Soil Not Oil Conference 2015

For Immediate Release:

Soil Not Oil Conference, Set for Bay Area, Sept. 4-5, Focuses on Regenerative "Carbon Farming" to Mitigate Climate Change

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 4-5, 2015, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Memorial Civic Center Complex, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804

Note: Dr. Vandana Shiva keynote speech is on Friday, Sept. 4, 7:00 pm

International conference on agriculture and climate change, Soil Not Oil, Sept. 4-5, in Richmond, CA, features speakers Vandana Shiva, Fritjof Capra, Anna Lappé, former EPA senior scientist Ray Seidler, soil scientist Rattan Lal, agro-ecologist Miguel Altieri, environmental and land use attorney Claire Hope Cummings, and others.

Richmond, CA (July 29, 2015) — Getting to the root of global climate change, the 2015 Soil Not Oil International Conference will bring together farmers, ranchers, scientists, policy makers, NGOs and community leaders on Sept. 4-5, 2015, at the Memorial Civic Center Complex in Richmond, CA, to explore how sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices can help mitigate the planet's global warming.

Soil Not Oil speakers include, from left: Dr. Vandana Shiva, Fritjof Capra, Anna Lappé and Ronnie Cummins.

"The goal of the two-day conference is to provide practical information, research, and networking to help society create a more vibrant, healthy future via better farming practices. Along with reduced reliance on fossil fuels and increased availability of green energy, we need to shift to carbon farming to reverse climate change," said Miguel Robles, conference organizer and Director of the Biosafety Alliance.

Vandana Shiva Headlines Conference

Inspired by Dr. Vandana Shiva’s book, Soil Not Oil, the 2015 Soil Not Oil International Conference examines the crisis on food security while highlighting the role of oil-based agro-chemicals and fossil fuels in soil depletion and climate change. The conference will focus on practical carbon farming solutions including cover crops, planned grazing, compost application on range land, tree planting and other holistic land use practices.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Dr. Vandana Shiva on Friday, Sept. 4, 7:00 pm, along with presentations featuring noted soil scientist Rattan Lal; author Fritjof Capra; environmental and land use attorney Claire Hope Cummings; Earth Guardians director and youth leader Xiuhtezcatl Martinez; author Anna Lappé; agro-ecologist Miguel Altieri; Adelita San Vicente Tello, Ph.D., director of Seeds of Life; Regeneration International and Organic Consumers Association co-founder Ronnie Cummins; John Roulac, CEO and founder of Nutiva; and other international leaders, farmers, researchers, climate change experts, and environmental and food justice advocates.

“We are pleased to host this important gathering in the San Francisco Bay Area, the heart of the organic food industry," said Richmond-based John Roulac, founder and CEO of organic food leader Nutiva. "To secure a livable planet we need to both de-carbonize energy and re-carbonize our soils via regenerative agriculture.“

Carbon Farming Defined

Carbon farming (also known as regenerative agriculture) is an agricultural system that improves the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and converted to plant material and/or organic matter in the soil. Today, mainstream industrial food and farming and unsustainable land use generate the majority of all greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon that is stripped from the soil ending up in our atmosphere and oceans, creating acidic conditions that threaten plant and animal species. In removing carbon from the atmosphere and oceans by implementing the practices of regenerative organic agriculture, we can sequester carbon into the soil and expand the soil’s water-holding capacity.

As a 2014 Rodale Institute report states, “Organically managed soils can convert carbon CO2 from a greenhouse gas into a food-producing asset.” In fact, says Rodale after conducting more than 30 years of ongoing field research, regenerative, organic farming practices and improved land management can move agriculture from one of today’s primary sources of global warming and carbon pollution to a potential carbon sink powerful enough to sequester 100% of the world’s current annual CO2 emissions.

Or, as the Wall Street Journal reported in May 2014, “Organic practices could counteract the world’s yearly carbon dioxide output while producing the same amount of food as conventional farming…”

About the Soil Not Oil Coalition

The conference organizer, Soil Not Oil Coalition, is a cross-sector, multi-ethnic alliance of over 60 organizations, scientists, farmers, businesses and individuals coordinated by the Biosafety Alliance to promote research and further understanding to optimize soil carbon sequestration and sustainability to aid in the development of adequate food production for future generations and to help reverse of the effects of global warming. We believe that restructuring land management practices is key to combating climate change, restoring water cycles, reducing global environmental pollution, stopping ocean acidification, re-establishing biodiversity, improving food production and revitalizing local economies across the planet. For more information, registration or volunteering opportunities visitwww.soilnotoilcoalition.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Soil Not Oil Conference Sponsors include Nutiva, Dr. Bronner’s, RSF Social Finance, Good Earth Natural Foods, Burroughs Family Farms, International Development Exchange, Organic Consumers Association, Regeneration International and Food Democracy Now.

To view this press release online, visit http://soilnotoilcoalition.org/soil-not-oil-international-conference-2015/.

Communicatons by: Compass Natural LLC

www.compassnaturalmarketing.com

Conventional Retailers Take the Lead in Natural/Organic Food Sales

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Sales of natural and organic products grew 9.1% to reach $120 billion in 2014, reports Natural Foods Merchandiser’s 2015 Market Overview, and for the first time, conventional retailers recorded slightly higher sales than the traditional natural products retail channel.

