Steve Hoffman 8/22/24 Steve Hoffman 8/22/24

What Natural and Organic Buyers Want at Newtopia Now

Retailers look to New Hope Network's new natural products program and trade show to guide conscious CPG innovation and growth. Find out more.

This article originally appeared on the New Hope Network website on June 26, 2024

By Steven Hoffman

As the natural, organic, regenerative and “conscious CPG” industry prepares to gather in Denver, Colorado, on August 25-28 for the inaugural Newtopia Now, a number of retailers attending and participating in the event shared their thoughts on what drives their purchasing and foraging decisions today.

They also shared perspectives on how they best like to work with partner brands to achieve their goals and serve their customers—and how Newtopia Now can provide value in helping match them with companies and brands in a more intimate, innovative and curated trade show and conference setting.

Numerous retail buyers, foragers and business owners across the country participated in this story, ranging from large chains such as Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market; smaller chains such as Earth Fare and Bristol Farms; online retailer Thrive Market; and independent grocers St. Vrain Market and Mustard Seed Market & Café.

Here’s what these retailers shared about today’s marketplace, what drives their purchasing decisions and how they are turning to the upcoming Newtopia Now as a key new resource to help them in their work.

Casey Gaston, Executive Leader, Local and Emerging Brands, Center Store, Whole Foods Market

Founded in 1980 and based in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market operates more than 530 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Casey Gaston is a featured presenter at Newtopia Now as part of a panel discussion, How to Get Your Product into Whole Foods Market, at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, August 27.

Things are always changing in business and we have to remain nimble. Today, Whole Foods Market is connecting with suppliers in a lot more ways than ever before. Getting the attention of our merchants and foragers hasn’t changed as much, however. Start by doing your homework: utilize the Whole Foods Market Supplier Portal and review our quality and product standards. New and emerging brands can connect through our keystone incubation program, LEAP (Local and Emerging Accelerator Program). The LEAP Early Growth cohort, which works with early growth brands, is now in its third year and applications have tripled. While a limited number of brands are selected for a given cohort, others still get on to our radar as a result of the application process. Our Local Producer Loan Program also remains a strong pillar for Whole Foods Market.

As a forager team, we’re excited that the format of Newtopia Now is different. While large brands can get much of the visibility at a show like Expo West, Newtopia Now allows emerging brands to be the stars. We can’t wait to experience a show dedicated to new and emerging brands. We are looking for innovation and trends, and are excited to see brands that have something to show us. We like the concept of matchmaking, and we’ll be hosting some of our own meetings at the event. We’re going to lean in on all the tools and programs New Hope is providing at Newtopia Now.

Darren Viscount, Senior Natural Living Category Manager, Bristol Farms

Founded in 1982, Bristol Farms operates 13 stores in Southern California. With 27 years’ experience in retail, Darren Viscount is a featured presenter as part of a panel discussion, Leading Natural Living Buyers Tell All: Thrive, PCC and Bristol Farms, at 1:30 p.m. Monday, August 26.

Shopping for natural foods is less of a destination now than when I first started in the industry. Today, natural products can also be found online, in mass market, in conventional— there is a lot more opportunity for people to purchase these products. In addition, when there is disruption in the economy like we’ve seen over the past few years, people want value.

That said, while ingredients and quality are certainly a factor, our customers are looking for value. So, when I work with brands, I make sure we have promotions, including long-term promotional agreements and/or quarterly promotions. We also put an emphasis on staff training, whether it’s in-store, online or team training sessions. We want to help our customers so that when they get home, they know they’ve made the right decision on product selection.

Today, social media drives a lot of our purchasing decisions. We monitor TikTok and Instagram to see what’s trending. Right now, for example, trends in supplements include magnesium, creatine, high protein products, electrolytes, gut biome and health, probiotics and more. There are a lot of influencers on social media that drive people to our stores, too.

Our goal at Newtopia Now is to foster closer relationships with brands we meet at the event. I like to attend events such as Newtopia Now because I get to talk directly with founders, CEOs, product developers and other brand leaders and speak with them about how they will support our stores, our teams and our customers. It is valuable to me in building community on a business and personal level. With Newtopia Now structured as a more intimate event, we hope to get more one-on-one time with the vendors and find brands to cultivate and nourish from the ground up.

