Natural Products Industry on Front Lines of Coronavirus Crisis
Photo: Empty produce shelves at Whole Foods Market, Longmont, CO, March 13, 2020; Compass Natural
By Steven Hoffman
Editor’s Note: Since this article was prepared for publication, it was reported this week that employees at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods Market were planning to stage walkouts or “sick-outs” due to worker safety concerns. A handful of workers at Whole Foods Market locations in Huntingdon Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and New York have tested positive for coronavirus, raising employee concerns. Many grocers are installing plexiglass sneeze guards to protect cashiers from coronavirus. This article originally appeared in New Hope Network’s IdeaXchange and will appear in Presence Marketing’s April 2020 newsletter edition.
From the moment in early March when New Hope Network first announced the postponement of Natural Products Expo West – what Forbes Magazine referred to as the “Super Bowl of natural CPG” – to later in the month when UNFI CEO Steve Spinner joined a group of food, retail and distribution leaders at the White House to help ensure that America’s grocery shelves stay stocked – no small feat during the panic buying rush of the past few weeks – the COVID-19 pandemic has put the natural products industry on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis.
There have been many challenges – and a few opportunities – associated with this position. Stores find themselves short staffed and have had to cut hours to deep clean and restock empty shelves. Staffs are stretched thin. Restaurants and food service operations have had to shut down, putting many out of work. Long lines and controlled entry have been reported in some stores. Many retailers are dedicating Senior Hours before the stores open to the general public to give elderly people a chance to have access to product before the rush.
On the other hand, retailers are hiring, often providing jobs for laid-off restaurant and food service workers. Natural products grocers including Whole Foods Market and Natural
Grocers are offering interim incentives on top of current hourly rates to keep and recruit labor. Whole Foods is partnering with Amazon to expand resources and capacity for door drop and home delivery. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen told CNBC in late March that the Cincinnati-based grocer, which operates 2,800 stores in 35 states, hired 2,000 people in March to keep up with increased demand from the coronavirus outbreak, and still has 10,000 openings to fill. Walmart announced it wants to hire 150,000 temporary workers through May, and Amazon is hiring an additional 100,000 workers to deal with coronavirus demand.
Sales, too, are through the roof for natural products retailers and CPG stores across the country as people stock up on a month's worth of groceries and staple goods instead of a typical week’s worth. Food Dive reported that sales of staples soared in March, indicating that consumers were preparing for the long haul. Add to that the fact that, with the closing of restaurants and cafes in many states, and with the call for social distancing, people are now eating at home, putting further strain on conventional and natural foods retail markets.
“You Need to Get Out on the Floor and Stock Shelves!”
For Gabe Nabors, CEO of the Mustard Seed Market & Cafe, with two full-service natural foods supermarkets and a bakery in Ohio and also renowned for its restaurants and catering, the stores have pivoted to offer in-store take-out meal solutions for its customers as the state of Ohio in March called for the closing of bars and restaurants. Mustard Seed has been promoting this expanded service on social media, and recently posted the steps it is taking to sanitize its stores, ensure product availability, and protect workers and customers.
“We are packaging our most popular soups from our restaurant in ‘fresh or freeze’ containers and are ramping up in-store prepared foods,” Nabors said. “We’re pivoting from banquets and catering to contacting assisted living homes, local nonprofits, hospices and elsewhere to let them know we have healthy prepared foods available for takeout. We’re also in talks with Instacart to expedite the launch of a delivery service. A large percentage of food sales in America is through restaurants and food service; with that closed, it puts added pressure on the grocery stores. As such, our entire team has been stocking shelves - if you have an office job and it’s not mission critical - you need to get out on the floor and stock shelves!” Nabors added about managing the current crisis situation.