“It could be the year we look back on, and remember as the turning point for when natural became everyday.” - Christine Kapperman, Editor in Chief, Natural Foods Merchandiser

As Editorial Director of the Natural Foods Merchandiser in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, I remember spending a number of late nights working with the magazine’s founder, Doug Greene, pouring over paper surveys to complete the industry’s eagerly awaited annual Market Overview. Things have changed since then, yet the natural and organic products industry continues to gain momentum, posting impressive year-over-year growth, as consumers increasingly demand cleaner, healthier foods.

Everyone is taking notice. Never has the competition been fiercer among traditional natural foods super-naturals, including Whole Foods Market and Sprouts, and expansion-minded chains and independents such as Natural Grocers, Earth Fare, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Lucky’s Market, MOM’s Organic Market, Mustard Seed, and others. Just last month, I reported on how major food brands, including Kraft, Chipotle, Pepsi and a growing number of others, are feeling the pinch of lost market share and are now removing artificial ingredients, colorings, preservatives, GMOs and other chemicals from their ingredient decks. Additionally, Kroger’s private label organic brand, Simple Truth, in 2014 surpassed $1 billion in sales, the retailer’s “most successful brand launch ever,” said Kroger president and COO Mike Ellis in a March 5, 2015, conference call.

Natural Products Sales at a Turning Point And now, according to this year’s Market Overview, published in Natural Foods Merchandiser’s June 2015 edition, the industry has reached a tipping point, in that, for the first time, sales of natural and organic products in conventional retail stores exceeded overall sales in the traditional natural foods retail channel by a slim margin. “It could be the year we look back on, and remember as the turning point for when natural became everyday,” wrote Christine Kapperman, Natural Foods Merchandiser’s Editor in Chief.

Overall sales of natural and organic products grew by 9.1% in 2014, reaching $120 billion. Traditional natural products retailers reported $49.1 billion of those sales, or 40.7% of the market, with a growth rate of 8.0%. However, conventional retailers claimed slightly higher sales of $49.6 billion, higher growth of 10.6%, and a larger piece of the pie with 41.2% overall sales, as distribution and availability of natural and organic foods spreads to all corners of the country.

Internet Sales Post 13.7% Growth A smaller but growing market segment – the Internet – recorded ecommerce sales of $4.6 billion in 2014 for a 3.8% share of the market, up from $3.5 billion in 2013, representing an impressive 13.7% growth in sales. Practitioners, too, are registering a significant share of the dietary supplements and natural remedies market, with steady growth averaging 10% over the past two years, and $4.2 billion in sales in 2014.

Multi-level marketers, such as Amway, Herbalife, Nu Skin, Shaklee and others, continue to maintain an 8% market share, reporting $9.1 billion in sales in 2014, primarily through dietary supplements, personal care and other non-food items. However, growth in this sector has slowed slightly from 5.7% in 2013 to 5.4% in 2014. Sales by traditional mail order are slowing, too, from 8.7% growth in 2013 to 8% growth and sales of $3.8 billion in 2014.

Snack Foods Lead Category Growth Categories showing the strongest performance in 2014 include snack foods, posting 12% growth and $2.8 billion in sales; dairy ($3.5 billion total sales; 10.3% growth); meat, fish and poultry ($1.9 billion total sales; 10.2% growth); condiments ($1.2 billion total sales; 9.4% growth); beverages ($5.8 billion total sales; 8.4% growth); and packaged & prepared foods ($3.6 billion total sales; 8.4% growth).

Sales of organic products in the U.S. rose 11.3% in 2014, totaling $39.1 billion, despite the industry having to deal with tight supplies of organic ingredients, reported the Organic Trade Association in April 2015. Organic food sales totaled $35.9 billion in 2014, an 11% jump over the previous year, while sales of organic non-food products increased nearly 14% to $3.2 billion, the biggest jump in this category in six years, reported OTA.

Independents Develop Strategies to Compete As natural and organic products, especially the leading brands in the category, become more available throughout the U.S., independent natural foods retailers can thrive by focusing on service and newer local, regional and national brands that don’t have access to the larger retail chains, Yadim Medore, Managing Director of Pure Branding, told the Merchandiser.

According to Pure Branding’s new report, the Natural Products Marketing 2015 Benchmark Report, produced in partnership with SPINS, large manufacturers with annual sales greater than $15 million, while comprising only 3% of all natural products manufacturers, command 85% of market share. This presents an opportunity for independent retailers to differentiate with unique, younger, authentic brands. Also, high interest in local, gluten free and non-GMO can also benefit independent retailers, Medore said in the Market Overview.

Co-ops a Bright Spot The 2015 Market Overview also reported that retail co-ops or cooperatives are a “bright spot on the natural retail landscape.” National Co+op Grocers, a business services organization for co-op grocers, reported a rise from 136 members in 2013 to 144 in 2014 with combined sales of $1.7 billion, up 7% from the previous year, and the Cooperative Grocer Network, a trade organization, estimates there are 300 co-ops total in the U.S. and another 100 in various stages of development, and that there is “unprecedented interest” in creating new co-ops.

For more information, visit http://newhope360.com/news-analysis/nfm-market-overview.

Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural Marketing, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. He is the former Editorial Director of Natural Foods Merchandiser Magazine and co-founder of the LOHAS Journal. Contact steve@compassnatural.com.

Natural Ingredient Manufacturer Teawolf Partners With Elnasr

For Immediate Release:

Contact:

Anna Tomei, Teawolf, tel 973.575.4600, atomei@teawolf.com

Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, tel 303.807.1042 steve@compassnatural.com

New trading partnership will allow U.S.-based Teawolf to gain access to premium quality Hibiscus for extraction and distribution throughout North America, and allow Teawolf to sell its other natural and botanical ingredients in new international markets.

Visit Teawolf at IFT15, the nation's leading food ingredients exposition, Booth #3723, McCormick Place South, Chicago, July 11-14, 2015.

Pine Brook, NJ (July 10, 2015) — Teawolf, a leading, state-of-the-art manufacturer of natural and functional ingredients for the food and beverage, flavor and nutritional products markets, today announced a new North American distribution partnership with Elnasr Industrial Trading Co. Ltd.  

Elnasr, with headquarters located in Egypt, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of natural food ingredients to manufacturers. The new partnership will allow Teawolf to expand its distribution and also its catalog of premium quality liquid botanical extracts, with a key focus on Hibiscus from Jamaica.

Under the direction of Mr. Abobaker Eltom, Elnasr has established long-standing partnerships in over a dozen countries. The new partnership with U.S.-based Teawolf will provide Elnasr a direct line into the U.S. and Canada markets through the Teawolf network of customers, agents and brokers. Elnasr will provide Teawolf with a vast and consistent supply of first-class Hibiscus raw materials, in addition to a complete line of instantized and agglomerated powders.  

"We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Mr. Abobaker and Elnasr, a strategic move that will provide both companies a unique competitive edge in the marketplace,” said Greg Robertson, Founder and Vice Chair of Teawolf. “In addition, Elnasr will enhance its natural products platform through the selling of our liquid botanical extracts, vanilla and tea offerings. These products will be introduced to hundreds of key customers across the global Elnasr International network, thus helping to open other international markets for Teawolf’s natural ingredient offerings,” Robertson said.

"We are excited to add Teawolf to our many worldwide and successful partners with the opportunity to sell our products to U.S. and Canadian customers. Our portfolio of products and ingredients have proven the test of time since we began our business in 1963,” said Abobaker Eltom, President of Elnasr Industrial Trading Co. Ltd. "The U.S. is our last frontier and there’s no better time to make this exciting announcement than at an event like IFT. This year will mark the beginning of a tremendous and enduring relationship that will be of great benefit to all of us and our valued customers."

Robertson and his executive management team will officially introduce the Elnasr team and their products to their many customers and associates at the upcoming annual IFT Meeting & Food Expo held in Chicago at McCormick Place (July 11-14, 2015).

About Teawolf

Teawolf, LLC is an ingredient manufacturing company servicing the food, beverage and nutritional industries. Founded in 2009, the company maintains their headquarters in Pine Brook, NJ. Teawolf focuses exclusively on extraction of a wide range of natural products including tea, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, guayusa and Hibiscus. For more information, visitwww.teawolf.com; or please contact Anna Tomei at 973.575.4600, atomei@teawolf.com.

Visit Teawolf at IFT15, the nation's leading food ingredients exposition, Booth #3723, McCormick Place South, Chicago, July 11-14, 2015.

Communicatons by: Compass Natural Marketing

www.compassnatural.com

Major Food Brands Dump the Junk

Talk about a domino effect. One after another, from Pepsi to Panera, over a dozen major food brands and restaurant chains this past year have announced they are removing artificial colors, flavorings and preservatives, GMOs, antibiotics, and other ingredients deemed unhealthful by an increasingly discerning public from their products.

Driven by increased demand from Millennials for cleaner, healthier products, along with growing sales of natural and organic products across a broad spectrum of the US population – not to mention constant pressure by consumer advocacy groups and high-profile food activists – iconic food brands are dumping the junk and striving for a more health-oriented image.

One sign: people just aren’t drinking soda and eating junk food burgers as much as they used to. With fizzy soda sales on a long-term decline and 63% of Americans telling a Gallup survey last year that they are actively avoiding traditional soda drinks, “we’re operating in a very challenging environment,” Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent told analysts in a conference call in late April, reported the Washington Times.

For the quarter ending April 3, 2015, Coca-Cola reported a profit of $1.56 billion, or 35 cents a share, down 3.8% from the previous year. Global sales increased a modest 1%, the first growth in quarterly revenue in more than two years, reported the Washington Times.

After emerging rival Chipotle Mexican Grill – which announced recently that its menu is now non-GMO – reported that comparable-store sales were up 10.4% during the first quarter of 2015, McDonald's reported a 2.6% decline in same-store sales in the company's 14,000 U.S. locations during the quarter. Additionally revenue for McDonald’s for the quarter dropped 12% from $6.7 billion the previous year to just under $6 billion.

So, with mounting pressure from social media, consumer organizations, online petitions, and high-profile activists including GMO Inside, Vani Hari of Food Babe, Robyn O’Brien of Allergy Kids and others, combined with declining sales and profits for traditional junk foods, longstanding brands are retooling their recipes. Whether of their own volition, as in the case of Chipotle, or under pressure, recent examples of companies getting on board the clean label bandwagon include the following.

