FDA Gives Meaning to “Gluten Free” Claim

With the August 2 publication of the FDA’s final gluten-free (GF) labeling rules, natural food, supplement, and in certain cases, beer producers now have standardized means for promoting gluten-free foods to their customers in a voluntary, verifiable, and consistent manner. Considering that “gluten-free” health claims accompanied more than 11% of all new specialty food products released in 2012, a 2.6% increase from the year before, the FDA’s decision serves a readily expanding market.

Understanding the Law and Implementation The guidelines establish a maximum threshold for gluten content in gluten-free foods as 20 parts per million (ppm) (200mg/kg), which is consistent with international standards defined in the UN’s Codex Alimentarius and determined by FDA to be the scientifically most reliable minimum measurement for gluten content currently available. However, because of the voluntary nature of reporting (manufacturers are not required to label products as gluten-free), as well as no official FDA standardized certification scheme or stamp (a lá USDA Organic), the onus of verification and accountability to consumers ultimately falls on producers.

The ruling took effect on Sept. 4, 2013, but any company looking to update its packaging or any other marketing materials has until Aug. 5, 2014, to comply.

Industry Implications First and foremost the new rule is meant to benefit consumers avoiding gluten out of medical necessity, for whom the risks of consumption range from gastric discomfort to osteoporosis and intestinal cancer. However, according to Laura Kuykendall, Director of Marketing for Glutino, a gluten-free manufacturer founded in 1983, consumers adopting a gluten-free lifestyle are clearly increasing. As a result, Glutino has embraced the use of third party GF certification. “Transparency about process and providing information to consumers is the most important factor" when dealing with medically sensitive consumers, Kuykendall explained.

Jeanne Cloutier, Director of Operations at Alter Eco, an importer and producer of Fair Trade foods, explained that because of the nature of gluten allergies, GF consumers are extremely well educated on manufacturing processes and regulatory issues, “much more than most people are with, say, the USDA Organic standard.” Currently, both companies certify with GFCO, the largest GF certifier operating in the United States.

Depending on how a company plans, implementation costs can be kept to a minimum. Alter Eco waited until its labels required several changes before printing updated packaging. And while costs vary, regular, high caliber testing doesn’t need to be expensive. Ultimately, both women conclude, for gluten-free consumers, your brand is only as good as your reputation. "It’s a trust thing,” says Cloutier, “but somebody needs to validate that logo."

-- Sam Kressler

GreenMoney Journal: GMOs in Our Food: Do We Have a Right to Know?

Test your knowledge on GMOs in food! Compass Natural's Steve Hoffman and Nikki McCord of McCord Consulting co-authored an article in the Fall 2013 edition of GreenMoney Journal: "If you’re anything like us, you’re probably enjoying a snack while checking your email and catching up on your blogs. If you’re eating a conventionally produced snack – that is, one that is not Certified Organic or Non-GMO Verified – chances are it could be full of GMOs. Check your packaging. Did you see the label informing you of this fact? Most likely you didn’t because companies are not required to tell you whether or not GMOs are in your foods. And yet, GMOs are in about 80% of commonly processed foods. So what are GMOs and what is their impact on human and animal health and the environment? . . ."

Read More: http://www.greenmoneyjournal.com/fall-2013/gmo/

GMOs in the News: 2 Million Rally Against Monsanto

More than 2 Million People Rally in 52 Countries to Protest GMO Giant Monsanto
From a single Facebook page started in February, the March Against Monsanto held on May 25 drew more than 2 million people in 52 countries and 436 cities to protest chemical giant Monsanto and the genetically engineered seeds it produces. "If I had gotten 3,000 people to join me, I would have considered that a success," protest organizer Tami Canal told USA Today. "It was empowering and inspiring to see so many people, from different walks of life, put aside their differences and come together," she said. The group plans to harness the success of the event to continue its anti-GMO cause. "We will continue until Monsanto complies with consumer demand. They are poisoning our children, poisoning our planet," she said. "If we don't act, who's going to?" Protests were held in Los Angeles, Portland, OR, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and elsewhere around the globe. “As a single company, Monsanto is the tip of the iceberg representing the threat that unchecked corporate power has in corrupting our democratic institutions, driving family farmers off the land, threatening human health and contaminating our environment,” said Dave Murphy, executive director of Food Democracy Now, in a May 28 commentary in the Huffington Post.

