There are two ways to approach the resurgence of the heated discussion on novel food in Europe; one cautious and one more ideological.

A debate has been raging in Italy over the past few weeks and no, its not on whether the real parmesan is from Wisconsin, as argued in a recent viral interview.

At the end of March, the countrys right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni put forward a number of draft laws proposing a ban on cell-based or cultured meat and stricter labelling rules for insect-based products.

In the Italian public debate, cultured meat is labelled as synthetic meat, which conjures up an image of plastic or something inedible.

The term arguably does not make much sense from a scientific point of view since it is cultivated in laboratories from natural cells and not assembled from polymers.

But synthetic meat has become an obsession for the executive, with Italys Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida reiterating at every opportunity that this technology puts at risk both health of citizens and Italys gastronomic heritage.

A couple of weeks ago, the issue reached the podium of the European Commissions daily briefing with the press.

What were talking about here is novel food. Now, insects and cultured meat are examples of novel food, the European Commission spokesperson in charge of food safety Stefan de Keersmaecker told reporters.

Novel food is defined in Europe as food that has not been consumed to a significant degree before 15 May 1997, the day when the first regulation on novel food came into force.

The main principle behind the regulation is having a marketing authorisation process to ensure the safety of these products, which include now popular foodstuffs such as chia seeds or vitamin K2.

Indeed, all types of novel foods must be strictly assessed by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before being placed on the market.

This pretty temporal definition of novel food always made me think of a famous line in a book by Michael Pollan, perhaps one of the best food journalists in the business.

In his In Defense of Food, Pollan gives a tip not to eat anything your great-grandmother wouldnt recognise as food.

It might sound a bit extreme, but he has a point.

Many out there are actually afraid of novel food for a simple reason: At this point, we would have already known if a certain traditional food could bring harm to human health.

Since we havent had enough time to prove the safety of novel foods, the EU adds an additional layer to their safety assessment.

But the Commission has not yet received any request for placing any type of cultured meats on the market in the EU.

Still, the discussion is not purely theoretical and such requests will, sooner or later, arrive on EFSAs table.

Two weeks ago, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) released their much-awaited first report on the safety aspects of the cultured meat industry.

This is the first contribution on the matter, and it also acknowledges that a limited amount of information and data on the food safety aspects of cell-based foods to support regulators in making informed decisions.

But there is another reason why people might be afraid of novel food, which is purely cultural, if not ideological.

The defence of food tradition has always been present in Italy, but it reached a new peak with the current government, which has adopted a very conservative stance on the matter.

A slide towards the so-called gastronationalism is something that political analysts should take into consideration ahead of the EU elections in 2024 since big constituencies in Europe depend on farmers and food producers in general.

Novel food is not just something to be scared of or suspicious about.

It also represents a drive for innovation in food production, with a potential contribution to the outstanding issues of feeding a growing population and increasing the sustainability of the food systems.

A cautious approach to novel foods safety is understandable and necessary. But an ideological defence of food tradition could actually deprive us of tools to reach these targets.

By Gerardo Fortuna

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Todays edition is powered by Solidaridad

The EU Deforestation Regulation: The challenge and importance of inclusive implementation in palm oil

Recommendations to the EU to ensure a just transition.

Find out more >>

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EU calls for more science-based measures to curb harmful fishing devicesThe EU justified its decision to step out of a landmark agreement to curb harmful fishing devices in the Indian Ocean, citing a lack of scientific assessment, but the explanation was deemed hypocritical by ocean conservation groups. Paula Andrs has more.

Austria wants food labelling transparency amid likely gene editing deregulationThe European Commission must implement a safety assessment of genetically modified products and maintain mandatory labelling, Austrian Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler and Consumer Protection Minister Johannes Rauch said in a letter to EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides as Brussels is expected to push for the deregulation new genomic techniques. Learn more.

Voices from the field: The future of Irelands sustainable farming. Tucked away in the heart of Ireland in the sleepy rural village of Cloughjordan, youll find an eco village which hosts Feeding Ourselves, an annual gathering of farmers and environmentalists to discuss the future of sustainable agriculture. A number of farmers came along to the event to share their view from the ground. EURACTIV spoke to a range of them to learn about their experiences and what the most pressing issues for them are at the moment.

This week, EURACTIVs agrifood OGs talk about the divides in the Commission and the increasing marginalisation of EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, and EURACTIVs Natasha Foote talks reflects on her recent trip to Ireland to the Feeding Ourselves gathering and

In case you missed it: EURACTIVs agrifood OGs talk about the divides in the Commission and the increasing marginalisation of EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, and EURACTIVs Natasha Foote talks reflects on her recent trip to Ireland to the Feeding Ourselves gathering and the issues facing the agrifood sector in the country, including soaring land prices and finding markets for organic produce.

Please note the agrifood podcast will be back to its normal scheduling as of Monday, 17 April.

Things to keep your eye on in Strasbourg. MEPs will meet in Strasbourg this week for the Parliament plenary session, where a number of key files will be debated and voted upon, including the EUs deforestation law, designed to prevent the import of products associated with deforestation, including, cocoa, coffee and palm oil. Following a debate on Monday, Parliament will also vote on a resolution on sustainable carbon cycles on Tuesday.

Agri export boost. EU agri-food exports grew by almost a third in 2022 compared to 2021, according to a Commission report published on Thursday. The biggest increase was seen in cereals and related products, which the EU increasingly exported to developing economies in the face of the turmoil in global grain markets caused by Russias war on Ukraine. EU imports from Ukraine increased by 88% in 2022, mainly driven by cereal, oilseeds, and protein crops.

Strategic plans on the agenda. EU countries strategic plans for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be discussed during Mondays Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), the preparatory body for the meeting of the 27 agriculture ministers. According to a provisional agenda, a Commission official will inform the committee on the state of play of the plans, while the discussion will also serve to prepare a debate at the upcoming agriculture ministers meeting on 25 April.

Easter bunny hard at work. With 28% of the blocs total exports, Germany is the EUs number one exporter of chocolate and chocolate bars, according to recently published data from the EU statistics agency Eurostat. The runner-ups are the Netherlands and Poland, with 13% and 12% of EU exports, respectively. In total, EU countries exported 2.5 million tonnes of chocolate in 2022 most of which went to other EU countries.

Benefits of womens equality. Improving gender equality in agri-food systems worldwide could boost the global economy and significantly reduce food insecurity, according to a new report published by the UNs Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Closing the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in farming-related jobs, the report argues, would increase the global gross domestic product by $1 trillion and reduce the number of food-insecure people by 45 million.

