Two Films, One Message: The Solution to Human and Environmental Health Is Right Under Our Feet
This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s October 2023 newsletter.
By Steven Hoffman
Two new feature-length documentary films, Organic Rising and Common Ground, released in October, demonstrate clearly that the time is now for industry, government and the public to fully embrace the potential of organic and regenerative agriculture.
Through interviews with thought leaders, farmers, scientists, celebrities and industry experts, plus animation to help convey complex concepts, both films convey a powerful message that the way we produce our food and treat our nation’s soil directly impacts climate change and our health.
Organic Rising, sponsored in part by Presence Marketing, documents the history of organic food and farming and the growth of the organic products market, from the early influences of J.I. Rodale, Sir Albert Howard and Rachel Carson to the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s to today’s $60-billion organic food marketplace.
Ten years in the making and directed by Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning National Geographic photojournalist Anthony Suau, Organic Rising also contrasts the history or organic against a backdrop of the widespread usage of toxic pesticides over the past 80 years. Narrated by organic industry advocate Elizabeth Kucinich and actor Simon Harrison, the film also documents how glyphosate has become the most widely used pesticide in history, along with its adverse impacts on human, animal and environmental health.
According to former executive director of the Rodale Institute Mark Smallwood, interviewed in Organic Rising, organic crops can produce higher margins than conventional, so price outweighs any difference in yield, he asserts. In fact, organic can be more profitable than conventional, especially in seasons of drought and flood, where organic farming can actually outperform conventional agriculture. “Conventional uses chemistry; organic farmers build soil,” Smallwood said.
In addition to interviews showcasing pioneering organic farmers, entrepreneurs, chefs including Dan Barber, and indigenous leaders including Winona LaDuke, Organic Rising also features interviews with internationally renowned agro-ecology expert and author Vandana Shiva, and the late Ronnie Cummins, co-founder of the Organic Consumers Association, Regeneration International and Vía Organica.
The film Common Ground is the sequel to Kiss the Ground, which, when released in 2020, was the one of the first full-length documentaries to explore how regenerative organic agriculture can sequester enough carbon from the atmosphere to reverse climate change. Featuring an all-star cast of narrators including Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Donald Glover, Jason Momoa, Ian Somerhalder and Laura Dern, Common Ground was directed by husband and wife team Rebecca and Josh Tickell, who also directed the first Kiss the Ground film.
Common Ground chronicles the struggles and triumphs of a politically and culturally diverse group of farmers, ranchers, scientists, and advocates who all share one thing in common: they believe in a way of ecological farming that builds soil. By using a combination of traditional knowledge and wisdom and modern technology, the farmers and ranchers in the regenerative movement make more money and grow more nutrient-dense food than their “conventional” farming counterparts, assert the film’s directors. The “regenerative pioneers” featured in the film claim that to save humanity from future environmental catastrophes, we must first save our soil. “Common Ground shows that soil is quite possibly the most valuable substance on our planet, because if our soil dies, we also die,” they cautioned.
“Coming from a legacy farming family myself, I’ve witnessed and experienced in my family the very real health impacts of our current food system. In fact, the old farmer you see in the film buying grain and taking out a loan is my dad. Josh and I have a long history of making and distributing advocacy docs, but all of them have led us to Common Ground. We need to turn this movie into a movement,” said Rebecca Tickell.
Speaking to the potential of regenerative agriculture to heal the planet, former conventional and now regenerative farmer Gabe Brown shared the following: “I often get asked, ‘what makes you think this can occur in the world,’ and I answer, ‘because it’s nature.’ Nature is always self organizing, self healing, self regulating. If we can cover the earth in a biodiverse array of plants and animals and insects we wouldn’t hear about climate change anymore. We wouldn’t have this human health crisis. We would have food that is truly nutrient dense,” he said.
Woody Harrelson ends the film with a final thought, “So remember this, next time you look up at that night sky, think about where you are. You’re on the only planet we know of that’s filled with life. The one thing that’s keeping us all alive, is that soil you’re standing on.”