“We and our distributors have trucks running nonstop throughout our 20 state system, but it’s still a limited number of pallets per load,” said Alan Lewis, Director of Public Policy for Natural Grocers. “To better serve demand, we've curtailed the delivery of water, which is generally available locally, to focus instead on providing staple goods, produce and perishables. Our stores have been the calmest, most organized places to shop and our customers have been exemplary in not hoarding, and helping create a sense of calm and the feeling that we are all in this together,” Lewis observed. "People have been so cordial and kind to each other and thanking everyone in the stores for making the food available,” he said.
“Currently, there is plenty of food ready to be delivered in the supply chain. The outages are not shortages,” said Lewis. To ensure steady supply, he feels that food workers, from agriculture to manufacturing and retail, should be termed ‘essential workers.’ “We’ve been in conversation with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and others asking them not to stop essential agricultural workers,” he said. “As a result, CDA has notified law enforcement officials, requesting that agriculture workers be able to travel to and from work,” he added.
“People working overtime in delivery, back of house, stocking shelves, cashiers, e-commerce fulfillment – they are now critical infrastructure to keeping this country running. We should be cognizant of the stress on store staff and provide more resources to help them, for example, living wages, free child care, paid sick leave, collective bargaining rights, proper protective equipment, etc.,” said Errol Schweizer, retail and brand veteran and former head of grocery purchasing for Whole Foods Market. “The cooks, clerks, packers, loaders – the folks that often are poorly paid, overworked and invisible – how often have we heard pundits refer to them as unskilled? Now that everyone sees how crucial – and skilled – they are, we need to assure they are treated with dignity and respect.”
Industry Responds to Heightened Demand
For distributors, which have received generally positive reviews in responding to the crisis, sales are up dramatically, too. Leading natural products distributor UNFI's stock more than doubled in late March as consumers stocked up. "It is important for all Americans to know that they can continue to count on companies like ours to keep stores well-stocked with a variety of food and wellness products during this critical period,” Spinner said in a statement. "In addition to having business continuity and safety plans in place to help keep America fed, UNFI is supplementing its coordination with federal, state, and local government agencies by now collaborating directly with the White House and industry peers. We firmly believe that increased levels of public-private collaboration can further enhance UNFI's around-the-clock efforts to meet our customers current and future needs.”
Natural and organic products manufacturers, too, are scrambling to satisfy increased demand. In a LinkedIn post, Wayne Wu, General Partner of VMG Partners, observed, "We're hearing many shelf stable food, beverage and supplement brands are generally doing well in brick and mortar stores as consumers stock up, but also seeing a 50%+ sales lift in the past couple of weeks in their e-commerce or grocery delivery channels, such as Amazon, Walmart.com, DTC or Instacart, as consumers are potentially pantry loading, but may lead to more permanent behavior change in how they purchase their more consumable-type products that they’ve traditionally purchased at a brick and mortar location to a more permanent lift online for these type of consumable items.”
Working from home is not stopping Steve Wangler, VP of Sales for The Good Crisp Company, maker of all natural canister chips. Working with Presence Marketing as its broker, Wangler said, “We’ve been in contact with every single field and accounting rep of Presence Marketing. Even sidelined, together we are engaging with retailers virtually, keeping them apprised of stock situations, asking what they need, etc. The entire Presence team has been very proactive, highly responsive, highly engaged, and looking for ways to support retailers and brands. Also, we are attracting consumers that are new to our brand through our online efforts, and we’re hoping we’ll keep those consumers once they experience our product."
Noticing a trend accompanying consumers’ response to the coronavirus crisis, Eric Schnell, cofounder of the marketing collective BeyondBrands and mood33, a cannabis and CBD based beverage line, was informed by his Florida distributor that mood33’s top-selling CBD SKU, Energy, was replaced by its Calm formula in March. “It’s an indicator of how stressed people are feeling right now,” Schnell observed.
"As a service provider we are doing our best to support our natural products clients, and on the brand side, we are seeing an immediate uptick in sales,” he said. "Every manufacturer I’ve spoken with is still operating at full capacity, including supplements, beverages and food, to meet demand from both brick and mortar and e-commerce.”