Chipotle says Adios to GMOs Making good on a two-year promise, Chipotle Mexican Grill announced in late April 2015 that it had removed all ingredients made with genetically modified organisms from its menu. The company's corn and flour tortillas were among the hardest items to change, but now they’re non-GMO, thanks to Chipotle's collaboration with suppliers to plant non-GMO corn varieties, reported NPR. GMO soybean oil in the chips and taco shells was replaced with non-GMO sunflower oil. However, Chipotle still uses meat from animals that may be fed on GMO corn or soybeans, admits CEO Steve Ells, though the company wants to change that, but it may take several years, he said.

Panera Drops Long List of Artificial Ingredients Artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavor enhancers, and 150 other artificial ingredients are being nixed from Panera’s menu by the end of 2016, the restaurant chain announced in May 2015. Panera uses more than 450 ingredients to prepare its food in nearly 1,900 locations across the US. In a move to protect its sales and remove one-third of its ingredients, the company created a "No No List" based on research and standards developed by Johns Hopkins, the Environmental Working Group, the Natural Resources Defense Council and various European governments, reported the New York Times. Panera said it worked with both its suppliers and their suppliers, who themselves were not always certain whether their products contained the ingredients on Panera’s list.

Kraft Mac & Cheese Goes Au Natural Moms across the country breathed a collective sigh of relief when Kraft Foods, after an onslaught by bloggers and food activists, announced in April 2015 that it would remove artificial colors and preservatives in the U.S. version of its iconic Macaroni & Cheese by January 2016. Kraft says it will replace synthetic colors — including Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 — with naturally derived colors such as paprika, annatto and turmeric – the way it's been formulated in Europe for years.

PepsiCo Removes Aspartame from Diet Pepsi; Adds Sucralose Instead PepsiCo announced it is removing aspartame, first sold under the brand name NutraSweet, from Diet Pepsi by August 2015 in response to customer feedback, and replacing it with sucralose, another artificial sweetener known as Splenda. Aspartame is "literally the number-one complaint we've heard from diet-cola consumers as to why they're drinking less and less diet cola, " Seth Kaufman, SVP for PepsiCo, told NPR.

Coca-Cola: No More Fire Retardant in Soda Coca-Cola and PepsiCo both announced in May 2014 they would remove brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from all of their beverages. BVO was first patented as a flame retardant, but has also been added to many American sodas for decades, reported health expert Dr. Mercola. “Regardless of what the official statements say, the companies made this move due to consumer outrage started with an online petition…from a college student that gained over 200,000 signatures,” reported the Motley Fool.

Hershey’s Kisses Goodbye to GMO The Hershey Co. announced in February 2015 it intends to remove genetically modified ingredients from Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and its iconic Kisses – first introduced in 1907 – by the end of 2015. The company will replace sugar derived from GMO sugar beets with cane sugar, and will switch to a non-GMO soy lecithin as it pledged to focus on "simple ingredients." It will also remove the emulsifier polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and artificial vanillin in its products. Hershey in December 2014 said it would work to replace high-fructose corn syrup in sweets including York Peppermint Patties and Almond Joy candy bars. "We are specifically looking to formulate new products and transition existing products to deliver on no artificial flavors, no synthetic colors, no high fructose corn syrup and to be gluten free," Hershey said in a statement.

Nestle Makes Over Butterfinger, Baby Ruth Not to be outdone by the Hershey Co., Nestlé USA also announced in February 2015 it would remove artificial flavors and synthetic colors, including Red 40 and Yellow 5, from all of its chocolate candy products. By the end of 2015, more than 250 products and 10 brands, including Butterfinger, Crunch, and Baby Ruth candy and Nesquik powdered drink mixes, will be free of artificial flavors and certified colors, said the company. Products will begin appearing on store shelves by mid-2015, and will be identified by a “No Artificial Flavors or Colors” claim featured on-pack.

McDonalds: No Human Antibiotics in Chicken McDonald's will stop selling chicken treated with antibiotics that are also used in human medicine, the company announced in March 2105. The phase-out will occur over the next two years, as the world's largest restaurant chain works with its suppliers, which include poultry giant Tyson Foods (see below). Chickens used by McDonald's will still be treated with antibiotics that aren't used in human medicine, reported Time Magazine. The announcement came three days after McDonald's new CEO Steve Easterbrook took over leadership of the company, when he pledged to reform McDonald's into a "modern, progressive burger company."

Tyson Removes Human Antibiotics in Poultry Operations Tyson Foods announced in April 2015 that it is striving to eliminate the use of human antibiotics from its U.S. broiler chicken flocks by September 2017. The country’s largest producer of poultry will report annually on its progress, beginning with its fiscal 2015 Sustainability Report. In October 2014, Tyson said it no longer uses antibiotics in its 35 chicken hatcheries. The company still uses antibiotics in chicken feed “when prescribed by a veterinarian to treat or prevent disease” and said the “vast majority of the antibiotics” it uses aren’t used in humans. The company said it is researching “alternative treatments and protocols that will eventually eliminate the application of any antibiotics used in human medicine from poultry feed,” Food Safety News reported. Tyson offers a completely antibiotic-free chicken under its NatureRaised Farms brand.

