Wal-Mart: Syndicated Farms

In September 2008, Wal-Mart started to purchase produce from two "direct farms" in Guizhou and Dalian to ensure quality and cut cost. The Guizhou farm supplies vegetables for Wal-Mart's 17 super centers in Southwest China. The most precious resource in agriculture, obviously, is water. Over the next two years, Wal-Mart China aims to halve water use by installing water-conservation fixtures in bathrooms, kitchens, and maintenance closets. Wal-Mart now requires all its suppliers to become 20% more energy-efficient by 2012.