Washington State Yes on 522 Launches GMO Labeling Campaign into Full Gear
With a new website, www.yeson522.com, the recent hiring of professional campaign management staff, and $1.1 million in contributions received, the Yes on 522 campaign to label GMO foods in Washington State is swinging into full gear and is appealing to natural and organic products business leaders to help fund what many experts say is the best opportunity to achieve mandatory GMO labeling in 2013. At a recent press conference, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), co-sponsor of the Boxer-DeFazio federal GMO labeling bill, said it is critically important to support the Washington State initiative to give greater weight to the Washington, DC, federal GMO labeling efforts, given biotech’s strong lobbying presence in the nation’s capitol. In a letter to donors, Yes on 522 finance chair David Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s reported that the campaign has launched an ambitious grassroots outreach program called “Kitchen Conversations,” in which advocates can receive a kit containing information to host informal gatherings among voters, and is rolling out a “Dining Out for 522” chef’s fundraising campaign. The campaign scheduled its first stakeholder meeting for May 31 in Seattle. Presence Marketing/Dynamic Presence is among the leading supporters of the Yes on 522 GMO labeling bill. Steven Hoffman of Compass Natural Marketing is helping lead fundraising efforts and outreach to natural and organic products industry leaders. For information and to contribute, visit www.yeson522.com.

Whole Foods Market Endorses Washington State’s Yes on 522 GMO Labeling Bill Joining a coalition of leading Washington State-based retailers including PCC Natural Markets and Marlene’s Natural Foods Market and Delis, among others, Whole Foods Market on April 25 announced its support for the Yes on 522 (www.yeson522.com) campaign to label genetically engineered, or GMO, foods. In support of Yes on 522, Whole Foods Market launched a grassroots effort, Will Vote for Food (www.willvoteforfood.com) to engage consumers and build support for the ballot initiative. “This issue is about transparency and the consumer’s right to make informed decisions,” said Joe Rogoff, president of Whole Foods Market’s Pacific Northwest region. “We believe that growers using genetically modified seed, and producers using the products grown from those seeds, have an obligation to share that information with their public. And the price paid by the food industry for relabeling is a pittance compared to the distrust that increasingly results from their concealment. We support Yes on 522. At Whole Foods Market, we will vote for food.”

New Leaf Markets Require GMO Labeling; Terra Organica Labeling GMO Products Following in the footsteps of Whole Foods Market, Santa Cruz, CA-based natural retailer New Leaf Community Markets announced it would require labeling of foods containing GMO ingredients in its seven stores by 2018. New Leaf was an early retail member of the Non-GMO Project and a strong supporter of California’s Prop 37 2012 GMO labeling measure, which was defeated by a narrow margin. New Leaf co-owner Scott Roseman commended Whole Foods for taking the lead on the labeling issue and said the five-year deadline gives manufacturers time to update packaging or research alternative ingredients. In related news, Stephen Trinkaus, owner of Terra Organica in Bellingham, WA, asked his customers what they wanted in terms of GMO labeling. The choices were: do nothing, label products that contain GMO ingredients, or get rid of the items altogether. Customers overwhelmingly chose labels, so Trinkaus began labeling products in the store that are likely to contain GMO ingredients. “I thought it would be simpler than it is,” Trinkaus told the Seattle Times. He wants customers to know if a manufacturer is working to replace GMO ingredients with non-GMO alternatives – many are after Whole Foods Market’s announcement to require GMO labeling in 2018, he said – and is revamping labels in his store to display more complex information.

