• June 16, 2013

In a move intended to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees and other pollinators, Whole Foods Markets offered shoppers in University Heights, RI, store a grim reality check: They walk in to see empty shelves, with 52% of products yanked from shelves. The stunt is intended to raise awareness that one out of three bites of food comes from plants that require insect pollination, requiring the team to yank 237 of its 453 produce offerings, including all apples, onions, carrots, cucumbers, lemon and celery.

The Austin, Tex.-based retailer is also kicking off a partnership with The Xerces Society, and donating a dime to the group for every pound of organic summer squash it sells though much of June. (Xerces works to preserve many species of pollinators.)