Subway Bows to Food Babe Over Additive After food blogger Vani Hari, also known as Food Babe, launched an online petition in early 2014 to convince Subway to remove a controversial food additive, the sandwich giant announced plans to phase it out of its fresh-baked breads, reported NPR in February 2014. The additive, azodicarbonamide, is often used by the commercial baking industry to bleach flour and condition dough. However, as the petition points out, the compound has been phased out in many other countries, and the World Health Organization has linked it to asthma in people. A spokesperson for Subway told NPR, "We are already in the process of removing azodicarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts, despite the fact that it is a USDA and FDA approved ingredient."

Dunkin’ Donuts Ditches Nanoparticles Responding to concerns that a whitening agent, titanium dioxide, is a nanoparticle that may be unsafe for human consumption, Dunkin' Donuts announced in March 2015 that it will no longer use the ingredient – also used in sunscreen and paints – in its donuts. The decision came after an environmental advocacy organization said it found titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the white powdered sugar used in Dunkin' Donuts products, based on independent laboratory tests in 2013. As You Sow, an Oakland-based group, said the small size of nanomaterials might make them more likely to enter cells, tissues and organs and cause damage. The FDA does not have a broad stance on products containing nanomaterials, saying it would make safety judgments on an individual basis, reported the Los Angeles Times. Dunkin’ Donuts said the titanium dioxide used in its products "does not meet the definition of 'nanomaterial' as outlined under FDA guidance," nonetheless it is making the change to remove the chemical from its donuts.

Yoplait Reduces Sugar Content by 25% Following Yoplait's removal of high fructose corn syrup and its discontinued used of dairy with rBGH/rBST growth hormone in 2009, the leading yogurt brand announced in May 2015 that it is reducing the sugar content in its single serve yogurt cups by 25%. The move is the latest in brand owner General Mills' efforts to provide consumers with more healthful, category-leading products, reported Food Ingredients First. In order to reduce the sugar, Yoplait included additional milk and changed the natural flavorings, the company said, adding that Yoplait contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors.

Target Repositions Food Business Toward Healthier Options Target in April 2015 named Anne Dament the company's top executive to lead the repositioning of its food business. Dament brings nearly 20 years of grocery and consumer packaged goods experience to the role, including as a buyer at Supervalu and Safeway, said Target in an April 2015 press release. Target’s food reinvention, expected to take place over the next 18 months, will emphasize six key categories that resonate most with its customers:  better-for-you snacks, coffee and tea, premium sauces and oils, specialty candy, wine and craft beer, and yogurt and granola. It will also expand the availability of natural, organic, locally grown and gluten-free choices to fit customers' wellness-focused lifestyles, the company said. Work on the reinvention is underway, with the most significant changes slated to arrive in stores in 2016.

Wendy's Goes Veggie Columbus, OH, is the test market for a new black bean veggie burger at Wendy’s, the nation’s third largest burger chain, reported the Columbus Dispatch on May 18, 2015. While petitioners at Change.org had been asking the company, founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus in 1969, for a veggie burger option, Wendy’s had been testing its black bean burger at two locations in Columbus. White Castle, another Columbus-based burger chain, tested a veggie burger last year, purchasing its patties from a New Jersey company, Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods, which also makes a line of frozen veggie-burger products. White Castle made the veggie burger a permanent menu item in March 2015. Additionally, in late April 2015, Wendy’s announced that it added an organic tea – Honest Tea’s Tropical Green Tea – to its permanent menu. The product began rolling out nationally in May. “While the move may seem insignificant, it’s huge for the organic food movement – taking organic beyond the world of specialty and natural foods restaurants and into the absolute mainstream of fast-food America,” said USA Today.

Editor's Note:  This blog was originally published on the website/blog of our friends and colleagues at Agrisystems International:  http://agrisysintl.com/major-food-brands-dump-the-junk/.

Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural Marketing, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. He is the former Editorial Director of Natural Foods Merchandiser Magazine and co-founder of the LOHAS Journal.

Tío Gazpacho Provides Ultimate Chill at the 14th Annual South Beach Food and Wine Festival

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Austin Allan, Tío Gazpacho, austin@tiogazpacho.com, 305.395.8130
Steve Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, 303.807.1042

Tío Gazpacho Provides Ultimate Chill at the 14th Annual South Beach Food and Wine Festival

Tío Gazpacho exhibits as part of the Whole Foods Market

Grand Tasting Village at South Beach Food and Wine Festival,

Saturday and Sunday, February 21-22

Miami Beach, FL (Feb 16, 2015) –  Can you imagine drinking the freshest chilled gazpacho out of a bottle? Tío Gazpachocan, and in fact, the company will be serving up samples of its award-winning chilled organic soups at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival, one of America’s most prestigious gourmet gatherings.

Based in Miami Beach, Tío Gazpacho will be right at home at this internationally renowned event where the company will showcase its three gazpacho soup varieties to more than 60,000 expected attendees as part of the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village.

A highly anticipated feature of the festival, the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village provides a one-of-a-kind experience for attendees to sample locally produced food products, gourmet cuisine, unique wines and tasty spirits right on the beach.