Vermont, Maine Advance GMO Labeling Legislation
On May 14, despite concerns over lawsuit threats from the biotech industry, Maine's House Agriculture Committee passed a GMO labeling measure on an 8-3 vote. The bill, LD 718, offered by Rep. Lance Harvell (R-Farmington) wouldn’t go into full effect until 2018, and only after four of the nine northeastern states approve similar laws. However, they may be one step closer to realizing that goal: on May 10, the Vermont House passed a mandatory GMO labeling bill by an overwhelming 107-37 vote, again, despite massive lobbying efforts by the GMO biotech industry and threats to sue the state. If approved by the state Senate and signed by the governor, the bill, H 112, could make Vermont the first state in the nation to require labeling of genetically modified foods. But the measure likely wouldn’t go into effect for two years, and it would not affect meat, milk or eggs from animals that were fed or treated with genetically engineered substances, including GMO corn and the rBGH cattle hormone. While GMO labeling is not required in the U.S., according to the Center for Food Safety, 64 countries, including China, Russia and all EU nations currently have GMO labeling laws in place.

Monsanto CEO Blames Social Media for “Elitist” Anti-GMO Sentiments
Citizens who are against genetically modified foods or are calling for mandatory labeling of GMO foods are guilty of “elitism” that is fanned by social media, and they fail to consider the needs of the rest of the world, said Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant in a May 15 interview with Bloomberg Press. “This place is getting busier and more crowded,” Grant said. “As long as you’ve got money in your back pocket and you drive your station wagon to the supermarket on weekends, then it’s out of sight, out of mind, so far.” The advent of social media helps explain why many people in the U.S. have come to oppose genetically engineered crops in recent years, Grant told Bloomberg. Grant feels that GMOs are the answer to feeding the world’s growing population, while opponents point to increased use of toxic synthetic pesticides associated with GMO agriculture, the fact the farmers can no longer save seed if they are practicing GMO farming, the potential contribution of GMO farming to global climate change, and peer-reviewed studies that warn of risks to human, animal and environmental health. In related news, executives from Monsanto, DuPont and Dow Chemical – among the world’s largest producers of GMO crops and pesticides, and owners of a significant majority of the world’s seed companies – told Reuters that they are developing a national promotional campaign aimed at turning the tide on growing public sentiment against GMO crops. With GMO labeling measures before the federal government and more than 20 states, the biotech firms seek to limit the spread of such initiatives, which the companies say would only confuse consumers and upset the food manufacturing industry, according to Reuters. The biotech industry is still working out details of their marketing campaign, but it will likely have a large social media component, the company executives said.

Supreme Court Rules for Monsanto in Seed Case Rejecting an Indiana farmer’s argument that his planting of seeds he had bought second-hand did not violate Monsanto’s GMO seed patent, the U.S. Supreme Court on May 12 ruled unanimously that farmers must pay Monsanto each time they plant the company’s genetically engineered soybeans. Farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman asserted that because the company’s herbicide-resistant, Roundup Ready soybeans replicate themselves, he was not violating the company’s patent by planting progeny seeds he had purchased elsewhere. However, the justices unanimously rejected that claim, with Justice Elena Kagan writing there is no such “seeds-are-special” exception to the law. But Kagan warned that the Monsanto decision was a limited one and did not address every issue involving a self-replicating product. The court ordered Bowman, a conventional farmer, to pay nearly $85,000 in damages to Monsanto. The Supreme Court's decision implies that Monsanto has the legal right to stop farmers from saving seeds from patented genetically modified crops one season, and plant them the next season.