Seasonal worker protection. As the summer harvesting season approaches, thousands of seasonal and migrant workers will be heading back to the European fields. To help safeguard their labour rights, the European federation of food, agriculture, and tourism trade unions (EFFAT) has launched Season@Work, a webpage and a mobile application designed to provide migrant and seasonal workers in European agriculture with relevant mother-tongue information on their rights. Learn more.

Toxic kitchenware? Half of the European consumers keep using worn or damaged food containers and kitchenware, while many feel insufficiently informed about the safe use of packaging, according to a survey by the European consumers organisation (BEUC), which calls for proper regulation of these materials. The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) told EURACTIV that while their scientists carry out risk assessments of chemicals in food contact materials that are fit for use, it is the producers who are responsible for indicating proper usage of each specific food contact material, which is controlled by national authorities.

Still far away from our 5-a-day. Freshfel Europe released its latest edition of its consumption monitor this week, which provides a comparison of consumption trends in the EU-27. While this years edition shows that the average fruit and vegetable consumption in the EU grew compared to the past few years, fruit and vegetable consumption is still almost 10% below the minimum 400 g/day/capita recommended by the WHO. This is under further pressure in Europe due to the economic crisis following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, which is severely impacting consumer purchasing power and limiting their food expenditure.

Mild weather but continued war damage. With mild temperatures and sufficient rainfall, weather conditions in Ukraine have been favourable for winter crops, according to a new report from the EUs Joint Research Centre (JRC). However, due to reduced sown areas in the face of the war and labour and agricultural inputs being less available, winter wheat production is still projected to remain far below the five-year average.

Global agriculture ministers meet in Chile. The agriculture ministers and ambassadors of more than 20 countries met this week in Chile for the first ministerial conference on low-emission food systems, including implementing the Global Methane Pledge, with stakeholders hopeful that this will shine a spotlight on livestock emissions.

Glyphosate debate. This week saw a showing of Into The Weeds, a documentary telling the story of San Francisco school groundskeeper Dewayne Lee Johnson and his landmark legal battle against the chemical company formerly known as Monsanto (now Bayer) for being poisoned by weed-killing chemical glyphosate. The film showing comes as the future of the controversial herbicide is being debated.

POLAND

Polish politicians bicker over grain crisis. The Polish opposition is helping the Kremlin by touting media reports that companies connected to the ruling camp participated in importing Ukrainian grain to Poland, causing huge disruptions in the market, according to new Agriculture Minister Robert Telus. Read the full story. (Aleksandra Krzysztoszek I EURACTIV.pl)

NETHERLANDS

EU climate chief talks nitrogen with Dutch agrarian party leader. Problems related to the Netherlands current nitrogen policy and possible alternatives were discussed by the EUs Climate Chiefs Frans Timmermans and Caroline van der Plas, leader of the opposition party BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), in The Hague on Tuesday. Find out more. (Benedikt Stckl I EURACTIV.com)

LUXEMBOURG

Government to make fresh attempt at glyphosate ban. The Luxembourgish government will not scrap its plans to outlaw the contentious herbicide glyphosate even after a court toppled its current ban. Last week, an administrative second instance court ruled that the glyphosate ban currently in place in Luxembourg has no legal basis: as long as the herbicide is still authorised at the EU level, the country would need to justify why the specific agricultural conditions in the country justify a ban. The government will now commission a scientific study set to help provide such a justification, agriculture minister Claude Haagen told reporters last Friday, the Tageblatt reported. (Julia Dahm I EURACTIV.de)

AUSTRIA

Construction starts on Austrias biggest insect farm. Works for the construction of Austrias biggest insect breeding facility have started, the two companies involved announced on Wednesday. With an investment of around 6 million, the plant is set to breed fly larvae for the production of animal feed on a large scale. As an ingredient in animal feed, insects can serve as high-quality, alternative protein sources with a small environmental footprint, the companies said in a statement. In August 2021, the European Commission authorised using processed animal proteins derived from insects in poultry and pig feed. (Julia Dahm I EURACTIV.de)

SPAIN

National drought board to meet following continued water scarcity. The Spanish agriculture ministry has convened a new meeting of the National Drought Board for next Wednesday (April 19) following a request by agricultural organisations and several regions, which warn of continued water scarcity in the country. EURACTIVs partner EFE Agro has more.

GERMANY

Germany welcomes asparagus season. Its the most wonderful time of the year for many Germans: With some delay due to cold weather, the asparagus season has started. The vegetable is a cultural staple and a favourite in many German homes and restaurants. According to the German Farmers Association (DBV), asparagus is the outdoor vegetable with the largest acreage, and 80% of asparagus bought in Germany comes from within the country. However, production costs for the labour-intensive vegetable remain high and competitive consumer prices often rely on low-paid migrant workers as the industry struggles to automate production. (Julia Dahm I EURACTIV.de)

FRANCE

NGOs gear up ahead of EU animal welfare reform. As the European Commission prepares to review its legislation on animal welfare, seven NGOs gathered in front of Frances National Assembly on Tuesday to call for ambitious rules. EURACTIV France has more. (Hugo Struna I EURACTIV.fr)

17 April I Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA)

17 20 | Strasbourg Plenary session

18 April I Launch of the Horizon EU Europe Mission Soil Manifesto

19-21 April I EU CAP Network workshop Innovative arable crop protection using pesticides sustainably

20 April I Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Extraordinary Meeting

20 April I EURACTIV Twitter Chat: CAP After 2028 Gazing into the Crystal Ball

21-23 April I G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Miyazaki

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

Read the original here:

Agrifood Brief: Who's afraid of the novel food - EURACTIV

Release Agents Market

The Global Release Agents Market to witness good recovery in growth post first half of 2023 and is projected cover up market sizing during the forecast period.

Criag Francis

Some of the players that are in coverage of the study are Cargill, BASF, Archer Daniels Midland, Dow Chemical Company, Daikin Industries, Ltd., Henkel Corporation, Wacker Ag, ELKEM, LORD Corporation, Vantage Specialty Chemicals, Chem-Trend Inc., British Bakels, Chukyo Yushi Co., Ltd., Sonneveld Group, Lasenor Emul.