Watch the films here or see them in select theaters now:
Organic Rising — https://www.organicrisingfilm.com
Common Ground — https://commongroundfilm.org
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
Giving Season: 23 Nonprofits to Support in 2023
Giving Season: 23 Nonprofits to Support in 2023
December 9, 2022
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s December 2022 industry newsletter.
By Steven Hoffman
With a common mission of providing healthful, eco-friendly and socially responsible products to consumers, natural and organic products companies often have philanthropy engrained as part of their brand’s DNA. Given that, the industry is well positioned to play a lead role in helping society address many of the problems facing the world today.
The month of December, with its focus on family, community and giving, presents an opportunity to highlight some of the nonprofit organizations that work with leaders in the natural products sector to help solve some of the pressing issues of our time. There are many organizations doing great work — below find a list of 23 organizations this writer has interacted with in some capacity over the years and identified as potentially worthy of your awareness, consideration and support in the coming year.
This list is divided into four categories: Climate & Environment; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Food & Agriculture; and Nutrition & Health. Perhaps one or more of these organizations will resonate with you this season of giving and throughout the year.
We know there are many nonprofit and related organizations doing important work that rely on contributions from individuals, businesses and foundations — please forgive us if we didn’t include your favorite nonprofit this time around. However, if you let us know, there’s a chance we can include it next year. We’d love to hear from you.
Happy holidays and all the best for the New Year.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic, sustainable and hemp/CBD products businesses. Compass Natural serves in PR and programming for NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, and Hoffman serves as Editor of the weekly Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, published by We are for Better Alternatives. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet is a global network of individuals and businesses that, to date, has donated more than $350 million to support environmental nonprofits around the globe. A number of natural products companies have aligned with 1% for the Planet, and many express their support by placing the organization’s logo on their product packaging. This past year, the organization launched the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust to drive climate impact. https://onepercentfortheplanet.org
Carbon Underground
Founded in 2013 by CPG and natural products veterans Tom Newmark and Larry Kopald, the Carbon Underground’s goals are to coalesce the emerging science on the soil’s relationship to climate change, and to tell the world about a possibility to not simply slow down the threat of climate change, but to reverse it. The organization advances ways to draw down legacy carbon from the atmosphere and promotes regenerative agriculture as a tool to mitigate climate change. https://thecarbonunderground.org
Climate Collaborative
A project of One Step Closer, the Climate Collaborative’s mission is dedicated to “leveraging the power of the natural products industry to reverse climate change.” The organization recently released a four-part webinar series, Climate Action Guidance for Business. Also, the Climate Collaborative’s annual Tracking Progress Update assesses how companies are progressing on their climate action commitments. https://www.climatecollaborative.com
Environmental Working Group
Working to protect consumers, the Environmental Working Group takes the lead in shining a “spotlight on outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes that pose a risk to our health and the health of our environment,” encouraging industries to adopt safer practices and educating consumers with actionable information. EWG recently released a report on forever chemicals in pet food bags and in baby textiles, plus a report on how “multitasking” preservatives might help make cosmetics safer, plus the organization works to keep cancer-causing chemicals out of everyday consumer products. https://www.ewg.org
Natural Capitalism Solutions
Founded by renowned environmentalist and author Hunter Lovins, Natural Capitalism Solutions is dedicated to building an economy in service to life through education, innovative solutions, and youth empowerment. The organization works with companies, communities and countries to help offset and reduce carbon emissions and to implement more regenerative practices profitably. https://natcapsolutions.org
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute
With Akiing — an Indigenous organization dedicated to restoring sacred landscapes, community wealth and resilience — serving as its fiscal sponsor, the nonprofit Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute was founded by Native American leader, water protector, and former candidate for Vice President of the United States Winona LaDuke. The organization’s work includes educating youth about Indigenous, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture practices, restoring agro-biodiversity and food sovereignty, advancing traditional methodologies, and supporting research into hemp fiber production to benefit local economies. http://anishinaabeagriculture.org