UNPA Hosts GMO Symposium for Supplement Manufacturers Despite what happens on a legislative and regulatory front, what is certain is that consumers want GMO labeling, and Whole Foods Market is requiring GMO transparency from all of its vendors by 2018, said Loren Israelsen, Executive Director of the United Natural Products Association (UNPA), a Salt Lake-based trade association serving the natural and nutritional products industry. To help companies understand the challenges and implications of GMOs in nutritional supplements and food products and to prepare for GMO labeling, UNPA hosted on May 23 a day-long symposium, “The Non-GMO Future: How to Source, Test, Label and Market Food and Supplement Ingredients.” “If you sell into Whole Foods [Market] or aspire to sell to them, you need to understand the GMO supply chain,” said Israelsen in a recent interview with Nutra-Ingredients. “We sense that the issue is substantially more significant than dietary supplements companies think,” he said. Speakers at the symposium included Courtney Pineau, assistant director of Non-GMO Project; Robert Craven, CEO, FoodState/Megafood; John Fagan, Ph.D., founder of Global ID; Sandy Kepler, CEO of Foodchain Global Advisors; Adam Ismail, executive director of GOED; Steven Hoffman, managing director of Compass Natural Marketing; and Ken Roseboro, editor and publisher of The Organic & Non-GMO Report. For info visit www.unpa.com.

After Being Rejected by Consumers, Will GMO Spuds Make a Comeback? While the FDA weighs approval of GMO salmon, a dozen years after Monsanto ditched its GMO potato after disappointing sales, an Idaho company, J.R. Simplot, asked FDA in mid-May to approve five varieties of GMO potatoes. The varieties have been genetically engineered to avoid black spots and designed to have less acrylamide, a naturally occurring but potentially toxic chemical. Simplot, according to MSN News, sells potatoes to McDonald’s for its French fries, and McDonald’s rejects potatoes with black spots. The FDA is also reviewing the “Arctic” apple, genetically engineered by Canada-based Okanagan Specialty Fruits to resist turning brown when cut. While Simplot said 20 field trials demonstrate that GMO potatoes are virtually identical to their unmodified cousins, Bill Freese, senior policy analyst with Washington, DC-based Center for Food Safety, said that genetic engineering is a “noisy, unpredictable process,” where the best-intentioned genome tinkering could be accompanied by unforeseen effects on human health and the environment. "The biotech approach is to change the food on a genetic level in quite frankly risky ways with inadequate regulation to adapt a crop to an industrial food system that's really unhealthy in so many ways," he said.

Market Research: Fruit Flies Say Organic is Better

You may have heard, of all things, about recent research related to organic food and fruit flies published in the respected scientific journal Plos One. The study, conducted by Dallas middle-school student Ria Chhabra, tracked the effects of organic and conventional diets on the health of fruit flies. By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas and potatoes fared better than those who dined on conventionally raised produce, according to the New York Times. The study, which earned 16-year-old Chhabra top honors in a national science competition, provided “evidence that organically raised food may provide animals with tangible benefits to overall health.”

U.S. families, too, are flocking to organic foods, with 81% of families reporting that they purchase organic at least sometimes, says the Organic Trade Association (OTA) in its survey, “U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes and Beliefs Study,” conducted in January 2013. Nearly half (48%) of those who purchase organic foods said they do so because “they are healthier for me and my children.” Among the top reasons to purchase organic are the desire to avoid toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones, and genetically modified organisms or GMOs. More than four in 10 parents (42%) said their trust in organic products increased, vs. 32% who indicated this point of view a year ago. “More and more parents choose organic foods primarily because of their desire to provide healthful options for their children,” said Christine Bushway, Executive Director of OTA.

However, in a March 2013 Harris Interactive poll of 2,276 U.S. adults, more than half (59%) agreed that labeling food or other products as organic is just an excuse to charge more. "What surprised us most was that while Americans are showing more concern for the environment, they aren't necessarily willing to pay more to do anything about it," said Mike de Vere, Harris president. "While Americans feel better about the economy, many are wary of the 'greenwashing' concept that gives companies a chance to cash in on consumers who want to help the planet but are confused by all the eco-friendly jargon." Manufacturers who convey the true value of organic while offering a fair price will be better positioned to win over this skeptical consumer.