Phillip Nabors, Co-Founder, Mustard Seed Market & Café

With two full service stores and a restaurant serving the Akron, Ohio, market, Mustard Seed Market & Café, established in 1981, is one of Ohio’s largest independently owned retailers of natural and organic products. Cofounded by Margaret and Phillip Nabors, their sons Gabe and Abraham now lead operations for the stores. Phillip served as president of the Retailer Division of the NPA (formerly NNFA) in 1993 and served for 10 years on the Natural Foods Committee of FMI—the Food Marketing Institute.

From the early days, we were unique from the more “pill-driven” health food stores of the time. We made a conscious effort to bring in locally sourced food, whatever we could get from producers and distributors. By having as much food as possible, we enjoyed a large trade area—a 50-mile-plus radius.

Now, the trade area is much smaller and we have to compete with everyone. We have to really sharpen our pencil on price to be competitive. The early days were about education; the customers went on a learning journey with us. Now that you can find natural foods just about everywhere, it’s “What’s the price?”

However, there remains the mission, along with the opportunity to educate, and we’ve always been the trustworthy source of information. We’re actually sincere about the mission of propagating wellness. Some people get that and are willing to drive or pay a bit more to support us. For Newtopia Now, I’m the test pilot for our company. I’m intrigued about the Matchmaking program and have signed up for it.

If I look back at all the best times I’ve had at shows, it’s the deeper conversations. Not just about the attributes of the product, but also alignment on values. I’ve always learned a lot from interacting with suppliers and brands, and I enjoy meeting new people and running into peers and colleagues I’ve known for decades. Plus, I learn a lot from other retailers. I’m looking forward to interacting with all these constituents on a deeper level at Newtopia Now.

I’d like to add that I appreciate all that New Hope Network has done over the decades and what a critical role it has played in growing the natural products industry. Their trade shows in large part enabled the industry’s growth. They have delivered an amazing product over the years. The fact that the company is trying something new makes me want to support them all the more.

Scott Romano, Vice President, Forager, Sprouts Farmers Market

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Sprouts Farmers Market operates more than 400 stores in 23 states. Scott Romano is a featured presenter as part of the panel discussion, How to Get Noticed by the Sprouts Forager Team, at 12:30 p.m. Monday, August 26.

Sprouts Farmers Market operates more than 400 stores in 23 states, and is looking to grow the store base at 10% per year going forward. Innovation is our key, and differentiation is what Sprouts is seeking.

When you think of today’s retail landscape, anyone can carry these products. So, for us in making buying decisions, differentiation and innovation lead the first round, and then we look for taste, number one. We scorecard every brand we bring in—we look at attributes such as diversity/minority owned, sustainability, is the product on trend, for example, regenerative agriculture, mushroom adaptogens, probiotics, etc. Then, based on a point system, we will place products in one of three buckets: yes, we want to pursue further; hold and let’s keep it in the pipeline; or decline and thank you, we’ll pass.

While we are being a little more selective, we do have a foraging program for new brands that can help take some of the costs out of the system. The foraging program is a 90-day test period where select brands can receive sales data and general engagement insight. We’re also able to learn from that to prepare the brand for next steps, be it regional or national, and also continue to evolve the program to have a higher success rate with brands we launch. Currently, we are finding success with brands that have built some kind of online B2C presence before expanding into brick and mortar.

Sprouts is looking forward to going to Newtopia Now. There will be a team of folks foraging on the floor, and I will be participating in a Buyer Side Chat to help vendors learn how to get in front of the buyers at Sprouts. The first year is more exploratory for us, however, we’re excited to see the different neighborhoods Newtopia Now has planned, and experience a show in a different way. As a more intimate and focused event, it is a welcome bookend to Natural Products Expo West.

Mitch Orland, Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing, Earth Fare

Earth Fare, founded in 1975 and based in Asheville, North Carolina, is a leading chain of natural and organic food supermarkets with 18 locations in seven states throughout the southeastern U.S. A new ownership group, comprising some of Earth Fare’s original founders, purchased Earth Fare out of bankruptcy in 2020 and has been re-establishing the company as a natural foods retail leader across the Southeast.

We opened four years ago during the COVID pandemic when new owners bought Earth Fare out bankruptcy. The group comprises some of the original founders. Since then, we learned we have to reinvent ourselves. We have to be first to market, customer service is key, our people are important, and value perception is super important. Our industry is known for prices higher than conventional, but Earth Fare has combatted this price perception by offering discounts, promotions, every day deals and a Healthy Rewards in-store loyalty program.