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Definition The release agents market refers to the industry involved in the production, distribution, and sale of substances used to prevent adhesion or sticking of products to molds, equipment, or surfaces during the manufacturing process. Release agents are used in a variety of industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber, and composites, to ensure that products can be easily removed from molds and other production equipment. The release agents can be in the form of liquids, sprays, powders, or coatings, and are designed to provide a non-stick surface between the product and the mold or equipment, reducing the need for cleaning, maintenance, and downtime in the manufacturing process. The release agents market is driven by the demand for high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective release agents that can improve the productivity and profitability of manufacturers.

Release Agents Market Trend One of the key trends driving the release agents market is the increasing demand for convenience and processed food products. As consumers continue to lead busy lives, they are increasingly turning to ready-to-eat meals and other processed foods. Release agents are used in the production of these products to prevent them from sticking to the processing equipment and packaging materials.

Release Agents Market Driver Growth in the food industry: The release agents market is expected to grow due to the increasing demand for processed and convenience foods. Release agents are used in the food industry to prevent food products from sticking to molds, trays, and other equipment during processing.

Release Agents Market Opportunity Increasing demand for natural and organic release agents: As consumers become more health-conscious, the demand for natural and organic food products is on the rise. This has created an opportunity for manufacturers of natural and organic release agents, which are used in the production of these products.

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2) Why only few Companies are profiled in the report? Industry standards like NAICS, ICB etc are considered to derive the most important manufacturers. More emphasis is given on SMEs that are emerging and evolving in the market with their product presence and technological upgraded modes, current version includes players like Cargill, BASF, Archer Daniels Midland, Dow Chemical Company, Daikin Industries, Ltd., Henkel Corporation, Wacker Ag, ELKEM, LORD Corporation, Vantage Specialty Chemicals, Chem-Trend Inc., British Bakels, Chukyo Yushi Co., Ltd., Sonneveld Group, Lasenor Emul " etc and many more.

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5) Is it possible to limit/customize scope of study to applications of our interest? Yes, general version of study is broad, however if you have limited application in your scope & target, then study can also be customize to only those application. As of now it covers applications Food Processing, Automotive, Paper Industry, Plastic Industry, Rubber Industry.

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Global Release Agents Market Applications/End users: Food Processing, Automotive, Paper Industry, Plastic Industry, Rubber Industry

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To comprehend Global Release Agents market dynamics in the world mainly, the Global Release Agents market is analysed across major global regions. Customized study by specific regional or country can be provided, usually client prefers below

- North America: United States of America (US), Canada, and Mexico. - South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Brazil. - Middle East & Africa: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and South Africa. - Europe: the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, NORDICs, BALTIC Countries, Russia, Austria and Rest of Europe. - Asia: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines & Vietnam etc) & Rest - Oceania: Australia & New Zealand

Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis of Global Release Agents Market Size Estimation and Trends Available in Full Version of the Report. Thanks for reading this article, you can also make sectional purchase or opt-in for regional report by limiting the scope to only North America, ANZ, Europe or MENA Countries, Eastern Europe or European Union.

About Us: HTF Market Intelligence is a leading market research company providing end-to-end syndicated and custom market reports, consulting services, and insightful information across the globe. HTF MI integrates History, Trends, and Forecasts to identify the highest value opportunities, cope with the most critical business challenges and transform the businesses. Analysts at HTF MI focuses on comprehending the unique needs of each client to deliver insights that are most suited to his particular requirements.

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April 14, 2023, 09:55 GMT

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Release Agents Market Is Likely to Experience a Tremendous Growth in near Future - EIN News

KIM Kardashian has shown off the well-stocked kitchen at her $60million Los Angeles mansion, but not everyone was impressed by the amount of food she had stored.

The reality star, 42, came under fire after showing off her four refrigerators in her huge kitchen, which some fans slammed as wasteful.

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Kim initially gave fans a tour of her kitchen in 2020 after being mocked for posing in front of her seemingly empty fridge.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the mother of four started in her large, open-plan pantry.

The pantry featured a fridge with a frozen yogurt machine inside.

Kim announced: "I got rid of all my plastics," while showing off her glass jars full of various dried goods and sprinkles for her frozen yogurts.

She then showed off her second fridge, which she said was just for drinks, that was largely empty save for several glass bottles of water.

Kim showed off her Norwegian Voss water bottles, cans of Perrier sparkling water, boxed Flow water, Boxed Water Is Better cartons and Canada Dry soft drinks.

The Hulu star then walked into a huge, industrial-looking kitchen and declared: "This is the kitchen where it all happens."

She entered a massive walk-in fridge packed with fresh fruit, vegetables, salad dressings, and more.

The SKIMS founder said: "You guys I have a walk-in refrigerator! Where we keep all of our fresh organic produce.

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"We are building on the property all organic trees to grow our own vegetables and do all our own stuff."

Kim, who went on a vegan diet in 2019, went on: "All of our meals, you guys know I'm all plant-based now, so all of our stuff is in here."

The reality star then showed off her fourth fridge dedicated to her and her four children's milk.

She said: Then if you want a little more chaos, with tons of oat milk and almond milk, you have this refrigerator. All my kids use a different kind of milk."

The fridge was stocked withoat milk, lactose-free, organic pasteurized, almond and probiotic milk.

The SKKN mogul signed off: "And then our freezer, I didnt even show you guys our other freezer. There you have it, guys."

Kim's video resurfaced on Reddit on Monday, where critics slammed her kitchen.

One wrote: "This entire family is so incredibly wasteful from their sprawling laws to their private jets, huge mountains of gifts on every occasion, giant balloon displays, parties and industrial size kitchen and pantries. Its sickening."

Another pointed out that while Kim is being environmentally conscious by getting rid of her plastic bottles, she is still using tons of electricity to run four fridges.

They wrote sarcastically: "I got rid of all the plastic so I can run 4 refrigerators simultaneously that is barely efficient to showcase my clout chasing obnoxious 'Im richer than you' aesthetic."

A third added: "There is literally no way they dont waste a fuck ton of food."

Yet another user commented: "I mean I guess this is great if you wanna raise your kids up feeling like they live in a restaurant.

"This whole kitchen feels so impersonal and just dark and cold. there's really no need for all that even with 4 kids."

Kim lives in her Hidden Hills mansion with her four children - North, nine, Saint, seven, Chicago, five, and Psalm, four.

She has previously been slammed for creating a "depressing" environment for her kids with her home decor.

Back in November, she shared snaps of a cream-colored coffee mug, an entirely beige sitting room, a plain marble chair, expensive artwork, and her minimal bedroom.

Critics claimed the house looked "gloomy and depressing" and compared her bare bedroom to a "tomb."

A month later, fans mocked an "ugly" detail about her living room that made it resemble a "department store".