Similarly, the Hartman Group discovered in its 2012 Organic and Natural Report that only slightly more than half (54%) of consumers surveyed believe “organic” means non-GMO. While GMOs are prohibited in certified organic production, the proliferation of non-GMO seals, often appearing next to the USDA Organic seal on packaging, may have diluted the consumer’s perception that organic also means non-GMO.

However, OTA reports that U.S. families are becoming increasingly aware of the presence of unlabeled genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in foods in the marketplace, with one-third (32%) of U.S. households turning to organic to avoid GMOs.

Graphic: Courtesy of The Hartman Group, www.harman-group.com.

World’s First Pressed Organic Juice Directory Launches

For Immediate Release

Contact: Megan Shockney, Chloette PR, megan@chloettepr.com, (858) 442-3492.

World’s First Pressed Organic Juice Directory Launches

Organic Food Expert Max Goldberg Curates New Directory of Stores Across the Country Selling Pressed Organic Juice; Plus Comprehensive News on the Industry

April 30, 2013 – New York, NY – With the explosion in the popularity of pressed juice, one of the country’s most widely read organic food bloggers and experts, Max Goldberg of Living Maxwell, has debuted the Pressed Organic Juice Directory, the first-of-its-kind directory of locations around the world selling pressed organic juice.

“The Pressed Organic Juice Directory developed out of a need that was not being met in the marketplace,” said Goldberg. “As a huge pressed juice fan and someone who has been eating close to 100 percent organic since 2001, I wanted to know where I could get pressed organic juice whenever I traveled. Yet, after lots of online research, the results were very incomplete. Some locations were fully organic; some places used organic ‘whenever possible’; and some used a centrifugal juicer, while others used a Norwalk or similar type of hydraulic press. What I wanted was a site that would clear through all of the clutter and give me exactly what I was looking for – places that offered pressed organic juice.”

Pressed juice has exploded in popularity for two primary reasons. First, it is a superior extraction method. Independent tests show that a hydraulic press can extract three to five times more minerals and nutrients than a centrifugal juicer. Second, hydraulic press juicers do not oxidize nearly as fast. Centrifugal juicers use a tremendous amount of heat, which causes mineral, enzyme and vitamin degradation. Since the amount of heat used in a hydraulic juice press is very minimal, the oxidation is not nearly as severe.

Goldberg’s Pressed Organic Juice Directory only lists locations that sell pressed organic juice which offer a minimum of a green juice. Additionally, the juice must be either USDA certified organic or comprised of 95 percent organic ingredients, the same standard established by the USDA.

Key Attributes of the Pressed Organic Juice Directory

• Comprehensive site covering pressed organic juice industry news, new products and store openings, store profiles and interviews with well-known industry figures.

• Nearly 700 listings from five countries, with new locations added every day.

• Curated by an expert with domain expertise in the organic field; every single entry is personally vetted by Goldberg.

• Not just any juice bar is listed – there are clear requirements: organic, pressed, and must have a minimum of a pressed organic green juice.

• Includes a directory of organic pressed juice companies that will ship juice via overnight delivery to any location in the U.S. Individual store profiles with commentary by Goldberg about the location and their juice, as well as a variety of photos of their juice and the individual store (available currently for select locations, more profiles to be added).

• iPhone app is in development, and the site currently works on all mobile and tablet devices.

“Consumers continue to drink juice and eat foods that are conventionally-grown and sprayed with toxic pesticides. After extensive personal research and reading reports about the effects of these pesticides, I felt it was of paramount importance to eliminate non-organic foods from my own diet and that is why I chose to focus on organic juice for this directory.”