Also, we like to stay on top of the trends and are getting out in front on regenerative food and farming. We are closely aligned with the Plant Based Foods Association, the regenerative Land to Market program, Regenified and others. We continue to cultivate these relationships and often they’ll tell us about brands that we can explore.

In addition, one of the top trends we’re working on is ‘craft vegan.’ It’s a trend that was reported on in 2023 by New Hope Network, and in fact, I coined the term to describe the next generation of artisan-made vegan foods, including plant-based aged cheeses, dairy-free butters, deli meats made from mycelium-based Koji, and more. We are getting a handle on food waste, and our program Save & Stop Waste has diverted over half a million pounds of food from landfills over four years.

Personally, I like to forage at local farmers markets within driving distance of our stores. It’s a great way to find local producers and supports the communities. We can bring product to market faster than anyone else—from farmers market to shelf in as little as three weeks. I’m also a chef, so what lights me up about my job is supporting small emerging brands and see what they’re going to do next.

Earth Fare is bringing a full team to Newtopia Now, and we are planning to do something fun—however, it’s a secret for now! For us, it’s about connection, learning, team building and what’s on the horizon. I’m glad New Hope is doing more to directly link the buyers and brands with this first-time event.

Neil Sullivan, Co-Owner, St. Vrain Market

Located in Lyons, Colorado, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, in a historic building that once served as a creamery in the 1800s, family owned and operated St. Vrain Market is well known in the area for its selection of natural, organic and specialty products, premium meats and fresh baked goods. Co-owner Neil Sullivan’s experience includes working at the former upscale Sutton Place Gourmet in Washington, DC.

My wife and I have owned St. Vrain Market for 16 years. It had been a grocery store for many years and has a 100-plus year history. The store was run down when we bought it, so we traveled around to visit independently owned, single-store retailers in northern California. We modeled a lot of what we do today on some of the things we saw coming out of these stores, including local sourcing. We also modeled the store as a European style market—you can shop here for the day’s or a few days’ needs.

We created a tagline when we launched St. Vrain Market: ‘Local and Fresh.’ We asked ourselves, how do you meet the needs of a local community by also supporting that local community? We source many products from fresh and local producers. We give the town something they can be proud of and the community has responded.

People know us best for our bakery—it comprises 20% of our revenue and we employ five full-time bakers—plus an all-natural deli and a very nice meat case. The produce we offer is almost all organic; we have a great dairy selection and we feature local and national brands.

We are far from a commodity player. When we look for supplier partners, we have a specific set of criteria. We’re looking for brands that share both beliefs and practices and can be a great partner for us. Clean ingredients, sustainable-focused packaging, conscious, mission-based businesses—we and other independent retailers are prioritizing these attributes over commodity pricing.

But, we also need entities such as New Hope Network to help us find those partners and sift through all that is out there in the broader industry. For us, Newtopia Now is helping to find the best ways to bring meaningful partnerships together and identify the brands that best align with our criteria. It will help cut through a lot of time and noise and not spin our wheels.

One of the trends we’re moving with is sustainable packaging in our foodservice and food preparation. We use compostable supplies almost exclusively. That’s the criteria I’m including in my Newtopia Now ‘dating profile.’ With Newtopia Now in the matchmaking business, it’s going to help me find suppliers that meet my dating profile.

Also, the event offers me an opportunity to get away from my business long enough as an owner-operator to get information outside of my store walls that I may not get otherwise. I’m also excited to engage at Newtopia Now with suppliers and partners that support minority owned businesses. Our mission statement at St. Vrain Market has nothing about food in it—it’s simply to build community. Our mission is to do well by doing good.

Kirstin Ratcliffe, Senior Category Manager, Beauty and Personal Care, Thrive Market

Thrive Market, based in Los Angeles, California, and founded in 2014, is the leading member-based online retailer offering natural, organic and regenerative products to healthy lifestyle consumers. Kirstin Ratcliffe is a featured presenter at Newtopia Now as part of a panel discussion, Leading Natural Living Buyers Tell All: Thrive, PCC and Bristol Farms, at 1:30 p.m. Monday, August 26.

Our mission at Thrive Market is to make healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable and for everyone. We work with the biggest companies in the natural space to up and coming independent brands. Providing our members value is true to the core of our mission—we want to give people access everywhere. So, when we are looking for brand partners, value and price are a part of it; it’s one of the first conversations we have.