Kim had shared a video of apianist playing Christmas tunesin the morning at her mansion.

She documented herlavishly decorated Christmas treeand her minimalist home as she captured the musician seated at her baby grand piano.

She captioned her post: "It's that time of the year...

"@philthekeys comes over every morning to wake my kids up by playing the piano while the mad morning rush is happening to calm their little souls and fill it with beautiful Christmas songs."

But the SKIMS mogul's fans were distracted by the huge gray couch in the center of the room.

The low-backed piece of modular furniture featured padded sides and extended out at various angles.

One critic wrote, "[The couch] is sorta fugly," and another agreed, adding: "Its like theyre living in a department store."

Her sisters,Kourtney, 43,Khloe, 38, and her mother,Kris Jenner, 67, have received similarcriticism about their homes' decor, or lack thereof.

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See the article here:

Kim Kardashian ripped as wasteful as she flaunts 4 fridges overflowing with fresh produce at $60M man... - The US Sun

Smallholder Farmers Alliance purchase of organic cotton from farmer member.

Norielle Thomas, Smallholder Farmers Alliance

As the harvest season finished at the end of January in Haiti, retail giant VF Corp. made a notable purchase: what is believed to be the first-ever verified regenerative cotton crop grown in the country.

For the holding company behind brands like Timberland, The North Face, Supreme and Vans, the purchase was significant. For one, it signaled a broader approach to sustainable farming, evolving from an earlier focus on organic cotton where the emphasis is on the elimination of inputs including pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to regenerative cotton agriculture practices, which place greater importance on soil health, water retention, and local economic benefits, in addition to the chemical input management.

Timberland had already reintroduced cotton to Haiti following a 30-year absence from the country in collaboration with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, a nonprofit that establishes farmer cooperatives. After five years of study and field experiments, the company introduced its first products made with Haitian-grown organic cotton in the spring of 2021, including two types of sneakers and a tote bag. But the focus quickly moved to regenerative agriculture, a practice more activist shareholders are pressing with big consumer companies.

"Regenerative agriculture is really important to Timberland and VF because it's about restoring the soil," said Atlanta McIlwraith, Timberland's director of social impact and activation. "We feel like it's a way to directly address climate change. I think a lot of brands talk about sustainability, and we do as well, but if you think about sustainability, it's really about doing no harm and maintaining things as they are. And regenerative is really drawing a line that's higher."

Behind the scenes, there is another notable aspect to the agricultural first related to technology. With support for Timberland, VF Corp. and VF Foundation, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance worked with Terra Genesis a Thailand-based firm that VF just announced this week it has a collaboration with on sourcing regenerative rubber and the Data Economics Company to create a farm data tracking service to verify regenerative cotton crops.

When a farmer decides to work with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, a local agronomist will start coming to their farm and collecting data on regenerative farming, as well as establishing the standards that these farms must meet. If a farm passes the survey, farmers profit not only from the cotton sale, but from the data that verifies the cotton is regenerative.

VF Corp's efforts with regenerative cotton in Haiti come at a time of growing pressure from consumers for companies to adopt more sustainable practices.

Three out of five consumers in a recent survey claimed that at least half of their last purchase consisted of socially responsible or sustainable products, according to the IBM Institute for Business Value.

"This consumer demand drives the brands and big companies to want to use more of these products produced in that way," said Jennifer Hinkel, managing director and CGO of the Data Economics Company.

But corporate sustainability claims are being more aggressively challenged by regulators and politicians.

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission charged Kohl's and Walmart with falsely advertising their rayon products as bamboo since 2015, with the companies agreeing to pay $5.5 million in combined penalties.

The FTC is weighing even stiffer penalties for "greenwashing" and is currently contemplating a revised set of rules for environmental marketing claims, with a public comment period set to end later this month.

"If there's no traceability, there's no evidence that it is what you say it is," said Patricia Jurewicz, founder and CEO of the human rights nonprofit organization Responsible Sourcing Network. "People want to know. You don't want to be saying that there's better cotton in this product, if in reality, there's cotton in there that could be contributing to forced labor or other harmful practices," she added.

This data collection process also gives smallholder farmers a greater say in their relationship with big brands, shifting the balance of power a little in an industry that long favored the consumer companies, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, especially with food crops. The Rockefeller Foundation is currently looking at similar regenerative verification for food agriculture around the world.

The way that the data is collected and packaged is designed to give ownership to the farmer for licensing. "You don't actually get ownership of the data as VF or a customer. You get to license it and use it for specific purposes," said Data Economics Company managing director and CTO Arka Ray.

Data Economics Company serves as the operating system for the entity managing the effort for farmers, Smallholder Data Services, and the farm level data traceability all the way through to the end purchasers, such as VF, and traceability back to compensating the farmers. Empowering small farms in direct connection with larger brands and markets, will be important to bringing sustainability through to the consumer end market, Hinkel said.

Applying this approach to the cotton industry and associated products will be complicated. Most cotton is blended with other cotton crops based on characteristics of the cotton, including color, strength, length, and price point, "and what's realistic for some of the fast fashion that's out there," Jurewicz said. "What's harder is applying these technologies to conventional cotton, to all the cotton that's out there, rather than just to the real responsible cotton," she said.

Even with progress made in recent years on organic cotton production, it's still a tiny piece of the global industry. The 2020/21 global harvest of certified organic cotton was up 37% year over year, according to the Textile Exchange, but that represents 1.4% of all cotton grown globally. And Haiti, in particular, plays a very small role in global production, having only reinitiated cotton farming in recent years. The top five cotton-producing nations India, China, the U.S., Brazil and Pakistan control 77% of the global output, according to OECD data.

Nevertheless, while regenerative agriculture may be an emerging concept in developed markets like the United States and Europe, it isn't new to Haitian farmers.

"When it's introduced to smallholder farmers, we don't really say, 'Oh, here's a new thing called regenerative' because they recognize each of the practices of regenerative agriculture as things they've done in the past, things their parents did," said Hugh Locke, senior editor president and co-founder of Smallholder Farmers Alliance and Smallholder Data Services.

VF Corp. was introduced to Haiti through Timberland, which started its efforts in the country in 2010 when the footwear company became the founding corporate sponsor for the Smallholder Farmers Alliance. Originally, Timberland and the Smallholder Farmers Alliance worked together on a tree planting operation under which smallholders were rewarded with credits for helping to reach the goal of planting 5 million trees, and they could then use those credits in exchange for seed, tools, training and other agricultural services.

