I recently returned from a fantastic few days at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore and thought it was the best Expo East I have been to in many years.
The products were “cleaner” than ever, and I was very impressed by the overall innovation.
Three specific trends stood out:
1) Never before has there been so much energy around regenerative agriculture. Leaders in the industry are beginning to make this a priority, and action is being taken. In fact, Annie’s entire trade show booth was centered around this issue.
At the Dr. Bronner’s booth, in conjunction with Rodale Institute, Patagonia, and others, the Regenerative Organic Certification was officially introduced.
In last week’s Organic Insider, I mentioned the Regenerative Organic Certification and plan to discuss it in greater depth in future newsletters. Not only is this a vitally important step in the right direction, but it raises the bar for what organic should be. The standard is now available to view and for public comment HERE.
The excellent piece by Politico’s Helena Bottemiller Evich on The Great Nutrient Collapse — how the environment is literally changing the food we eat, for the worse — speaks to the desperate need for regenerative organic agriculture. This farming method will only grow in importance.
2) While it is no surprise that plant-based foods are becoming more popular than ever — the Plant Based Foods Association and The Good Food Institute reported that plant-based foods surged by 8.1% over the last year — what I saw at Expo East really made an impression.
The keynote speaker was Jonathan Safran Foer, noted vegan and author of Eating Animals. Also on Friday during Expo East, there were four educational panels focused on plant-based businesses and strategies.
Within the plant-based category, the massive trend that is about to emerge is plant-based fish, or vegan fish.
On Living Maxwell, two of my Top 5 Organic Food Products of Expo East were plant-based fish or plant-based fish ingredients, including this vegan organic sushi by Mozza Sushi.
Additionally, a team of very experienced organic industry executives at Beyond Brands has launched Good Catch Foods, a plant-based fish company. Even though it is not organic, it generated a lot of buzz at the show.
3) The number of carbonated drinks that have been traditionally still, or not carbonated, took me by big surprise.
Chameleon Cold-Brew introduced a line of carbonated cold-brew coffee. To my complete shock, its unflavored version was outstanding.
Also, Kalena introduced a sparkling coconut water with pineapple, which was phenomenal as well.
I expect to see beverage companies move more into carbonation as a way to diversify their existing product line.
 |
Have a great day! 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
The Inspector General at the USDA said that lax enforcement at U.S. ports helps explain the millions of pounds of fraudulent organic corn and soybeans.
A report out of Nielsen says that organic food is reaching more people while overall prices are coming down.
A new report from the Organic Trade Association says that Millennials, who already favor organic, could have a significant impact on the growth of the industry.
The IFC, a division of the World Bank, is planning to invest approximately $25 million in Suminter India Organics, one of the country's leading exporters of organic produce.
The Cornucopia Institute holds nothing back in its assessment of Miles McEvoy, who is stepping down after 8 years of overseeing the National Organic Program.
The 5-time Super Bowl champion and quarterback of my beloved New England Patriots goes on the attack against GMOs and Big Food in his new self-help book.
Shocking! New documents reveal that the EU made its safety recommendation about glyphosate based on a study that it copied and pasted from Monsanto's own documents.
Facing shrinking demand, major sugar companies have launched A Fresh Look, a propaganda campaign defending GMOs.
Europe's top court ruled that Italy's 2015 ban on GMO-cultivation was unlawful. The ruling appears to be ceremonial since new EU rules give member states the ability to opt out of allowing cultivation.
Supermarket chain Wegmans has been operating its own organic farms in upstate New York for the last decade and now shares this knowledge with local farmers.
Chuck Templeton, the founder of OpenTable, has closed on a $180 million fund to invest in food start-ups.
Supermarket chain PCC Natural Markets has changed its name to PCC Community Markets to better reflect its community ownership and commitment to the Pacific Northwest.