Being a fully online business, a huge focus for us is to meet our members where they are and to provide convenience. Convenience is a big factor, and we keep that in mind when we are curating. We have a tight pulse on what our members are looking for, and always strive to bring the products they know and love directly to them via Thrive Market. We take the guesswork out of finding healthy products for their entire home, and aim to be that healthy and sustainable destination where they can buy their groceries, as well as their shampoo, body wash, vitamins, toothpaste, cleaning products, etc.

Another key area we hone in on is our standards. We restrict 1,000+ ingredients, including phthalates, parabens, petroleum-derived ingredients and others, which you can learn more about on our website. Certified organic is a first choice when we can; non-GMO is nonnegotiable. We are always seeking more sustainable alternatives, including packaging. With beauty and personal care products, we closely follow standards put forward by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and we require testing (i.e. for heavy metals) for certain ingredients of concern. We will require certain testing, if needed. We also carry cruelty free brands and prioritize Fair Trade Certified, as well as those brands that support regenerative sourcing and farming.

We’ve always had a strong relationship with New Hope Network. We view its shows as a great way to connect with existing partners, discover new brands, create relationships with private label and third-party partners, and learn about what’s new and trending. We’re excited about the new experience that Newtopia Now offers, coming on the back of participant surveys to understand what they wanted from a show. The marketplaces, or neighborhoods, they’ve teased out is interesting and will provide an opportunity to see how products stand out against each other on the shelf. It’s also particularly important for us that a brand can stand out in an online environment. That’s what we’ll be looking for, as well as partners whose mission(s) aligns with our own.

Newtopia Now, New Hope Network's new trade show, is set for Aug. 25-28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. For more information and to register, click here.

Steve Hoffman 8/2/23 Steve Hoffman 8/2/23

AI Leads Tech Transformation in Natural Foods

This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s August 2023 newsletter.

By Steven Hoffman

While 2023 may not be the year the singularity took place, with the launch of the first user-friendly artificial intelligence (AI) chat bot, ChatGPT, it could well go down in history as the Year of AI.*

From regenerative organic agriculture and nutrition research to product development, marketing, distribution and retail operations, business leaders in the natural channel are already finding multiple uses for this nascent yet transformative technology. A growing number of natural and organic products companies are taking the lead in employing AI automation, and such uses across the supply chain are growing as exponentially as the technology upon which it is based.

For the grocery industry, AI is projected to generate $113 billion in operational efficiency and new revenue by 2025. In a June 2023 study by data analytics firm Grocery Doppio, conducted in partnership with FMI – The Food Industry Association, and based on interviews with 152 grocery executives, implementation of artificial intelligence in supermarkets is expected to grow by 400% by the end of 2024. In addition AI “could eliminate 18% of store associate positions, 73% of store tasks and 53% of shopper queries,” reported Winsight Grocery Business.

*AI adoption will deliver $113 billion in operational efficiency and new revenue opportunities for the grocery industry by 2025. Source: The Times They Are A-Changing: Impact of AI in Grocery. Source:* *Grocery Doppio*

According to Grocery Doppio’s findings, inventory management savings could account for more than half of the estimated $113 billion in value. AI also will help grocers save billions in merchandising costs through advancements in product assortment and pricing optimization. Other savings include marketing, store operation costs, and IT technology.

While AI is not necessarily a new area for the grocery industry, grocers are focusing more on the “responsible, ethical use” of artificial intelligence,” said Mark Baum of FMI in a July 13th, 2023, Grocery Dive report. One quarter of retailers and more than a third of suppliers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to track product preferences and spending to anticipate consumer wants and needs, according to FMI’s 74th annual survey, The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2023. “Every CEO needs to at least think like a CIO, if not act like a CIO, going forward. We’d like to say these days if you’re not technology enabled, you’re competitively disadvantaged,” Baum said.

Yet, a major concern among grocery and other workers is that AI could automate or partially automate up to 300 million jobs over the next decade, according to a study by Goldman Sachs. The industries most impacted by AI-driven automation will be “office and administrative support” and “legal.” However, according to Goldman Sach’s findings, “Once AI is implemented, workers will be more productive leading to an overall increase in output. This could lead to a 7% increase in annual GDP, equivalent to an astounding $7 trillion.”

Read on to learn how some early adopters in the natural and organic products industry are making innovative use of AI technology.