McIlwraith says that Timberland and the Smallholder Farmers Alliance saw unexpected benefits from that program back on the farm, producing a 40% increase in smallholder farmers' organic crop yields and 50% to 100% increases in farmers' incomes.

"Haiti is so degraded, environmentally talking, and because of that any other project cannot be sustainable. So, we tackle the problem from its roots, which is environmental degradation in the country," said Timote Georges, executive director and co-founder of Smallholder Farmers Alliance.

Tracking and verifying this data has encouraged more farmers to switch to regenerative cotton farming.

"There is a positive community kind of peer pressure that emerges and encourages farms to participate in this data network. And which then by osmosis gets more and more farms to adopt regenerative practices because the ROI loop is very clear," Ray said.

As brands create stricter goals tied to production practices, they will need to be able to demonstrate that they're meeting them. "So I think all of that together, it will continue to incentivize this type of data tracking traceability," Jurewicz said.

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How Timberland, Vans, VF Corp. are making sure their cotton isn't 'greenwashed' - CNBC

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) is a company that is experiencing a lot of turbulence in the stock market, as investors rush to make sense of recent developments that are having an impact on the companys financial outlook. UNFIs stock opened at $26.14 on Friday, with a 12-month high of $49.56 and a low of $22.07.

The companys 50-day moving average is $33.08, while its 200-day moving average is $38.49, reflecting a decline in share price momentum over time. UNFI has a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 0.51, indicating an adequate level of liquidity for the business to pay off its short-term obligations.

UNFI also has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, which signifies that the company may have leverage, although it does not necessarily mean that this leverage poses significant risks to shareholders investments.

With regards to market capitalization, UNFI currently stands at $1.55 billion and has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 8.41 and Beta of 1.05.

However, recent research reports indicate mixed ratings from analysts regarding UNFIs prospects for growth going forward.

Some analysts have reduced their price targets for UNFI stocks; Wells Fargo & Company notably lowered their target from $40 to $28 per share while Northcoast Research downgraded UNFI from buy to neutral.

Goldman Sachs Group also reduced their target price from $43 to $30 per share and designated the stock as neutral. These changes reflect an overall cautious approach among investors towards recommendin gthe purchase or retentionof shares in UNFI.

Nevertheless, two analysts recommend buying UNFI shares while eight recommend holding onto them with Bloomberg data showing an average Hold rating for the stock and consensus target price value being cited as $35.71.

In other news, UNFIs Chief Executive Officer (CEO), J. Alexander Douglas Jr., recently purchased 45,168 shares of the companys stock at an average cost of $22.22 per share for a total of $1,003,632.96 thus bringing his stake in the company to approximately valued at $3,353,797.92.

This move was seen as a positive signal by investors who interpreted it as confidence from management regarding the future outlook for UNFI.

But on the downside, insiders have sold a combined 42,431 shares of company stock worth $1,731,113 over the past three months with Christopher Testa President selling 27,931 shares at an average price of $40.54 per share on January 23rd.

Furthermore in March when UNFI last reported its quarterly earnings data saw it miss consensus estimates; while earning per share (EPS) was up YoY to stand at $0.78/share with net margin widening slightly to 0.64% Return on Equity contracting slightly by 5 bpts YoY to sit at 14.45%. However revenue recorded rose by 5.4% YoY albeit shy analysts expectations by coming inline at$7.82 billion compared toexpectations pegged at$7.77 billion.

As such these events are shaking investor confidence leaving many speculating about what to expect next from United Natural Foods Inc., and whether its shakeup indicates seismic shifts in the organic food market overall.

Ultimately there is no single answer as both internal and external forces are influencing developments at United Natural Foods Inc., meaning that investors would need to conduct further research before determining whether or not investing in this companys stock is right for them.

What is certain though is that if action isnt taken soon by management to steady things out and improve financial results there could be more volatility and a downward trajectory in the companys stock, leading to harsh commentary from both insiders and analysts.

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) has experienced a reduction in Q3 2023 earnings per share estimates by Jefferies Financial Group. In a note issued to investors on Tuesday, April 11th, Jefferies analyst J. Dickerson projected that the company will earn $0.66 per share for the quarter, down from their previous projection of $1.44. The consensus estimate for United Natural Foods current full-year earnings is $3.23 per share.

Moreover, Jefferies Financial Group released additional estimation figures that include projections for United Natural Foods Q4 2023 earnings at $0.74 EPS and FY2023 earnings at $3.32 EPS. They also estimated Q1 2024 earnings at $0.81 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $1.09 EPS, and Q3 2024 earnings at $0.95 EPS.

Jefferies FY2024 projected earnings for United Natural Foods is reported to be $3.83 EPS, while their Q1 2025 expectations stand at $0.91 EPS and projections show that the companys Q2 2025 earnings could reach up to $1.17 EPS with FY2025 coming in strong with an estimated earning of around $4.15 EPS.

Despite these estimations projecting a potential decrease in United Natural Foods performance, several hedge funds have recently purchased shares of the business as well as sold them; this includes DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale which acquired a new stake worth approximately $25k and Quadrant Capital Group LLC which increased its share; owning the companys stocks now stands at around USD27k after purchasing an additional 495 shares in the last quarter.

Additionally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc bought more shares resulting in owning about USD30k worth of shares after acquiring an additional 582 during the period analyzed by Jefferies. Meanwhile, Allworth Financial LPs ownership increased from 28.3% to USD46k after adding 294 shares during the same period. Finally, Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC joined in on owning a new position in shares of United Natural Foods valued at around USD54k.

The combination of these actions paints an overall picture of how investors continue to view United Natural Foods despite the potentially lowering estimated earnings per share for its next fiscal year as they still continue to maintain their stakes in the company.

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UNFI Faces Turbulence in Stock Market as Investors Struggle with ... - Best Stocks

A COLLEGE student was given an eviction notice from his tiny house in a charming community just before his midterms due to its size.

David Andrews was studying at the University of Colorado and in a bid to have affordable student housing, he built his own tiny home on wheels.

He parked his home in a backyard in Boulder, which is extremely sought-after and expensive.

The tiny house was situated on a small plot of land with a communal garden which David made with his neighbors who live in an RV opposite him.

He parked there for six months and lived happily alongside his neighbors as they enjoyed the outdoor space together.

David, his neighbors, and their children would pick the vegetables and use them for fresh meals as part of their passion for sustainable living.

However, just before his midterms, his landlord was given an eviction notice.

This was due to a code violation and the tiny home dwellers were given 30 days to vacate their structures.