Her Many Voices Foundation
Through environmental, cultural and community projects, Her Many Voices brings a diverse group of artists, humanitarian leaders and businesses together to help solve problems for the betterment of women, children and “our Mother Earth.” Her Many Voices was founded by Native American leader Alicia Fall, a former TEDx presenter and recipient of the New York State Assembly Citation Award. Through Alicia and her team’s work in education, inclusivity and collaboration, the organization is also dedicated to supporting farmers and is currently planning events for Earth Day 2023. https://www.hermanyvoices.org
J.E.D.I. Collaborative
Launched in April 2020, the mission of the J.E.D.I. Collaborative is to help create a natural products industry “that centers at its core justice, equity, diversity and inclusion” with systems-level solutions. According to a Natural and Organic Industry Benchmarking Survey conducted in late 2019 by the J.E.D.I Collaborative and New Hope Network, “only 2% of leadership positions within our industry companies and on company boards are occupied by black professionals. The situation isn’t better for Latinx professionals, who hold 2% of company board positions and 6% of company leadership roles within the U.S. natural products industry.” Women also represent only 23% of board seats for companies with more than 50 employees, according to the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, a project of One Step Closer. https://jedicollaborative.com
Naturally Network
Inspired by Naturally Boulder, a public-private partnership founded in 2005 to promote entrepreneurship in natural, organic, and sustainable products in Colorado, the Naturally Network has grown to become a national organization with nine independent chapters, including Naturally Austin, Naturally Bay Area, Naturally Boulder, Naturally Chicago, Naturally Los Angeles, Naturally Minnesota, Naturally New York, Naturally North Bay and Naturally San Diego. Linking emerging businesses and brands with seasoned veterans and mentors in natural and organic products, Naturally Network offers business education, resources for entrepreneurs, mentorship and diversity programs, and ongoing regional and national networking and event opportunities. As former Chair and Board Member of Naturally Boulder, this writer can’t recommend enough to individuals in the natural channel to get involved in the Naturally Network or one of the above mentioned regional chapters. https://www.naturallynetwork.org
Project Potluck
Breaking into the natural and organic products industry isn’t easy for anyone, and it’s especially challenging for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) to attract investors, find the right co-packers, refine recipes, and garner placement on retail shelves. Enter Project Potluck, established by Ibraheem Bashir, CPG veteran and founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, a leading Black-owned natural food brand, to provide the support that minority entrepreneurs in the natural products space need to succeed. In March 2022, Project Potluck won New Hope Network’s inaugural Justice Award for its efforts promoting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the natural and organic products industry, and the organization was recently featured in Forbes Magazine. https://www.potluckcpg.org
Wild Animal Sanctuary
Including animal welfare on this list, one of this writer’s personal favorites is the Wild Animal Sanctuary. Based an hour east of Denver in Keenesburg, CO, on nearly 700 acres, the organization rescues and provides a home to more than 350 large animals including lions, tigers, bears and wolves, many of which were rescued from abusive environments. Want to know where all those animals from the TV show Tiger King ended up? The Wild Animal Sanctuary saved more than 100 of them, providing sanctuary at its large, open-space environment where visitors can view the animals from elevated walkways and decks overlooking this fenced-in “Serengeti of the West.” The organization also recently saved the lives of 11 African lions that were located in an active war zone in Ukraine. The sanctuary welcomes visitors and your support. https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Kiss the Ground
With a passionate, committed and growing community inspired by Kiss the Ground: the Movie, a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on a “new, old approach” to farming called regenerative agriculture, Kiss the Ground was founded in 2013 to educate about and advance a system of agriculture and food production that rebuilds our soils and water resources, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and feeds the world. Kiss the Ground’s mission is to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation through storytelling, education, and advocacy. https://kisstheground.com
Regenerative Organic Alliance
