
I just spent a fantastic few days at the Fancy Food Show, a show that is looking more and more like Expo West, which is a very positive development. Here is my full recap and analysis of one of my favorite shows of the year.
Amazon's announcement that it would purchase Whole Foods for $14 billion was blockbuster news. So, I approached three former senior executives at Whole Foods, who, combined, have many decades of experience not only at the company but also in the natural products industry, and posed the following question to them: "You have five minutes,...
With retailing giant Amazon now owning Whole Foods, I discuss what this sale means for the organic industry and explore possible scenarios. Also, recent coverage in the Washington Post about organic gives a reason to be somewhat optimistic.
The current regulatory framework for next-generation gene-editing technologies is woefully inadequate, which means that President Trump's view of fewer regulations bodes very poorly for organic.
If Cornell University scientist Dr. Anthony Shelton gets his way, 30,000 genetically-engineered moths will be released per week for three to four months, up to a period of two years in upstate New York. Here's a look at this very dangerous situation.
With the recently released 2016 OTA report about the size of the organic industry, we saw growth of U.S organic food sales from 2015 to 2016 of 8.4%, down from 11% from the year before. We take a look at what caused this slowdown.
Known as one of the most revered ancient herbs in Ayurveda and referred to as the “Indian ginseng”, ashwagandha is really starting to take hold in the organic industry, and it has become quite noticeable how often brands are using it in their products. Wanting to get more insight into this herb, particularly from a marketing standpoint, I...
What has transpired in the organic industry over the last month is cause for serious concern and should force all of us to acknowledge that we need to start doing things differently. While consumer demand for organic has never been stronger, the underpinnings of our industry are fraying at the seams. Here is what has taken place and what I think...
With organic food already mainstream and organic beauty products gaining serious traction, organic clothing is the next frontier. And given that fashion is an environmental disaster, with its highly toxic dyes and the massive problems with genetically-modified cotton, particularly in India, we desperately need organic clothing to take hold. That...
Greg Fleishman, co-founder of Purely Righteous Brands and the most sought-after brand building consultant in the organic food industry today, talks about what it takes to successfully launch a product and how brands fail to develop a strong identity.
A recap of what took place at the National Organic Standards Board meeting in Denver and why hydroponics, which is currently being allowed in organic, is so problematic to the integrity of our industry.
As we enter the second week of Jana Partners and its allies acquiring a near 9% stake in the company, a few interesting developments have been revealed. However, a significant flaw in the hedge fund's strategy remains.
Yesterday, it was disclosed that activist hedge fund Jana Partners and several allies have taken a 9% stake in Whole Foods Market, and The Wall Street Journal reported that Jana “wants the chain to improve its technology and operations to better compete with larger rivals, shake up its board and find out how much a potential bidder might be...
In breaking news, CNBC and other outlets are reporting that activist hedge fund Jana Partners has taken a 9% stake in Whole Foods Market. The question now is: will the company be put on the auction block?
This past week, French-based Danone announced it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to sell its entire stake in Stonyfield, a requisite to get approval for its $12.5 billion acquisition of WhiteWave Foods. We take a look at potential suitors and how Stonyfield could expand its product line.
With next month’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Denver just a few weeks away, the issue of hydroponics in organic is at the forefront of many people’s minds. And with some recent events, a question many people are asking is whether the tide is turning on this issue.
A brand new Glyphosate Residue Free certification has been launched by The Detox Project, one of the most respected organizations in the space. Here is a discussion about what this program is trying to achieve, how it works, and how it could impact the industry. My best advice is for organic food companies be fully prepared for consumers to...
With a group of Republican representatives lobbying President Trump to eliminate the entire National Organic Program, I have been quite concerned about the future of organic. However, after witnessing everything that went on at last week's Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim and spending time with many of our industry’s leaders, I am more...
With rumors circulating that The Freedom Caucus, a congressional caucus consisting of conservative Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives, wanting to kill the National Organic Program, we received more clarity into exactly what is going on.
A trend that I have been thinking about for several years is now finally starting to gain some traction: glyphosate-free certification. In today's Organic Insider, I discuss what it is and what it means for the industry.
If we reflect back over the last few years, the organic industry has spent an incredible amount of time and tens of millions of dollars fighting for GMO-labeling. And what did we get from it? A horrible GMO-labeling bill that allows for the use of QR codes instead of on-packaging labeling. In hindsight, the industry might have been better served...
For my commentary this week, I talk about the number one mistake that I see many organic food companies making and bring in one of the sharpest and most innovative minds that I know -- Zak Normandin, former founder of Little Duck Organics and is now the founder of Dirty Lemon (not organic). His beverage company does 100% of its sales online and...
Kathleen Merrigan, former Deputy Secretary of the USDA and a champion of organic, said at the Food Tank conference that “There are some forces of darkness … coming together, thinking, ‘let’s sharpen the knives on organic.’” I discuss what this all means and how recent developments could give us an indication of how challenging the...
As many of you may know, the long-awaited, genetically-modified Arctic Apple that doesn’t turn brown hits the shelves in select supermarkets in the Midwest today. Even though no long-term safety studies have ever been done on GMOs, this new apple poses a different and potentially bigger risk than a health one. I discuss this risk in today's...