"The timing of this event couldn't be better and we are excited to be part of the Whole Foods Village," said Austin Allan, Founder of Tío Gazpacho. The company received a boost in December when it was recognized by industry peers at BevNET, the leading conference for the beverage trade. Tío Gazpachowas voted Audience Favorite and overall Winner of BevNET's New Beverage Showdown 8 (8th edition), and also took home the award for Best Smoothie/Meal Replacement of 2014.

"After being honored at BevNET, we felt that participating in this iconic consumer event would create an opportunity to share our products with a larger audience," said Austin.

Top food and wine experts and personalities from around the world will be featured throughout the show. This year's celebrity lineup includes Trisha Yearwood, Rachel Ray, Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri, among other internationally recognized chefs.

About Tío Gazpacho: Unapologetically cold. Deliciously bold.
The original savory gazpacho soup, blended with fresh, nutritious ingredients, boasts an exotic history with influences from Greece, Italy and Africa, and finally perfected in Spain. Tío Gazpacho takes this classic chilled mash-up and turns it on its head, with three bold, delicious variations - all organic and alive with flavor. Perfect for a healthy snack or lunch on the go. Ready to drink straight from the bottle. No bowl required™.

Tío is a new concept in refreshment and nutrition; it brings all the flavors and health benefits of Mediterranean eating to American consumers with a line of drinkable gazpachos. All crafted recipes are Certified USDA Organic, vegetarian and vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants - and they are free of preservatives, colors, artificial flavors and additives of any kind, and are never heat pasteurized.

The three fresh flavors include:

• gazpacho clásico: Creamy and complex, with bright flavors from vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and olive oil.

• gazpacho verde: A rich blend of kale, spinach, cucumber and avocado with freshly picked mint, jalapeno, cumin and black pepper.

• gazpacho de sol: A sweet summer variety that owes its distinctive color to yellow tomatoes, fresh carrot juice and yellow bell peppers.

For more information visit us at TioGazpacho.com and on Facebook.

As Sweet as Kandy: Kandy Mountain

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Scott Wells, Kandy Mountain, boundlessearth@yahoo.com, tel 541.505.8341

Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, tel 303.807.1042

As Sweet as Kandy: Kandy Mountain Debuts 100% Pure, Sustainably Harvested, “Natural Sweetener from the Tropics” at Natural Products Expo West, the World's Largest Natural & Organics Products Expo

From the highlands of Sri Lanka, where Kandy Mountain is a real place, comes Wild Palm Syrup, a delicious syrup and low-glycemic alternative sweetener sustainably harvested from the wild Kithul palm and processed by hand, the way it’s been done for 2,000 years.

Kandy Mountain will be exhibiting at Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural and organic products trade show, March 5-7, 2015. Visit Kandy Mountain in the Buyer’s Best Friend pavilion, booth numbers 5284-5289 in Hall E at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Eugene, Oregon (Jan. 29, 2015) – Deep in the Sri Lankan highlands is a place called Kandy Mountain. It’s here that the wild Kithul Palm grows, and where its distictive sweet “Wild Palm Syrup” is sustainably harvested in a time-honored tradition that supports local cultures and native forests.

Sharing a love of adventure, a desire to support local communities around the world, and a passion for healthy foods, Adam Hoke and Scott Wells, longtime friends and co-founders of Eugene-based Kandy Mountain, decided to sweeten the U.S. natural products market with the launch of Kandy Mountain Wild Palm Syrup.

Considered by many to be the “maple syrup of the tropics,” the Kandy Mountain team will debut the non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, 100% pure Wild Palm Syrup to the industry at Natural Products Expo West, the world's largest natural, organic and nutritional products trade show, March 5-7, 2015, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

A Sweet Way to Preserve the Rainforest
Harvested from the wild Kithul palm in a way that has supported local communities for generations and helps preserve the native highland forests of Sri Lanka, Wild Palm Syrup is a delicious, low glycemic alternative to sugar and other sweeteners.

“We’re excited to bring Wild Palm Syrup to the U.S. market. We’re fortunate to have a connection to one of the largest sustainable suppliers in Sri Lanka, and Scott and I knew we had to explore this further,” said Adam Hoke. “Wild Palm Syrup, as a natural sweetener, has such a long, respected legacy and tradition in Sri Lanka; they’ve enjoyed the taste and health benefits for more than 2,000 years!” he said.

“Plus, with more research coming out on sweeteners and fructose vs. glucose, we’re excited to introduce a natural, healthy sweetener alternative with a significantly lower percentage of fructose compared to many natural sweeteners. And its deliciously light, delicately sweet caramel taste is sure to be a huge hit with the entire family,” Hoke added.
 
Known traditionally as Treacle, this delicious, dark syrup tastes like a smooth, golden molasses or light agave syrup with earthy, caramel overtones. It’s perfect for use on cereals, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, ice cream and fruit, and as a sweetener for tea, yogurt and baking.

Kandy Mountain Wild Palm Syrup is packaged in 8-ounce glass bottles, MSRP $9.99, and is available online at www.kandymountain.com and Amazon.com. Products are currently retailed in Rainbow Co-op, Natural Pantry, Real Food Company, Erewhon, Market of Choice and Whole Foods in the Northwest. Vegan Traders will be distributing in Los Angeles.