Goldberg has personally been eating organic for more than 10 years and focused on organic pressed juice because of the toxic pesticides used on non-organic foods. With 41% of Americans expected to get cancer, the President’s Cancer Panel recommends that people consume food grown, to the extent possible, “without the use of pesticides.” Organic regulations strictly prohibit the use of toxic chemicals – synthetic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides, while conventionally-grown food allows them.

“I developed the Pressed Organic Juice Directory because it was something that I wanted to have for myself, and I knew so many others that were looking for this kind of information as well,” continued Goldberg. “My main goal, however, is for the Directory to serve as a vehicle to increase awareness about the importance of organic – the healthiest food that we can be putting into our bodies.”

With the launch of the Pressed Organic Juice Directory, BluePrint has come on board as the site’s initial sponsor.

“Needless to say, I’m thrilled to have BluePrint affiliated with the Pressed Organic Juice Directory,” said Goldberg. “Not only is the company a true pioneer in the pressed organic juice world, but founders Erica Huss and Zoe Sakoutis have a serious commitment to organic, something of utmost importance to me. All of BluePrint’s pressed juices are USDA certified organic, and the company was a major sponsor of our New York City fundraiser last year for Proposition 37, California’s ballot initiative to label GMOs.”

About Max Goldberg

Founder of Living Maxwell (www.livingmaxwell.com) and described by The New York Times as an "organic sensation", Max Goldberg is one of the most widely read organic food bloggers in the country today.  He has been profiled in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, CNN, Veria Living, and numerous other media outlets.

An organic food activist, partner of the Just Label It! campaign, and speaker at industry trade shows, Max runs the Organic Food Industry Group on LinkedIn, where his weekly curated email is read by thousands of organic food CEOs, founders and executives from all over the world.

Slow Money | Sustainable Economy: National Gathering in Boulder, April 29-30

“What a pleasure to be part of a gathering
that wasn't just talking about the future but bending it!
Slow Money is one of the keys to a healthy future.”
– Bill McKibben, Founder of 350.org

“One of the Top 5 Trends in Finance.”
– Entrepreneur.com

Slow Money Invests in Small Food Business

Since its inception in 2008, Slow Money has invested more than $21 million in 180 small food and sustainable farming enterprises. Learn what Slow Money can do for your business, and how your investment dollars can make a big difference.

Click here for more information and to register.

   Communications on behalf of Slow Money by Compass Natural Marketing, Boulder, CO

            www.compassnaturalmarketing.com  |  info@compassnaturalmarketing.com

NFC Adds GMO Guard to its Growing Roster of Certification Programs

For Immediate Release

Contact:

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

Reuven Flamer, nfccertification@gmail.com, tel 888.422.4632.

Spring Valley, NY, March 28, 2013 – In response to the natural food industry's – and the consumer’s – growing concern with regard to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) "cropping" up in the public food supply, Natural Food Certifiers (NFC) has added a new component to its growing roster of product supervision and certification programs: the NFC “GMO Guard” Verification Program.

"We are very proud to introduce and offer the GMO Guard Program," said NFC Director Rabbi Reuven Flamer. "It's a logical extension of the programs that NFC already offers, and one that is so timely and sought-after in the natural and organic food market today."

The GMO Guard verification program joins the impressive array of NFC's Food Certification programs, which include USDA Organic certification, Kosher Certification (under the “Apple K” label), Vegan Certification, and Gluten Guard, a gluten-free assurance program. By offering a portfolio of certification programs valued by natural and organic products consumers, NFC offers cost-effective, simultaneous, turnkey solutions for food manufacturers seeking to assure their customers of certified organic, non-GMO, kosher, vegan and/or gluten-free products.

"GMOs are the number one growing concern among health-conscious consumers and for businesses in the natural and organic food markets, as well as in the conventional food industry," explained Rabbi Flamer. "Recent studies show that GMOs may cause various kinds of health problems from digestive disturbances to food allergies, and that GMOs require more herbicides, which is really the opposite reason why GMOs were touted to be so environmentally helpful in the first place," he added. "For all of the many reasons that GMOs raise a red flag, physical and environmental, consumers simply don't want them in their foods, and our clients want to accommodate their customers."