Previously, there had been no comments from anyone about concerns surrounding the small homes.

It emerged that the tiny home was too small to be classified as a house and therefore, David and his neighbors were dwelling in non-conforming structures.

David was forced to put his home in storage for a month as he and his small community worked with the city to give a temporary allowance for these small homes.

He told Tiny House Blog: "The city of Boulder doesnt have any appropriate legal code regarding tiny houses or other nontraditional housing methods.

"The tiny is essentially non-conforming, and living in a structure was not allowed."

Members of the community, including landlords whose tenants were having similar issues, were relentless in speaking up at council meetings and writing letters to the city.

David said: "I reached out to the city council members as a whole and told my story part of which was showing them the video of my house.

"Immediately the majority of the city council was on our side and agreed that there was an issue with non-conforming structures and that it needed to be addressed.

"At a meeting they asked the city attorney if they could write a letter allowing those who were kicked out [to get] a temporary exemption to codes and ordinances, allowing us to continue living in our structures."

In a warning to other people hoping to live in tiny homes, David said: "Be very diligent in making sure you can be legal if thats what you want to do.

"There are many ways around tough situations like Im in, just be willing to adjust your plan."

David and his partner Erin Donahue now live in a tiny home on a farm in Mid-coast Maine.

The pair own the Tiny Acres Farm which focuses on producing organic food from the unceded Wabanaki homeland.

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I built my perfect tiny home from scratch but was evicted by the city they said Id made a crucial mis... - The US Sun

This summer, with my garden deconstructed amid renovations, I decided to experiment with a temporary measure: growing veggies in straw balesfertilised by human pee yes, really.

It was, I supposed, a way to grow food quickly and cheaply in a bed that could easily be removed once I'm ready to build my more permanent permaculture veggie garden.

The experiment was a huge success, with plenty of delicious organic veggies coming off the straw bales and into my kitchen.

Here's how I created my temporary straw bale garden, plus a few other ideas for making veggie beds that are cheap and effective, yet quick to remove handy for renters and renovators alike.

I chose four pea straw bales for my beds, but any kind of straw works fine. Just avoid hay bales, which are an animal feed crop and so contain seed heads that could germinate in your bed.

Straw, on the other hand, is just the stems left over after seed harvesting which is why it's a lot cheaper, too.

As with any food gardening, choosing a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight is crucial more if possible. Sun mapping is the best way to determine this.

At my place, I positioned my bales against a north-facing fence, where they receive direct sunlight throughout the day,perfect for veggie production.

The fence backdrop also made it easy to add cheap, second-hand wire trellising so I could train some plants to grow vertically, packing more food into my small space.

Finally, I made sure to place my bales on their side, with the cut straw facing upward and the string around the sides. This helps hold each bale together during the growing season.

Then came the most important step before planting: "activating" my straw bale using a high-nitrogen fertiliser.

The idea is to fully soak your bales with water, then apply some form of fertiliser every day for two weeks.

The nitrogen reacts with the carbon in the straw, kickstarting the process of decomposition so your plants have readily available food when you plant them out a fortnight later.

This activation can be done with organic fertilisers, compost teas or worm teas or by using your own urine, as I discovered while chatting with Geelong permaculture designer Michelle Mairs about growing edible flowers at home.

Human pee is rich in nitrogen, free and happened to be readily available to me at the timeas I had a party planned. My friends happily obliged with deposits throughout the night.

An affable neighbour then helped keep my bales soaked in liquid gold for the required two weeks.

A fortnight later, with my balesloaded with free nitrogen, it was time to plant out.

I made a hole in each bale, filled it with homemade compost and a little organic chook poo-based fertiliser, then planted my seedlings directly in.

Within a matter of weeks, I was harvesting bountiful zucchinis, jalapeos and tromboncino.

Right now, I have capsicums, cucumbers and pumpkins on the way. Several bean plants even popped up from my soil's seed bank, offering an extra harvest.

The straw bales proved surprisingly resilient during the 35-plus-degree heat that signals summer in Tarntanya (Adelaide), with watering only needed every couple of days.

But they did need topping up with a little extra fertiliser every few weeks this I applied in the form of homemade "weed tea", or by sliding composted chook poo in around the plant roots.

As the season slows, my straw bales are gradually turning into a rich compost-like material, which I'll spread across my new garden in winter to breathe life and fertility into the soil.

Back when I rented my home, before I managed to buy the place from my landlord, I mainly grew food directly in the ground.

Knowing that I might have needed to deconstruct my patch one day, I used simple, second-hand, plastic garden bed edging to border each patch and keep everything contained.

Other easy and removable veggie bed options include:

Whichever option you choose, you'll be up and running with an edible garden in no time one that's just as quick to remove if your circumstances change.

Koren Helbig is a freelance journalist who practices permaculture and grows organic food in the backyard of her small urban Tarntanya (Adelaide) home.

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Why I decided to grow veggies in straw bales and fertilise them with pee - ABC News

As the weather warms and we can finally roll out the barbecue grills from winter storage, some people might be looking for something a little more unique than burgers or brats. Florida-based Wild Fork Foods, which opened its first Wisconsin location in December at 635 W. Silver Spring Drive in Glendale, offers approximately 500 different meat and seafood items like chicken, beef and fish, along with bison, venison, duck, rabbit, rack of lamb, ahi tuna and alligator.

Wild Fork Foods is part traditional grocery store and part specialty retailer. The meat and seafood items are sourced from farms throughout the country and blast frozen to preserve freshness, so plan ahead for thawing time. Various cuts of meat are available, as well as ground meats, along with sausages and burgers. Customers can choose from meats conventionally farmed, or from a line of organic and grass-fed meats.

The store also stocks frozen foods such as pizzas, prepared entres, vegetables, breads such as brioche buns, ciabatta rolls or garlic bread, and desserts including cheesecake, mini flan and chocolate mousse. Theyve also got spices and sauces.

Items are available for pickup and delivery. Theres a Wild Fork membership program that includes free shipping and same day delivery. Theyve also got gift baskets, and staff will offer cooking tips and guidance for selecting meats.

Wild Fork operates approximately 30 brick-and-mortar locations in Florida, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California and Wisconsin. The company plans to open more locations this year. In addition to the brick-and-mortar stores, stores, theyve got an ecommerce fulfillment centers throughout the United States.

For more information, visit wildforkfoods.com.

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer who enjoys capturing the stories behind Milwaukees happening food, beverage and urban farming scenes. She also pens articles about holistic health, green living, sustainability and human-interest features.