About Kandy Mountain
Founded in 2014, Kandy Mountain, based in Eugene, OR, is a leading U.S. provider of Wild Palm Syrup, a unique, low glycemic sweetener sustainably harvested from the wild Kithul Palm in the forest highlands of Sri Lanka. Sales of Kandy Mountain Wild Palm Syrup support these local wild-crafting communities and help preserve native Sri Lankan forests. For more information, visit www.kandymountain.com, and like us on Facebook. For wholesale Inquiries contact Scott Wells, tel 541.232.6551, email boundlessearth@yahoo.com.

Visit Kandy Mountain at Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural and organic products trade exposition, March 5-7, 2015, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. Find us in the Buyer’s Best Friend pavilion, booth numbers 5284-5289 in Hall E at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Communications by Compass Natural Marketing

info@compassnatural.com | tel 303.807.1042

Indulge Your Senses While Satisfying Your Soul

Indulge Your Senses While Satisfying Your Soul

Under the Canopy embraces the planet with style. We offer fabulous bed and bath products that make a difference to human health, the environment, social justice and future generations.

• Certified organic cotton

• Low-impact dyes

• RPET (recycled bottle) "EcoPure"

• GOTS and Fair Trade Certified

• Made in the USA

Join the Eco-chic Revolution.

For a limited time receive 11% off your purchase. Use code IAMUTC11 at checkout. Valid through Valentine's Day, February 14th.

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Communications by Compass Natural Marketing

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Lawsuits Seeking to Overturn GMO Laws in Hawaii and Vermont

Source: Wikimedia Commons

In a 5 to 4 decision, Hawaii County Council voted on December 17 to appeal a decision by a U.S. Magistrate Judge who had ruled to protect Monsanto and GMO testing and production on the Big Island of Hawaii, reported the Hawaii Tribune Herald. Hawaii County voters in 2014 elected to ban the cultivation of GMOs on the island. The new ordinance prohibits growing GMO crops in open-air conditions, with some exceptions including GMO papaya.

Monsanto swiftly sued Hawaii County over the new law, and on November 27, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren moved to invalidate the GMO ban, saying that state law pre-empts county law on agricultural issues. Paul Achitoff, attorney for Earthjustice, disagreed, saying, “The Legislature never intended the existing state laws we have in Hawaii to govern genetically engineered crops.” Judge Kurran has a long history of ruling in favor of Monsanto and agribusiness, claims journalist Christina Sarich in a report in the Natural Society.

Based on the Hawaii Council’s vote, the issue will now be taken up by a higher court. “This is an important decision with far-reaching impact on home rule,” said Councilwoman Margaret Wille, author of the original bill limiting GMOs in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, in Maui County, proponents behind the passage on November 4 of a referendum placing a moratorium on GMO cultivation and experimentation on the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai have been given the “green light” to intervene in a federal lawsuit filed by Monsanto challenging the measure, reported Maui Now on December 16. Honolulu attorney Michael Carroll, representing the authors of the Maui GMO initiative, said the group won standing on Monday to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Monsanto, which seeks to delay enforcement of the measure and ultimately to have it declared unenforceable. Carroll is representing the SHAKA Movement and others who led the effort to suspend the cultivation and testing of GMO crops in Maui County until an environmental and public health study can show that they are safe.

“We look forward to advancing our position with the Federal Court in order to validate the ordinance that the majority of Maui voters passed into law in November,” Carroll told Maui Now. A federal judge will consider arguments on March 10, 2015, regarding whether to throw out Monsanto’s lawsuit challenging Maui County’s newly approved moratorium on cultivating genetically engineered crops, reported the Honolulu Civil Beat.

In related news, in Vermont, oral arguments are tentatively set to begin in January 2015 regarding a lawsuit filed by the Grocery Manufacturers Association to overturn Vermont’s mandatory GMO labeling law, passed by the state Legislature in May. Vermont's law doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2016, however, the GMA is asking the U.S. District Court in Vermont to grant a temporary injunction to prevent the state from moving forward with implementation of the law. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell's team, which includes high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm Robbins, Russell, will argue to dismiss the lawsuit.

MetaBrand Granted NBJ Investment in the Future Award

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Eric Schnell, MetaBrand, info@metabrandcorp.com, tel 888.611.5573
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, tel 303.807.1042

MetaBrand Capital Recognized for Its Investment Efforts in Advancing Mission-based, Natural and Organic Brands 

MetaBrand Capital, a “conscious capital” fund established in 2014 as the investment pillar of MetaBrand, is granted Nutrition Business Journal’s 2014 “Investment in the Future” award.
 
Edison, New Jersey (January 20, 2015) – It’s certainly an honor to be recognized by the natural, organic and nutritional products industry’s leading business magazine, and even more so when the acknowledgment is for an initiative that’s just entering its second year.

MetaBrand Capital, a “conscious capital” private equity fund launched in 2014 and the investment pillar of MetaBrand - a full service firm providing product formulation, outsourced operations, and sales and marketing services to natural, organic and nutritional food and beverage brands – has been honorably recognized for its outstanding efforts in advancing and supporting organic, natural products brands and entrepreneurs with the 2014 Nutrition Business Journal’s (NBJ) “Investment in the Future” Award.