“Unity in the Community is Key”
The BeyondBrands team, like other natural products brokers, distributors and service providers throughout the country, is rising to the challenge and doing its best to help partner brands deal with retail demand. “Rather than going into stores to sell items, we are recommending going into stores and offering to help stock shelves,” Schnell said. “Connection and collaboration are key right now. More than ever, it feels like people need unity in the natural foods community. Whether you are on the service, brand or retail side, we are all in this together and we have to see ourselves through this, together.”
At Dr. Bronner’s, demand for soap and hand sanitizer has spiked, and the company is doing its best to fulfill the increase in orders, said David and Michael Bronner in a
statement published on March 16. “In spite of our best efforts, constraints prevent us from fully meeting orders: our hand sanitizer, for example, can only be produced at FDA-licensed drug manufacturing facilities, and is being produced at 600% our usual rate.”
In addition, the Bronner brothers wrote, “We are allocating a reserve of 2% of all hand sanitizer production to donate to at-risk communities and the organizations that serve them, so they have access to our hand sanitizer, as well. Please also buy only what you think you need, so that everyone who needs our products can obtain them. This is an important time to remember that we are all connected and need to look out for each other, now more than ever,” they wrote.
As for New Hope Network, after announcing that Expo West was not just postponed but cancelled for 2020, the company that leads communications efforts in the natural industry announced in a video update on March 20 that it would provide assistance to small businesses hurt by the cancellation.
“Due to the decision to cancel voluntarily and without being asked to do so by local, state or federal edict or other force majeure circumstances, our insurance provisions were not triggered and significant costs and liabilities were incurred by New Hope,” said Carlotta Mast, New Hope’s Senior VP of Content. However, she continued, “To help support those most impacted by the Expo West cancellation, our parent company Informa has established a $5 million fund that will be disbursed under the guidance of an independent advisory council made up of 20 industry leaders. The advisory council is working on this task now and is aiming to have its guidance delivered to the New Hope Network leadership team by the week of April 6,” she reported.
The company announced it is focusing its energies on the upcoming Natural Products Expo East, slated for Sept. 23-26, 2020, in Philadelphia, and is issuing a full credit for any Expo West exhibitor or sponsorship fees, in which the credit can be applied to Expo East, Expo West 2021, or to its media and market research publications. Expo West badge registration and education fees also will be fully refunded in the coming weeks. New Hope also announced a free product directory listing for 2020 Expo West exhibitors along with upcoming webinars and education, and referred further questions to its Expo West FAQ page.
In closing, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, summarized how our industry has risen to the occasion in serving community, workers and customers during the coronavirus crisis. In an email to constituents, he wrote, “If you’ve shopped our stores in recent weeks, you’ve experienced our team members’ dedication and diligence to serving your community during a time of uncertainty. None of this is lost on us… As a company, Whole Foods Market is adjusting to the current circumstances that all of us are facing during this unprecedented time. We believe that the service we provide as a grocer is an essential one, and we are committed to continuing to serve our customers in a safe and responsible manner, both in our stores and through delivery. Thank you for your kindness and patience as our team continues to work hard to serve our customers and communities. Please take care.”
BeyondBrands® Offers Discounted Direct to Consumer (D2C) Services for Start-Ups Due to the Postponement of Natural Products Expo West
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BeyondBrands® Offers Discounted Direct to Consumer (D2C) Services for Start-Ups Due to the Postponement of Natural Products Expo West
Innovative Food & Beverage Accelerator Encourages Emerging Brands to Book a Consultation With Seasoned, High-Level Strategists. Companies to Receive Fifty Percent (50%) Off All Services in the First Year, Including Social Media and the D2C Program
New York, NY (March 12, 2020) – BeyondBrands®, known for its high-level, natural and organic products industry experience and sales expertise, is encouraging emerging and established CPG companies to schedule a consultation with their team. Now more than ever is the time for natural products food and lifestyle companies to drive consumer demand on Amazon and on-line. BeyondBrands is offering a discounted rate on its collective’s full line of Direct to Consumer (D2C) and social media services. Through its new D2C digital marketing management program, BeyondBrands has designed a platform to stimulate growth and assist with market strategies – all vital to a company’s competitive edge in today’s on-line world.