Apr. 14, 2023

12:41 p.m.

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Wild Fork Foods Offers Traditional and Specialty Meats and Seafood - Shepherd Express

DALLASThe first thing Michael Bell remembers in life is helping his grandmother in her vegetable garden.

He would grow green beans and tomatoes alongside her in their small town of Bowie, Texas. During the winter they protected seedlings using plastic bottles they gathered from friends.

Most families raised cattle; Bells did too. And while many of his peers dreamed of roping and riding on the ranch, Bell preferred the plants.

Thirty years later, in a sprawling North Texas metropolis, Bell has joined the movement to bring farms to big cities. Some people call him the plant daddy of Dallas, or the salad guy.

I want to be the reason why Walmart cant sell produce in Dallas, he said between crop rows and sun tarps at Dallas Half Acre Farm, which sits on a residential street in a rural area in the southeastern part of the city.

Bell harvests lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, spring onions, carrots and other seasonal vegetables. He also raises chicken and collects eggs from quails on a wild plot strewn with tools and lots of overgrown grass. Nestled at the end of a street behind bushes and trees, there are four large greenhouses shaped like tunnels, a shed and a chicken and quail coop.

Across the country, urban farmers like Bell hope to meet the challenges of climate change, public health and food insecurity by reclaiming unused city spaces to grow healthy, local, organic produce.

Urban farming, also known as market gardening or regenerative farming, is the practice of growing food in urban areas for highly populated communities. It is one potential solution to increased food insecurity due to climate impacts.

Texas scores fourth in food insecurity in the country and climate change is predicted to exacerbate the situation in coming years.

While the most recent report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that climate change is a threat to food and nutritional security, Joe Masabni, the extension vegetable specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas Center, believes food production is not in a crisis just yet. He does, though, recognize that some neighborhoods are already food deserts, while others are home to huge supermarket chains but no locally grown, organic food.

There are a lot of factors contributing to that, Masabni said. Loss of agricultural land due to urbanization, changes in consumer taste, people wanting to buy organic and climate change.

The Dallas Center, located in a futuristic, glass-walled building in North Dallas right next to the University of Texas at Dallas, focuses on sustainable innovations in urban agriculture. It is one of 13 centers in Texas that conduct research, public outreach programs and education for current and future agriculturalists.

Masabni focuses on education for vegetable growers. He said the center tailors its research around common problems urban farmers face.

When we have the answers, we set up programs, conferences or field days to visit with growers and educate them on our research, he said. The Dallas Centers last conference, on Dec. 6, was aimed at beginner and expert growers.

Dallas Half Acre Farm keeps true to its name: Bell operates on less than half an acre. I didnt know that a career was there, Bell said of growing organic produce in the city.

Bell, 43, teaches elementary school physical education full-time. He discovered the practice of urban organic farming through YouTube. Once he was hooked, Bell did as much research on the topic as he could.

As soon as I got involved in it, and I started asking people about food and listening to people complain about food, it just clicked, he said. I can grow healthy food. Every customer that I get just strengthens my resolve to keep going.

Beverly Lanier, a resident from Rowlett, Texas, has been buying from Bell for over a decade. She said she can taste a complete difference between produce from Bell and the supermarket.

Lanier recalled a moment she shared with her family while eating Bells carrots. They were delicious, she said. The family and I were all like, what is this taste? You cant find carrots that taste like this!

Being in the urban area, we are exposed to chemicals everywhere. Why would we want to ingest any more?

Bell prides himself on his approach to growing crops.

Everything at Half Acre Farm is done by hand. The soil is never tilled, to save nutrients, and fertilizer is never used, something he said makes his crops taste better than average.

Bell hand seeds smaller crops and transplants larger ones. Drip irrigation slowly waters the plants, both conserving the amount used and giving the crops exactly the right amount of water to thrive. The water pump runs off of solar energy because there is no electricity at the farm.

I believe that my farm is adding more to the environment than taking away, which is what we should all aspire to do, he said.

Bell believes anyone can have an eco-friendly urban farm. He travels all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area speaking at conventions, colleges and high schools to teach his methods. He also offers individual mentorship and internships to aspiring urban farmers.

If I feed 100 families in my subdivision every week for a year, I can make $120,000, Bell said. Right now there are currently 600 families in my subdivision.

People dont realize how much money you can make from doing this, in just a backyard, he said.

His goal is to teach others how to start their farms while also showing the profitability of the practice, and the message is spreading.

Dirk Tanner is just one of many farmers who have reached out to Bell for beginners guidance.

Tanner, 29, also discovered the idea of small-scale farming through YouTube. When he learned it was possible to make a sizable income with a little land, Tanner said the concept astounded him.

I just always imagined farms being massive, he said.

Tanner, who began his urban farming journey in Denver, now has a farm in Greenbrier, Arkansas. He follows many of Bells techniques such as no tilling and emphasizing building soil life to produce highly nutritious vegetables.

Tanner said he strives to have a diverse regenerative farm. In addition to vegetables, he sells pasture-raised eggs from chickens fed on organic grain.

It is the most fulfilling thing when we go to the farmers market every week. People come back and say, not only was it the best salad theyve ever eaten, but that it lasted so long, Tanner said.

I know they are eating a product that is incredibly clean and builds soil life, he said. Were not depleting life. We are regenerating the land, which helps the environment and makes a healthier community.

Tanner says urban farms are essential for communities because there is a need for local food supplies. [The U.S. is] shipping the majority of our lettuce from California and Arizona, using fossil fuels to get them here, he said.

As more people begin to urban farm we can take back our food supply, Tanner said.

Food builds community, he said. Growing food builds community and empowers people. I think urban farms are not only vitally important to our food security but also vital to human connection and human life.

ICN provides award-winning climate coverage free of charge and advertising. We rely on donations from readers like you to keep going.

Masabni said he does not think it is necessary for people to become farmers just to gain the benefits of eating organic foods.

Not everybody likes to be outside, sweat and work with the mosquitoes, he said. Some people want to eat vegetables, but they dont want to or know how to grow them. That is a big part of the population.

Masabni also warned about possible health concerns when buying produce from small-scale growers, sometimes referred to as hobbyists, that sell produce at farmers markets. I think this is a weakness that needs to be addressed, he said. Just because it is locally produced doesnt mean that it is clean, or that it doesnt have E. coli.

Responding to foodborne illness in the country, the Food and Drug Administration enacted the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011, creating rules for farmers to prevent contamination. Smaller farms like Bells are exempt from this act unless selling to restaurants or stores.