The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) comprises a group of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare and farmer and worker fairness. Founded by the Rodale Institute, Dr. Bronner’s and Patagonia, other members of the alliance include Compassion in World Farming, Fair World Project, and the Textile Exchange. The ROA was established to continuously review and update the Regenerative Organic Certified® framework, a recently introduced certification program for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients that represents the “highest standard” for organic agriculture in the world, with stringent requirements for soil health, animal welfare and social fairness. https://regenorganic.org
Regeneration International
With a vision to collaborate with consumers, educators, business leaders and policy makers, Regeneration International’s mission is to work with multiple stakeholders in key regions around the world to promote, facilitate and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of cooling the planet, restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. Regeneration International, which offers a number of resources for those interested in regenerative organic agriculture and climate change, is a project of the Organic Consumers Association. https://regenerationinternational.org
Regenerative Rising
With events including Women Leading Regeneration and the Regenerative Earth Summit, plus an ongoing podcast series, Regenerative Rising is dedicated to elevating and forwarding regenerative principles that expand a living systems worldview. The organization engages leaders in agriculture, business, and finance to elevate stories of regeneration and innovation to activate urgent and necessary change in business strategy, public policy and personal decision-making that serves the long term health and betterment of people and the Earth. https://regenerativerising.org
The Rodale Institute
Celebrating 75 years of organic leadership, the “OG” of organic agriculture and research, The Rodale Institute remains on the vanguard of science and best practices in advancing organic and regenerative agriculture. The Rodale Institute’s main office is located on a 386-acre organic research and education farm in eastern Pennsylvania that investigates a number of organic crops and rotations, including hemp, and also the value of animal husbandry in regenerative agriculture. In September 2022, General Mills announced it would donate the Cascadian Farm home farm in Skagit County, WA, to the institute, bringing the total number of Rodale Institute research campuses to 12. The organization also recently partnered with Colorado-based nonprofit Mad Agriculture to help farmers transition to organic and regenerative organic farming methods. The Rodale Institute was originally founded in 1947 as the Soil and Health Foundation by Rodale Press founder J.I. Rodale. https://rodaleinstitute.org
NUTRITION & HEALTH
American Botanical Council
Founded in 1986 and based in Austin, TX, the mission of the American Botanical Council (ABC) is to help people live healthier lives through the responsible use of herbal medicine. ABC is an independent, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to providing science-based, accurate and reliable information for consumers, healthcare practitioners, researchers, educators, industry, and the media about the safe and effective use of herbs and medicinal plants. Through monographs, a comprehensive library, its newsletter, HerbalGram, and more, the American Botanical Council is a vital resource for advocates and makers of herbal-based products, from tinctures and topicals to functional foods and personal care products. https://www.herbalgram.org
Chef Ann Foundation
The Chef Ann Foundation is dedicated to promoting whole ingredient, scratch cooking in schools. Scratch cooking enables schools to serve the healthiest, tastiest meals so that kids are well nourished and ready to learn. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the foundation works with both public and private schools in all 50 states. Founded in 2009 by “the Renegade Lunch Lady,” Chef Ann Cooper — an internationally recognized author, chef, educator, public speaker, and advocate of healthy food for all children — the foundation reports it has helped more than 13,500 schools and 3.3 million kids eat healthier, fresher school meals. https://www.chefannfoundation.org
Conscious Alliance
With the slogan “Art that Feeds,” Conscious Alliance partners with food makers, musicians, artists, and music lovers to empower youth and end hunger in underserved communities. Working with top recording artists and bands, concert-goers, food donors and supporters, many of which are natural food brands, the alliance organizes major food drives at concerts and music festivals nationwide to deliver food directly to economically isolated communities in need, including Native American reservations and rural areas, such as the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. https://consciousalliance.org
Feeding America
As a leading national network of food banks, Feeding America is seeing a spike in demand among its member network of food banks and food pantries amid rising food prices. According to Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, an estimated 53 million or more people in the U.S. are currently food insecure. The organization also is seeing a decrease in donated food and a decrease in federal commodities, meaning member food banks are having to buy more food at a time when food costs are high. “…if I could break down whom it is that comes to us in need of help, as a rule, we’re talking about children. A huge portion of those who are counting on us and the work that we do would be kids, the elderly, people with disabilities,” said Babineaux-Fontenot in an interview with NPR. https://www.feedingamerica.org