“In the aftermath of New Hope Network's postponement of Natural Products Expo West, this is a pivotal time for companies to recover, realign and revitalize strategic plans for the year," said Eric Schnell, CEO and Co-founder, BeyondBrands. "Our entire team understands the time lost, and we are committed to helping emerging brands succeed. That’s why we are offering a reduction in fees for our D2C platform and our social media services.”
Regardless of a company’s stage of growth, BeyondBrands tailors specific strategies for businesses through its program offerings and services. For brands looking to gain traction, expand on-line sales, and improve innovation, BeyondBrands will share how it has created, led, and delivered results for emerging start-ups in the marketplace. Recently, the team collaborated with Mendez, Brazil’s number one hot sauce, and revitalized its impactful story through the BeyondBrands D2C program. Read more in a recently published case study exemplifying the power of collaboration with BeyondBrands D2C: https://beyondbrands.org/d2c/#consult.
"At BeyondBrands, we are growth experts who have worked with hundreds of companies, and yet we are constantly refining the framework and playbook to grow a business. We utilize our domain expertise in D2C, e-commerce, and Amazon to identify and execute the right strategy,” says Thani Sokka, CTO and Managing Partner, BeyondBrands D2C. “Amazon is the number one destination where consumers discover products. However, to execute on Amazon successfully, it requires active management and deep domain expertise. That’s where BeyondBrands D2C can help.”
Book an Appointment: Let Go of Your E-Commerce Growing Pains
Interested in discussing the D2C digital marketing management platform? Learn how BeyondBrands D2C can position your natural products brand for success in the upcoming year.
Schedule a consultation with BeyondBrands D2C, if you’re:
Ready to Go to Market across multiple channels (Amazon and your website)
Wanting to Drive Demand across your sales channels
Struggling to manage your direct to consumer e-commerce business
Juggling multiple agencies with varied strategies to generate e-commerce demand
Failing to get the financial results you need from e-commerce.
For a complete list of BeyondBrand's capabilities, click HERE.
BeyondBrands is Growing
BeyondBrands is also seeking more talent and looking for seasoned brand and CPG experts in the Natural Products Industry to join its Conscious Collective, specifically in sales. Inquiries can be made by emailing namaste@beyondbrands.org.
About BeyondBrands
Assembled by Steaz & Good Catch Co-founder Eric Schnell, and Under the Canopy and Institute for Integrative Nutrition Co-founder Marci Zaroff, a team of 20+ senior-level natural lifestyle and eco-conscious experts are Co-Creating the future model of full-service executive-level consulting including brand incubation and acceleration through the agency's networks and affiliates. This Conscious Products Collective – comprised of specialists from the most respected natural and organic food, beverage, fashion, beauty, and nutraceutical companies, to the most recognized consumer brands in the world – passionately and collaboratively delivers 360-degree consulting and outsourced management services for its clients. Visit beyondbrands.org.
Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
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FDA Wants $5 Million Extra in 2021 Budget to Regulate CBD Products
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, March 2020
By Steven Hoffman
Even though the production and sale of all products derived from hemp was made legal in the United States under the 2018 Farm Bill, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November questioned the safety of hemp-derived CBD in dietary supplements and food and beverages, causing disruption and uncertainty in the booming market for CBD and hemp extract products. Additionally, the Trump administration in a 2021 budget plan announced in February it is asking for an additional $5 million in the next fiscal year for FDA to regulate cannabis and its derivatives, including CBD, Hemp Industry Daily reported.
The request for additional funding to regulate hemp-derived CBD products comes shortly after legislation was introduced in January in the U.S. Congress to require FDA regulators to treat hemp-derived CBD as dietary supplements, Hemp Industry Daily reported.