For Bell, urban farming is not just a business venture, but a personal journey.

When his grandmother passed away, leaving him an inheritance of $7,500, Bell decided to turn their shared love for plants into a profitable organic farm.

He bought what became Dallas Half Acre Farm on his birthday in April 2016, paying the same amount of money that he had inherited from his grandmother.

Thats fate, he said.

He wants to teach as many people as possible about urban farming. It isnt easy work, he said, but with some land, guidance and motivation, he believes anyone is capable of being self-sufficient. In the future, Bell hopes to see farms in every neighborhood, with each individual and community able to provide for themselves.

He believes that regenerative farms should be included in city infrastructure and that education must begin with younger generations, his reason for speaking to many high school students. Im hoping just to get one kid interested out of the 100 Ill talk to, he said.

While not everyone may be suited to regenerative farming, it is a practice more urban communities are adopting to address food concerns.

There are many different ways to be involved in community farms, such as volunteering, community outreach and dedicating time to the growing process. Texas A&Ms AgriLife also works with shelters across Texas to provide fresh, healthy food to people in need.

Despite small-scale farmers challenges, Bell said he could not imagine doing anything else.

Even if I won the lottery today, I would still come to my farm first thing tomorrow morning.

Autumn Jones is a multimedia journalist and fellow at Inside Climate News. She is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin where she studies Journalism and Science Communications. Aside from writing, Jones is a photojournalist and has worked as a freelance photographer for over seven years. She has a passion for climate change, environmental justice, space and public health. She has received awards for her journalistic work ranging from the Dallas Morning News to the Emmys. When she isnt covering science, she can be found serving as the communications contractor for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Educational Foundation non-profit in her home city of Dallas.

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The Plant Daddy of Dallas Is Paving the Way for Clean, Profitable ... - InsideClimate News

This letter may be unconventional in the context of a report such as Food Tech in Natural Products: Precision Fermentation Market Risks and Readiness, but we feel it is needed. We have conducted the analysis in this report for several reasons. Our primary goal is to be of service to the natural and organic products industry, but it was also important for our own decision making. In this report, we present our attempt at a balanced analysis of a challenging topic. In this letter, we share our interpretation of the results within the context of how we serve the industry.

Every now and then, issues emerge that challenge how we define the natural and organic products industry and cause us to consider what matters most to it. Amid the rapid growth of our industry and the advancement of new technologies, this appears to be one of those times.

Related: A tale of two food futures: Can CPG visionaries find common ground?

Since our founding in 1975, New Hope Network has worked to steward a movement that began as a counter-culture challenge to the status quo in a food system that failed to prioritize human health. With the advent of DSHEA, we introduced a standards program to encourage the growth of a reputable, well-respected and influential industry. Achieving greater transparency and integrity remain guiding New Hope Network principles today.

We have always been, and remain, champions of small, independent and regional grocery retailers, and of CPG innovators, start-ups and entrepreneurs. Our events serve these buyers and sellers, making it easier and more efficient to gather, network and do business. Our editorial content and conference programming help to co-create with industry advocates and thought leaders a vision for the industrys future. That vision blends historically significant values (like improved human health and organic agriculture) with new opportunities (such as regenerative agriculture) while tackling problems (including industry inequity and systemic bias).

Related: Food tech in natural products Free report

Over the years, New Hope Network and the natural and organic products industry have had a dynamic and evolving relationship with various forms of food technology.

On one side of this relationship, New Hope Network helped to create space for advocacy, education and energy advancing the non-GMO movement.

On the other side, as early as 2015, New Hope Network began exploring various forms of food technology that further disrupt the food system status quo. We have investigated technologies related to regenerative agriculture, blockchain, mushrooms as environmental remediators, urban and greenhouse farming systems, and the use of gene-editing technologies in precision fermentation.

Since that time, both regenerative agriculture and precision fermentation have engaged the passions and energy of the community as ways of solving problems in the food system. We have also seen the industry grow, adding a massive $100 bilion in sales since 2015. There has been both excitement and concern with this growthenergy for scaling the industrys collective good, but also the risk of the corrosive nature of rapid growth. This growth combined with new energy, passion and pressure to solve social and environmental challenges, have attracted new entrants and conversations into the industry.

The industry we serve has long used the word natural to define itself. And while precision fermentation may not be natural, some believe that this technology, applied with purpose and transparency, may have a place in the industry. While natural has long defined us, some believe we are also united by shared passion for disrupting conventional ways of doing business to solve problems associated with human health, planetary health and social equity and justice.

A challenge for our organization over the years has been to find constructive ways to hold space for the community to express itself, to evolve and to actively explore what solutions it will pursue to achieve its goals.

Precision fermentation has been used in our food system for decades in creating food and dietary supplement ingredients, but never in as high-profile a way as has emerged recently as part of the plant-based food movement. As questions and concerns regarding the technology have grown, the natural products community has called upon us to take a more active role in this topic. Over the past year, we invested heavily in surveying and gathering input from that community.

During this process, we heard clearly that a large portion of the community is not ready to accept precision fermentation. Many also expressed concern that the integrity of the industry is being compromised by the pursuit of aggressive growth, new technologies and new entrants that may not be aligned with the communitys long-term values.

We hear these concerns and we will work to help the industry address them.

The difficult reality is that precision fermentation is already part of our food system, but we wont sit idle while it grows without the stewardship that our industry can give it. The question is not whether the sector should emerge and scale; that appears to be a foregone conclusion. Rather, the question is how can we influence its evolution to maximize sustainability, justice, equity and human health?

We see it as our job to be stewards of the counter-culture movement to challenge the status quo, and to be the counterbalance to what may otherwise be unchecked growth that may follow extractive pathways to scale. Our job will be to remain open and curious yet skeptical and inquisitive, demanding transparency and integrity from those who choose to pursue this path forward.

As you prepare to read this report, please know that New Hope Network and Natural Products Expo remain committed to our purpose and to keeping the industry focused on:

And in direct response to concerns about unchecked growth and precision fermentation, we commit to building new transparency expectations and helping this community find businesses that engage with integrity and align with industry values. We will:

Thanks for taking time to engage with us on this important topic. Our leadership team wants to continue open and transparent dialog about these issues. Please reach out to any of us to ask questions or share additional perspectives.

Sincerely,

Carlotta Mast, SVP and Market Leader, New Hope NetworkEric Pierce, VP Business Insights, New Hope Network

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The Future of Food: Letter to the natural products industry - New Hope Network