A Maitland businessman opened the door to allow his staff to take part in the global climate strike movement on Friday.
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Organic Feast's Brent Fairns said climate change was "the issue of our time" and his staff had a right to take part and support the cause.
He wanted to close the store for the day and strike himself, but as a small business owner with many obligations it just wasn't possible.
So, he did the next best thing. He allowed his staff to strike - taking leave without pay for the day, and he coined a plan to give back to the environment.
He will donate money to plant native trees in the Maitland area. The trees will eventually create habitat, shade, improve the soil and contribute to creating a better environment. He urged other businesses to follow suit.
"If you are like me and could not afford to take the time off, but would like to contribute, I will accept donations of any size to purchase trees. I have spoken to a couple of local organisations who would be thrilled to receive more native trees to create habitat for wildlife," Mr Fairns said.
It's a small gesture but I believe if all businesses were to do something similar, we can collectively make a huge difference. Organic Feast recognises that climate science is real, based in observation and fact, and recognises anecdotal evidence from farmers, suppliers and the broader business community.
Mr Fairns has relied on clean and organic food, regenerative agriculture and nutrition to build his business over the past 21 years.
He said the effects of climate change would be detrimental to his business in the future.
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"We recognise that the effects of climate change will severely impede our ability to provide clean, abundant and ethical food to our customers," he said.
"That is why we fully supported and encouraged the climate strike.
"The magnitude of the crisis warrants our full attention and efforts to affect immediate change to a more sustainable world for current and future generations."
Mr Fairns said our current lifestyle was unsustainable and we all had to do what we could to turn our future around.
"The world's present lifestyle is estimated to be consuming almost 3 earths," he said.
"It is clearly unsustainable and the impacts are evident on climate and life on earth. There is an estimated 30 to 50 percent of all species that are possibly heading toward extinction by mid-century."
Belinda-Jane Davis
Passionate about community news
Passionate about community news