The Organic Center
The Organic Center, based in Washington, D.C., is an independent non-profit educational and research organization operating under the administrative auspices of the Organic Trade Association. Founded in 2002 with a mission to conduct, convene and disseminate credible, evidence-based science on the environmental and health effects of organic food and farming, and to communicate those findings to the public, The Organic Center collaborates with academic and governmental institutions to advance research. The Organic Center is the organic products industry’s leading research and education organization advocating for the nutritional, health, environmental and climate mitigating benefits of organic food production. https://www.organic-center.org
Vitamin Angels
Founded in 1994 by natural products industry veteran Howard Schiffer, Vitamin Angels is a public health nonprofit organization working to improve nutrition and health outcomes in low-resource settings worldwide. The organization helps to strengthen, extend, and amplify the impact of partner organizations working to reach the most nutritionally vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, infants, and children who are underserved by existing systems with evidence-based nutrition interventions and health services. Vitamin Angels works with more than 1,200 local organizations, including governments, to reach more than 70 million women and children in 65 countries annually. https://www.vitaminangels.org
Whole Planet Foundation
Founded in 2005, Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market foundation that funds poverty alleviation worldwide where the company sources products. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower the world’s poorest people with micro-credit and the chance to create or expand a home-based or small business to help lift themselves and their families out of poverty. As of June 2022, Whole Planet Foundation is helping to alleviate poverty through micro-finance partners in the U.S. and 79 other countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. To date, the nonprofit reports it has disbursed $101 million through micro-lending partners worldwide, funding 6 million micro-loans and 30 million opportunities for a better life for micro-entrepreneurs and their family members. https://wholeplanetfoundation.org
Bonus! To support racially and ethnically underrepresented business entrepreneurs, check out the products created by Naturally Network's M/O Fellows.
Family for Change: Tom Newmark and Sara Newmark Talk Regenerative Ag, Purpose, Climate, Business, and More on the Next Compass Coffee Talk
Tom Newmark (Left) and Sara Newmark (Right)
Compass Coffee Talk will get 2022 off to a bold start with a powerhouse duo sharing business wisdom and mission-focused inspiration on January 12, 2022, at 11:30 am Eastern time. Natural industry legend Tom Newmark brings a long record as a pioneer and leader in natural, organic, and regenerative business, as well as a deep and active commitment to climate-focused education and advocacy. Sara Newmark, chief operating officer at True Grace, a nutrient-dense supplements company, carries on the family tradition of advocacy, responsible business leadership, and service, while raising two kids on an organic and regenerative farm with her husband.
About Sara Newmark
A strong community and social impact professional, Sara Newmark is the COO at True Grace, a new brand of nutrient-dense supplements formulated to improve the health of body and planet for generations to come. An experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the health and wellness industry, Sara is an advocate for the power of business to make lasting, systemic change. She brings diverse experience and leadership in sustainability to the True Grace team where she works to improve the health of communities, farmers, people, and planet by committing to doing business regeneratively.
Sara is board co-chair for Green America and sits on the boards for the Coalition for Supplement Sustainability and The Retreat Farm. She lives in Vermont on a 10-acre organic and regenerative farm with her husband and children. The Newmark family also owns Finca Luna Nueva, an eco-lodge and teaching center for regenerative agriculture in Costa Rica.
About Tom Newmark
Tom Newmark is a member of the Leadership Council of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at California State University, Chico and co-owner of Finca Luna Nueva, an eco-lodge and regenerative farming operation in Costa Rica. Tom is co-founder and chair of The Carbon Underground, co-founder of Regeneration International, past chairman of the Greenpeace Fund USA and the American Botanical Council, and founder of Sacred Seeds, a plant conservation project administered by United Plant Savers. As CEO of New Chapter, Inc. he helped to align that company with the goals of the NonGMO and organic movements.
About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.
