throughout the store that carry one of the third party verifications for fair trade including: teas, chocolate, shea butter, soaps, tropical fruit, quinoa, nut seed oils and spices.

The Big Carrot has been a champion of local producers from the beginning. Many of our current farm relationships date back to the early 80's. We remain deeply committed to the development and success of Ontario's food economy and always prioritize the purchasing of local food and goods that are in line with our standards and values.

Part of our commitment to local food is helping shoppers make informed decisions about where their food comes from.

All of our fresh and frozen seafood at The Big Carrot is Ocean Wise approved. Ocean Wise approved seafood ensures research has been conducted to show that this fish/seafood is abundant, well managed and caught by fishing methods that minimize impacts on non-target species as well as the surrounding habitat. We partner with Ocean Wise, Canada’s leading ocean conservation organization, to make it easier than ever for our shoppers to enjoy sustainably-caught seafood, while making the best choice for the health of our lakes rivers and oceans.

At The Big Carrot, we promote livestock production that is sustainable and healthy for all involved: from farmers to their animals, communities and our consumers. We prioritize small Ontario family farms as well as organic and pastured meat. Meat from intensive factory farms or feedlots, the use of synthetic hormones and antibiotics in the feed is prohibited. In all areas of the store we strive to offer choices that are both in line with our values and respect the fact that many shoppers are seeking an economical way to stretch their food dollars. When it comes to animal products we offer three categories: Organic, Pastured or Grass Fed and Raised without hormones or antibiotics. Visit our Buying Guides for more details.