The most successful business leaders in the nutrition industry for 2014 have been announced in NBJ’s annual Business Achievement Awards issue, published in January 2015. Recipients of the NBJ Business Achievement Awards will be honored during the 18th annual NBJ Summit, a leading executive-level business conference held July 20-23 at the St. Regis Hotel Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA.

NBJ is the premier publication for the nutrition, natural, organic, dietary supplement and integrative medicine industries. Each year, the publication recognizes the industry's most notable business leaders in its annual Business Achievement Awards issue.

“We are honored to receive the esteemed recognition from NBJ,” said MetaBrand founder and longtime natural products entrepreneur Eric Schnell. “MetaBrand and MetaBrand Capital are dedicated to supporting and serving the growing demand for health and wellness solutions. We fundamentally – and sincerely – believe in paving the way and co-creating a better future for the next generation of natural and organic product entrepreneurs. The “Investment in the Future” recognition is truly at the heart of our business.”

MetaBrand Capital’s investment funds offer financing opportunities to mission-based, natural products brands and entrepreneurs. Securing funding is often the most complex challenge facing natural products entrepreneurs, particularly the smaller brands that independent natural retailers rely on for product differentiation. MetaBrand Capital aims to make accessing money easier and more viable for emerging natural and organic brands.  

Taking the triple-bottom line approach to corporate responsibility one step further, MetaBrand and MetaBrand Capital embrace the “Quadruple Bottom-Line,” a socially and environmentally aware business philosophy dedicated to People, Planet, Profit – and Purpose. Through the MetaBrand Capital funds, the company focuses on growth capital investments in the food, beverage, nutrition and natural and organic product sectors with strategic partners that embody a similar socially conscious business approach.

About MetaBrand and MetaBrand Capital
Created by natural products industry veteran and Steaz Teas Co-founder Eric Schnell, MetaBrand, a “Quadruple Bottom-Line,” Certified B Corporation based in Edison, NJ, offers turnkey “R&D to retail” services to start-up and early-stage natural and organic beverage and supplement brands, including product formulation and development, manufacturing, distribution, and sales, marketing and promotional strategies. With a team of 35 advisers and long-standing industry relationships, MetaBrand helps companies quickly and efficiently develop winning formulations for natural product concepts that are on-trend and efficacious, regulation compliant, and scalable.

For more information on MetaBrand and the Quadruple Bottom-Line: People, Planet, Profit and Purpose, visit www.metabrandcorp.com,info@metabrandcorp.com, tel 888.611.5573.

For information on MetaBrand Capital, visitwww.metabrandcorp.com/pillar/capital/. 

Visit the MetaBrand News Room, like us on Facebook, follow us on YouTubeand Twitter.

About Nutrition Business Journal

Through a portfolio of media products, including a monthly executive journal and in-depth research reports, Nutrition Business Journal, produced by New Hope Natural Media (a division of Penton Media), supplies authoritative data, news and analysis to leaders and decision makers in the natural, organic and nutritional products business. Visit www.newhope360.com/nbj.

MetaBrand - Tel: 888-611-5573 - www.metabrandcorp.com

Communications by: Compass Natural LLC
www.compassnaturalmarketing.com

Oregon GMO Labeling Bill Defeated by 837 Votes in Election Recount

After an official recount, Oregon’s Secretary of State announced on December 16 that Measure 92 to require mandatory labeling of GMO foods in the state was defeated by a razor-thin margin of 837 votes out of a total 1.5 million votes cast. The Yes campaign’s last-ditch legal challenge to approve 4,600 invalidated ballots due to signature discrepancies was rejected on December 9 by a Multnomah County Judge, sealing the defeat of the measure. The narrow defeat came as anti-labeling interests, including Monsanto, DuPont, Conagra and others, outspent the pro-labeling side by more than two to one, pumping nearly $21 million into the state to defeat the bill, while the pro-GMO labeling campaign raised more than $9 million.

Additionally, while they were pouring millions into the No on 92 campaign, out of state agribusiness companies and trade groups including Monsanto, Dupont, Coca-Cola, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and others contributed $80,000 to Oregon legislators’ campaigns and to Oregon political action committees, reported the Statesman Journal.

Out of the No campaign’s total contributions, over 99.99% came from out-of-state corporations, led by Monsanto’s $5,958,750 and DuPont’s $4,518,150, noted Rick North of Blue Oregon.

“The initiative was about a lot of things – consumers’ right to know what’s in their food, voter turnout, the recount, mismatched signatures, and the continuing controversy over the safety of genetically engineered food. But more than anything else, Measure 92 was about money,” he said. “Only one actual human being donated more than $100 to the No campaign. In contrast, over 17,900 individuals contributed to the Yes campaign.”

The Oregon GMO labeling bill would have required labels on product packaging, bins and shipping containers of genetically modified foods and foods made with genetically modified ingredients. Measure 92’s failure follows voter rejections, also by narrow margins, in California in 2012 and Washington in 2013, and by a wider margin in Colorado in 2014, after being vastly outspent by the anti-labeling side in each of these campaigns.

Supporters of the Oregon measure conceded defeat on December 11, but pledged to keep fighting for GMO labeling. "We draw strength from the fact that we came so achingly close to winning this vote," the Yes on 92 Campaign said. "We will continue working until Oregonians and all Americans – like the residents of 64 other countries around the globe – have the information they need to make informed choices about the food that they feed their families."