FDA said the extra $5 million requested would help advance regulation of products containing CBD while allowing the agency to enforce the law against companies making unsubstantiated medical claims about the products, according to Hemp Industry Daily. “New funding will enable FDA to better regulate the usage of cannabis-derived substances, such as cannabidiol (CBD), in FDA-regulated products such as dietary supplements and when used as unapproved food additives, FDA said in its budget proposal. “The initiative will support regulatory activities, including developing policy, and continue to perform its existing regulatory responsibilities including review of product applications, inspections, enforcement and targeted research,” the agency said.
Included among the activities that would be supported under FDA's FY2021 budget request would be inspections of facilities manufacturing cannabis-derived products, additional research and funds for processing product-review applications, Natural Products Insider reported. The additional $5 million would be allocated as follows: $2 million for the Office of Regulatory Affairs; $500,000 for the Center for Veterinary Medicine; $2 million to the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; and $500,000 for FDA headquarters.
Dietary supplement industry trade associations were cautiously supportive of the budget request. “This is a step in the right direction and is an indication that the agency has the resources to regulate the industry. However, this does not go far enough to specifically address the issue of setting safe level of daily consumption for CBD products. Setting a safe level of consumption for CBD products is the best way to move forward with this promising new product while protecting consumers,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA).
NPA supports legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would appropriate $100,000 for the FDA to perform a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) and set a safe level of CBD for consumers to use each day. The process would follow the same precedent as red yeast rice, which allows a natural product to contain a level of a drug ingredient that the FDA has determined to be safe, NPA said in a statement. According to the World Health Organization, CBD oil is generally recognized as safe.
USDA Hemp Program Director William Richmond, CO Governor Jared Polis, Presence Marketing’s Tracy Miedema Among Headliners at NoCo Hemp Expo, March 26-28
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, March 2020
By Steven Hoffman
Move over Colorado Governor Jared Polis, USDA Hemp Program Director William Richmond, former NFL player Matt Wilhelm, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg and other confirmed speakers – Presence Marketing’s very own VP of Innovation and Brand Development, Tracy Miedema, will be among the headliners presenting at the upcoming NoCo Hemp Expo, March 26-28, 2020, at the National Western Complex in Denver, CO. Now in its seventh year, NoCo Hemp Expo is the world’s largest trade show, conference and gathering of hemp industry professionals under one roof. This year’s event is expected to attract nearly 20,000 visitors, say show organizers.
Initial confirmed speakers at the 2020 NoCo Hemp Expo include business leaders in the hemp and natural foods space, investors, legal and policy experts, and elite athletes, including a special appearance from celebrity soccer star Rachael Rapinoe. Plus, Alyssa Boston, Miss Universe Canada 2019, a prominent hemp advocate, will provide insight into the health and wellness benefits of hemp at the conference. Top government officials, including Colorado Governor Jared Polis, William Richmond, USDA’s Chief of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Program, and Kate Greenberg, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, will also be on hand to discuss recent rules and regulations regarding hemp. In addition, Arran Stevens, Cofounder and Co-CEO of organic and hemp food trailblazer Nature’s Path Foods, will discuss innovation in consumer products, hemp and organic agriculture, and Stephanie Karba, Environmental Researcher with Patagonia, will discuss the company’s commitment to hemp fiber and fashion.
Sharing retail and natural products industry expertise, Tracy Miedema will lead a panel on The State of Hemp and CBD Retailing on Friday, March 27, as part of NoCo Hemp Expo’s annual Business Conference for hemp industry professionals and business leaders. For more information, visit www.nocohempexpo.com.
Organic Acreage and Sales Continue to Grow Worldwide
Photo: FIBL
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, March 2020
By Steven Hoffman
Based on data collected from 186 countries, 2018 was another record year for organic agriculture. Organic farmland increased worldwide in 2018 by 2.0 million hectares (4.9 million acres), according to the 21st annual survey, The World of Organic Agriculture, conducted by the Swiss-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in partnership with IFOAM Organics International and released in February 2020.
