Organic Insider Newsletter Archive

This morning, the leading distributor of organic and natural foods, UNFI, purchased Supervalu for $2.9 billion. We discuss the possible reasons for this acquisition and why it may prove to be a very smart long-term, defensive move.

Created by four major food companies -- Danone North America; Mars, Incorporated; Nestlé USA; and Unilever United States -- the SFPA aims to focus on five key areas: consumer transparency, environment, food safety, nutrition, and people and communities.

Believing that its interests needed representation on Capitol Hill separate from the major chemical/GMO companies, founding member companies Danone North America, Mars Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States have formed the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA).

This week, we do a review of all of the Organic Insider newsletters from the past quarter. Topics such as fraud in organic, the changing nature of the National Organic Standards Board, and the marketing of organic products all received a tremendous amount of attention.

With The Cornucopia Institute having just released a blockbuster report on fraudulent imported organic grains, we take a look at who is responsible for this situation, how it can be rectified, and how it will impact the integrity of organic.

The 2017 U.S. organic industry sales figures were just reported last week, and the sector's 6.4% growth was described as "maturing." Having trouble accepting that "maturing" is the right word, I take a look at what exactly the numbers were showing, what might be missing, and the risk that the industry is facing.

Despite the outcry from many people in the industry that the organic checkoff was rejected by the USDA, support for this program was absolutely not unanimous. I discuss how the rejection of the checkoff could actually present a result far better than anyone could have imagined.

As the organic food industry continues to experience rapid growth and with more companies entering the space each year, the sector is also facing numerous challenges, particularly on the regulatory level. Wanting to get a sense of how my fellow colleagues view the industry, I asked several of them to share an opinion, insight or observation about...

With American organic farmers suffering hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, all due to fraudulent imports, the USDA refuses to get proactive enough to stop the bleeding. And the longer we wait for the USDA to do something, the more damaged will be caused to the organic seal.

What are the major trends in the organic pet food world? Sarah Goldberger, founder of Lord Jameson, one of the hottest brands in the industry today, gives us the scoop. And it's some fascinating insight.