
After the National Organic Standards Board meeting in Jacksonville, it became painfully clear that the USDA is failing our industry. We can recap what happened in Florida and speculate where we go from here.
What the box, bottle, bowl, bag, wrapper or pouch looks like and feels like plays a critical role in building brand loyalty, and organic companies should never underestimate just how attached consumers become to a brand’s packaging. Becky Nelson, who works with many of top brands in the industry at Bex Brands, gives her take on best practices,...
In a report by The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems and The Global Alliance for the Future of Food, the case is made that the industrial food system is largely to blame for our "staggering" health care costs, which includes the $760 billion yearly cost of obesity and $673 billion yearly cost of diabetes. Learn how the...
Investigative journalist Carey Gillam, author of the excellent book Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, testified in front of a European Union panel about glyphosate. What she encountered should give us a semblance of optimism.
What Patagonia is doing to galvanize the industry around the very important hydroponics issue and which companies are supporting this initiative.
With the USDA announced that it had completed a months-long investigation of Aurora and closed the complaint, saying that the USDA found no "clear and substantive evidence that the existing organic regulations" on grazing were violated. According to The Washington Post, the USDA said it reviewed grazing records from last year but did not share...
After 30 years at The New York Times, food business reporter Stephanie Strom has stepped down. Widely regarded as the most influential journalist in the space, Stephanie talks about what it was like to cover the sector from inside the NYT, if she faced any pressure to cover GMOs in a certain way, and what companies should know when pitching...
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. In my recap, I talk about the show's key trends that really stood out.
This past weekend, I was in Pennsylvania for a farm tour and to attend the 7th annual Organic Pioneer Awards dinner at the Rodale Institute. In all of my years covering the organic industry, this was one of the most special days that I have experienced. If you've never been to Rodale and you love organic, absolutely make a visit to this place....
As the Internet was abuzz last week with prices at Whole Foods down by as much as 43%, let’s remember one thing -- there is no free lunch. In today's Organic Insider, we take a look at what this margin pressure means for the industry and how competitors, such as Lidl, are making lower prices work.
With organic and natural personal care category exploding, Indie Beauty Expo is my favorite showcase for learning what is new and interesting in the space. Here is the best of what I found at last week's show in New York City.
The Food Marketing Institute recently released its 2017 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report, and after surveying more than 2,000 adults, it compiled some fascinating information about where they shop, how they shop, and what they value the most. Let's just say that the organic industry has A LOT of work left to do.
David Bronner is the CEO of Dr. Bronner’s and one of the most influential and actively engaged leaders in the organic industry. When it comes to taking a stand on important social and environmental issues, I do not believe there is another company in our industry that has stepped up more than Dr. Bronner’s. The company has given millions to...
As one of the most important and beloved leaders in the organic food industry, John Foraker stepped down last week from Annie's, and the news caught a lot of us by shock. In tody's column, I spoke with John and he gave us some clues as to what is coming next.
Armed with $50 million from Silicon Valley venture capitalists, Brandless sells organic and Non-GMO food and household items, almost all of which are $3. With this powerful new entrant into the market, there is a lot that brands can learn from this company.
With the first six months of the Trump administration behind us, I wanted to take a look at how organic food has been impacted under this new president. While there has been an abundance of negatives, there have been a few positives as well -- surprisingly.
As the USDA prepares to roll out its GMO-labeling law, which goes into effect in 2018, it is seeking input from stakeholders and has posed 30 questions regarding key issues of this bill. In my conversation with Michael Hansen, PhD, here are the things that this new law should address.
Normally, Organic Insider goes out on Tuesdays but since the USDA asked that the comments for its GMO-labeling bill be submitted by tomorrow, I wanted to get you my synopsis of these comments as soon as possible, so you can make the deadline. Be on the lookout for an email tomorrow, instead of Tuesday.
Aside from the massive fraud issues that have surfaced as of late, we are now facing the very scary prospect of genetically-engineered trees and genetically-engineered moths pervading the American agricultural landscape, whose impact would be irreversible and catastrophic. Here is a quick recap on each and where things stand.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) made the tragic decision of approving genetically-engineered diamondback moths. Here's why they won't be released just yet and what could stand in their way of being released into the wild.
Meant as an alternative to the Organic Trade Association and viewed as a vehicle to give small organic farmers representation in Washington, D.C., the Organic Farmers Association is an important development in our industry. I check in with Kate Mendenhall, Executive Director of the OFA, who gives me an update on where things stand.
In an Organic Insider alert, the iconic organic yogurt company Stonyfield has been sold to French-owned Lactalis for $875M.
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,...