In order to assess a new product for GMO Guard verification, NFC performs an intake -- commitment and cost free -- to analyze the product and will then advise clients of the next steps and costs to obtaining a seal. The process may include, but is not limited to, a request and review of the ingredient deck including country of origin and certificate of analysis, as well as inspection of manufacturing facilities. 

Leading natural and organic products retailers such as Whole Foods Market are seeing growing demand for products that don’t use genetically engineered ingredients. Products that have a non-GMO assurance seal are seeing sales increases of 15 percent to 30 percent, according to Whole Foods Market President A.C. Gallo.

About Natural Food Certifiers

NFC Founder and President (Rabbi) Reuven Flamer began a career in the natural products industry in 1976 when he founded "Le Centre," the first natural food co-operative in the Laurentian Mountains, outside of Montreal, Quebec. He launched NFC in 1997. In 2002, NFC became the first Rabbinic-led kosher agency to certify organic under the USDA National Organic Program. "Our company is based on the principle that, 'If it’s kosher, its good for the soul; if it's naturally healthy, it’s good for the body; and each should have the other,'" explained Flamer. For more information, please email nfccertification@gmail.com, visit www.nfccertification.info, or call Rabbi Flamer at (914) 319-9040.

NFC is offering special rates to new and existing customers, who can easily add the NFC GMO Guard Verification Program to their existing NFC certification programs for their products.

Communications by Compass Natural Marketing

info@compassnatural.com | www.compassnatural.com | 303.807.1042

Video: Women Leading Green - Top Sustainability Entrepreneurs

At the Epicenter, a popular Boulder, CO-based speaker series featuring business and thought leaders in natural and organic products and sustainability, featured on February 12, 2013, three women leaders in green business, including Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions, Kim Coupounas, Co-founder of Go-Lite, and Brook Eddy, CEO of Bhakti Chai. Moderated by Seleyn DeYarus, CEO of At the Epicenter is produced by Compass Natural Marketing

View video highlights from this informative and entertaining discussion. Plus, speaker bios are below. http://youtu.be/mpuhhaaBDv4?t=5s 

Hunter Lovins, Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions Trained as a sociologist and lawyer, Hunter Lovins is a world-renowned author, President and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a professor of sustainable business management, and a sought-after expert in sustainable solutions for businesses, corporations and governments worldwide. Based in Boulder, Hunter was named Time Magazine 2000 Hero of the Planet and in 2009 Newsweek named her a "Green Business Icon."

Kim Coupounas, Co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer, GoLite Kim Coupounas is Co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of GoLite, the premier global manufacturer of lightweight, high performance, socially responsible apparel and equipment designed for outdoor athletes. Kim also served as the company's CEO until 2008, and is former Chair of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), representing the $646 billion active outdoor recreation industry. Kim also served on OIA's Sustainability Working Group.

Brook Eddy, Founder and CEO, Bhakti Chai With a degree in Social Policy, Brook Eddy traveled to India in 2002, where she discovered masala chai tea. Back in the U.S., she created her own recipe, which was so well received by family and friends that she founded Bhakti Chai in 2006. Today, Bhakti is emerging as a brand leader in the organic, fair trade tea and ready to drink categories. The Bhakti philosophy - devotion through social action - continues to drive the company's business practices.

Seleyn DeYarus, CEO, Best Organics Inc. Seleyn DeYarus is Co-founder of At the Epicenter and CEO of Best Organics Inc., an organic and sustainable brands promotion company and provider of America's Best Organics gift basket collections. Seleyn is a former environmental consultant for international business strategist Booz Allen Hamilton, and she served as an intern in the White House's Speech Writers Research Office, where she was personally selected by President Reagan himself.

Video produced by Howard Zaremba, Boulder Valley Media Alliance, BV Channel 22.