Research and Product Development
Dietary supplement companies have been utilizing AI to speed up the research of nutritional compounds. Companies like Brightseed employ machine learning to develop bio-active phytonutrient compounds to support gut health. Supplement maker Nuritas, recipient of Nutrition Business Journal’s 2023 Science and Innovation Award, employs artificial intelligence to identify “novel health-benefitting ingredients” and “the best plant-sourced, cell-signaling peptides,” said Nuritas founder Nora Khaldi.

In a July 2023 podcast, The Natural List, Aadit Patel, VP of Product Engineering at NotCo, a plant-based food technology company, shared how it uses AI and “the right balance of technology and humanity” to bring novel plant-based meat and dairy alternatives to market.

In related news, researchers at Northeastern University have developed an AI algorithm, FoodProX, that can predict the level of processing in food products and if a food has been “ultra-processed.” Such information is important for researchers in examining the health impacts of processed foods, Neuroscience News reported in June 2023.

Marketing
In an in-depth interview in Strategy Magazine, Arjan Stephens, President of leading organic food manufacturer Nature’s Path, shared that AI helps the company deal with inflation and competition by creating more targeted messaging in a quicker timeframe.

“The aim is to educate consumers on our commitment to fueling healthy communities as well as the inherent value of supporting and investing in a triple bottom line business like ours. A.I. has been a huge part of driving efficiencies in getting more strategic content to market more quickly. It not only enables us to swiftly create and distribute content, but to also respond more efficiently to consumer feedback and shopping behavior changes. This will continue to be critical to competing in a market that is oversaturated in greenwashing and misinformation,” Stephens said.

Distribution
Distributors, in particular, are looking to AI – and even AI-powered robots – to optimize supply chain and transportation logistics. Leading natural foods distributor UNFI in June 2023 announced a partnership with Finnish firm RELEX Solutions. Driven by AI and machine learning, RELEX will work with UNFI to consolidate and replace multiple UNFI buying systems into “one enhanced process, combining a more robust analysis of demand with a more granular approach to procurement,” UNFI said in a statement.

UNFI’s new AI platform is expected to become operational over the next 12 to 18 months. “As part of UNFI’s multi-faceted transformation agenda, we’re continuing to implement cutting-edge technology to improve the customer and supplier experience, while increasing operating efficiency,” said Erin Horvath, Chief Operating Officer at UNFI. In March 2023, UNFI announced that it would utilize robots powered by artificial intelligence and software automation and new scanning technology at its distribution center in Centralia, Washington.

Grocery wholesale cooperative Associated Food Stores (AFS) also plans to deploy robotics and AI-powered automation technology at is distribution center in Farr West, Utah, according to a May 9th, 2023, report in Winsight Grocery Business. Working with technology company Symbotic, AFS’s end-to-end automation system will include robotic case-pick capabilities “to enhance a range of retail-facing experiences,” including supply, expanded assortment and product delivery to stores.

Seeking to disrupt the traditional natural products distribution sector, Pod Foods claims it offers the first truly “infinite” warehouse for food procurement in the industry while providing retailers with data-driven, relevant access. The engine is powered by the company’s “Pod Bytes” data platform, which synthesizes data from its B2B marketplace, economic indicators, and other grocery-adjacent and third-party sources, the company said. The built-for-grocery models provide retailers with personalized, AI-enabled insights across all areas of discovery, including product placement, procurement, inventory optimization and market opportunity. The result is access to an endless yet personalized assortment of products, targeted to each retailer based on consumer purchasing behavior, desired retail margins, local trends, and more, the company says. Pod Foods in April 2023 appointed former VP executive and CPG veteran Michael Schall as President.

Retail
At The Fresh Market, which operates 160 stores in 22 states, longtime marketing partner Firework is implementing a patent-pending artificial intelligence platform to enhance The Fresh Market’s video content for consumers. The technology will allow shoppers to ask questions and receive sophisticated, real-time answers in The Fresh Market’s in-video chat feature. Viewers will be able to ask such questions as, “What is the recipe for the salad being made in this video?” and the AI chatbot will list the ingredients.

“The new AI engine makes use of a large language model (LLM), can understand and respond in a wide range of languages, and can be customized to reflect each brand’s unique voice,” The Fresh Market said in a statement. The new technology will be available on The Fresh Market’s website and its shoppable video live commerce retail media network. “Our customers are looking to engage with our brand in real time, both online and in store. With Firework’s generative AI technology, we can be certain that customers will receive prompt, friendly and personalized support whenever they choose to engage with our video commerce content,” said Kevin Miller, CMO at The Fresh Market.