While this represents a modest increase of 2.9%, growth in global acreage has been steady for a number of years. Globally, 1.5% of all farmland is estimated to be organic. However, according to FiBL’s 2020 report, many countries have far higher shares of organic – in 16 countries, 10% or more of all agricultural land is reported to be organic.
Globally, a total of 71.5 million hectares (177 million acres) were organically managed in 2018. Australia recorded the largest organic agricultural area (35.7 million hectares, or 88.2 acres), followed by Argentina (3.6 million hectares or 8.9 acres) and China (3.1 million hectares or 7.7 million acres). North America, including Canada, Mexico and the U.S., reported 3.3 million hectares or 8.2 million acres of organic agricultural land in 2018.
Because of Australia, FiBL reports, half of all global organic agricultural land is in Oceania. Europe has the second largest area, followed by Latin America. Also, in 2018, 2.8 million organic producers were reported worldwide, with India continuing to be the country with the highest number of producers (1.15 million).
Market research firm Ecovia Intelligence, working with FiBL, estimates that the global market for organic food was more than $100 billion US. The U.S. leads the market with sales of $44 billion US in 2018, followed by Germany ($11.8 billion US) and France ($9.9 billion US).
According to the World of Organic Agriculture study, a number of major markets continued to post double-digit growth in 2018, and the organic market in France grew by more than 15%. Danish and Swiss consumers spent the most on organic food in 2018 (312 euros or $339 US per capita). Also, Denmark reported the highest market share, with organic sales capturing 11.5% of the country’s total food market.
In related news, market research firm Mercaris reports that U.S. farmers harvested nearly 3.3 million acres of certified organic field crops in 2019, beating previous estimates for every region of the country. Helping to offset a rainy growing season, the harvest was driven by 14% more organic field crop operations, reported New Hope Network. Among the report’s highlights: the U.S. organic hay and alfalfa harvest was up 8% in 2019, with 11% more certified organic farms; 13% more certified organic operations harvested corn in 2019, offsetting a decline in the number of acres harvested per operation; the U.S. certified organic soybean harvest increased 11% in 2019; and acres of harvested organic wheat grew 16% year over year as a result of expansion in the High Plains region, New Hope Network reports.
“Despite what can be fairly described as the most difficult growing season in more than a decade, 2019 was a remarkable year for organic production,” Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris, told New Hope Network. “The addition of new organic growers suggests that 2020 could see organic production reach new record highs,” he added.
Patagonia Takes Lead in Focus on Regenerative Agriculture, Climate Change
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, February 2020
By Steven Hoffman
“We’re losing the planet. We really are,” Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard recently told Emily Stifler Wolfe, a reporter at Explore Big Sky. “And I’m not going to let it go without fighting, so we have to try harder.” Patagonia in 2012 launched its Provisions division that sells organic grains, responsibly caught salmon and other items to help create a market for climate-friendly products. In 2018, it became a charter member of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, and in 2020 the company is introducing its Road to Regenerative line of organic cotton clothing. Made of “100% Regenerative Organic Certification Pilot Cotton from farms working to rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare and improve the lives of farmers” the new tee shirts also are Fair Trade Certified sewn, says the company. Patagonia, with a new mission statement, “We’re in business to save our home planet,” intends to go “carbon neutral and non-extractive by 2025,” reports Explore Big Sky, and it plans to boost support for environmental conservation and go deeper into politics. The company in December 2017 sued the Trump administration for rescinding a million acres of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, and it backed Montana’s Democratic Senator Jon Tester – an organic farmer – in his 2018 reelection. To learn more about regenerative organic agriculture and food and climate, attend Climate Day at Natural Products Expo West, Tuesday, March 5, 2020, and an update from the Regenerative Organic Alliance at Expo West on Friday, March 8.
European Researchers Concerned About High Levels of Glyphosate in Foods
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, February 2020
By Steven Hoffman
“The toxic pesticide glyphosate should not be in the food chain,” researcher Thomas Bohn of the Institute of Marine Research in Tromso, