As part of the new federal GMO-labeling law, a technological study must be completed by July. However, the USDA is rumored to be having trouble securing funds for the study, potentially putting the new law in jeopardy. If this law does get scrapped, I won’t be shedding a tear. This legislation is a disaster. Read my take on it HERE.
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Former NBA star Ray Allen will be adding a second stand-alone location of Grown, his Miami-based organic, gluten-free restaurant, to the new Walmart Supercenter in Orlando. This is huge news.
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It has been some ride over the last few years for Denise Mari, Founder of Organic Avenue. With new investors and having emerged from bankruptcy, this iconic NYC juice brand has a bright future again.
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On Friday, a judge in California tentatively ruled that the state can require a cancer warning label on Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. This is a massive blow to the company, and a final decision is expected soon from Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Kapetan.
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In an important vote, the European Union failed to authorize the cultivation of new genetically-modified crops, with the last ones being approved in 1998. However, since the rejection failed to receive a majority of votes, it is now in the hands of the European Commission as to what is next.
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Brodo, the super-popular bone broth shop in NYC, will open inside of Whole Foods in Williamsburg. I predict this will be the first of many collaborations between the two.
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Farmer and environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the EPA for approving XtendiMax, also known as Dicamba. Dicamba is already linked to increased rates of cancer and birth defects, and has caused outrage across the country even among non-organic farmers.
Read Article Unsurprisingly, the USDA’s proposed regulations to evaluate the next generation of GMOs, such as gene-editing and synthetic biology, are just not enough. Many of these risky crops may escape government oversight entirely.
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The venture capital arm of General Mills, 301 Inc., led a $6 million round in organic kale chip company Rhythm Superfoods. The Austin-based producer of organic snacks is on track to do $20 million in revenues this year.
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Private equity firm San Francisco Equity Partners has taken a majority stake in Red Monkey Foods, a leading provider of organic spices and seasonings. Red Monkey Foods was named by Inc. 500 as one of “America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies.”
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A cool story in Forbes of how Barnana got started and how it has quickly grown, all with the mission of not letting unwanted bananas go to waste.
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A fascinating development out of Europe, where organic seals made with stickers might be a thing of the past. Laser markings will be tested on organic sweet potatoes and avocados.
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Hain Celestial has just agreed to a joint venture with India-based Future Group and intends to market its natural & organic products in that country. Expect to see brands such as Terra, Garden of Eatin’, Sensible Portions, Dream and Earth’s Best in India sometime soon.
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With schools across the country taking a hard look at how they are procuring food, organic lunches could be here pretty soon. What an amazing prospect!
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While The Organic Coup is the country’s first certified organic fast-food restaurant, Nic’s in Chicago claims to be the the country’s first certified organic fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru. I hope these two companies inspire other entrepreneurs to get in the certified organic restaurant business. Consumer demand is enormous.
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With the “food as medicine” philosophy taking hold, it isn’t just nutritionists or dietitians becoming fixtures at supermarkets. Now, it’s doctors, too.
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Gene-editing technology is now being used on food, and regulatory oversight and mandatory safety studies are practically non-existent, not to mention a lack of labeling. The only good news is that this technology has been banned in organic.
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Kuli Kuli, which sells organic moringa powder, drinks and bars, just completed a $4.25M Series A led by eighteen94 captial, the VC arm of Kellogg. Congrats to my friend and CEO/Founder Lisa Curtis on this financing.
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After many months of delays, The White House Office of Management and Budget has signed off on the proposed organic animal welfare standards. While far from perfect, they are certainly an improvement over existing rules. Now, the standards must be published by the USDA in the Federal Register before January 20th in order to go into effect.
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Nora Pouillon, founder of Nora’s, Washington D.C.’s only and one of the country’s first certified organic restaurants, has been given the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award. This is such deserving recognition to a true pioneer, who will be greatly missed as she heads into retirement.
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Martime College in Maine is taking organic clothing to the next level, by having its athletes wear organic uniforms. Maybe this will inspire other schools and universities to do the same.
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Here are some predictions on how Millennials will impact food in the coming year. Not surprisingly, technology is a big influence.
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Good to see that Delta is testing out organic and Non-GMO options. It shouldn’t be long before others follow suit.
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Arguably the most influential VC firm in Silicon Valley, Sequoia Capital, is close to taking a majority stake in Sresta Natural Bioproducts, India’s leading organic food company.
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