Shoppers at Sprouts Farmers Market can now use an AI-based shopping assistant called Quin. The phone-based app from New York-based developer Verneek can answer spoken or typed questions about items sold in the stores and provide information about recipes, keto-friendly options, nutritional value and more. “As technology continues to evolve, Sprouts is always exploring new and innovative ways to improve our customer experience while providing joy in healthy living,” Sprouts said in a statement. Nasrin Mostafazadeh, Cofounder of Quin, said in ArcaMarx Magazine in April 2023 that the timing was right to launch Quin in grocery stores. However, he noted, Quin is not intended to replace grocery workers but to supplement them, giving them more time to focus on their job responsibilities, such as stocking shelves, doing inventory or checking out customers.

On THRIVE Market’s blog, the online retailer helps customers evaluate the best AI recipe generators. “There are now lots of websites that use AI machine learning to populate recipes based on ingredients, dietary restrictions, and even cooking skill level,” wrote THRIVE blogger Amy Roberts. “Some create a recipe based on ingredients you have on hand, while others churn out a recipe based on a query, like ‘Make a gluten-free chicken parmesan.’” Roberts reviewed ChatGPT for a vegan cheesecake recipe, Let’s Foodie for a red cabbage slaw, and PlantJammer for lasagna. “Did it work?” Roberts asked. “Surprisingly yes! The cheesecakes were a hit!” Though, Roberts admits she continues to refer to Pinterest for her own recipe ideas.

Using an organic food store as an example, AI platform Business Name Generator cites the following case study: “Consider the case of a budding entrepreneur, John, who planned to start an organic food store. He wanted a name that conveyed freshness, health, and sustainability. After struggling with brainstorming sessions, he turned to an online business name generator. He entered keywords such as ‘organic,’ ‘fresh,’ ‘healthy’ and ‘green.’ In seconds, the tool provided him with a list of potential names like ‘Freshly Organic,’ ‘Green Harvest,’ “Healthful Bounty’ and ‘SustainaBite.’ John was able to choose a unique and meaningful name for his store.”

Agriculture
For regenerative and organic farmers, AI technologies including machine learning and data analytics are being used to develop sophisticated monitoring systems that can provide farmers with real-time information about factors that affect soil health, including nutrient deficiencies and moisture levels. Combined with the use of sensors, drones and satellite imagery, AI algorithms are being used to analyze massive amounts of data to determine the optimal amount of water needed for each crop, reducing water waste, and ensuring that plants receive necessary nutrients for healthy growth. This not only conserves water resources but also helps to prevent soil degradation caused by overwatering, reported Marcin Frackiewicz in TS2 in May 2023.

At the University of California Davis, the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS), funded in part by USDA, was launched in 2020 with a mission of meeting growing demand in the food supply by increasing efficiencies using AI and “bioinformatics” spanning the entire system from seed to shelf. Bringing more than 40 researchers together, AIFS says it aims to “bring artificial intelligence technology to the entire food system from crop breeding and farming to food production and nutrition. The institute will combine the development of the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence with preparing the food and agriculture industries to rapidly adopt them and ready the workforce.”

In addition, leading technology companies including IBM, Microsoft, Intel and others are focusing on developing artificial intelligence for use in agriculture and food production. Microsoft’s Project FarmVibes seeks to foster sustainable agriculture by collecting and analyzing data in from drones, sensors and other equipment to help farmers make real-time decisions about their crops. Intel and the National Science Foundation in 2022 invested $220 million in a number of AI ventures, including research in AI-Driven Innovation in Agriculture and Food Systems. Focusing on regenerative agriculture, IBM in 2022 launched IBM Regenerative Agriculture, which uses AI, data analytics, cloud technology and predictive insights to interpret agricultural and weather data and help farmers make decisions about crops.

“The food chain is a complex ecosystem that touches our everyday lives, and this is where AI has an advantage – by navigating the complex web of information, from farming to food distribution,” said Bryton Shang, CEO of Aquabyte in Forbes in July 2023. “It can help ensure higher-quality decision-making every step of the way.”

* Written and researched by a real human, with 40+ years’ experience in natural and organic foods and sustainable agriculture.

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.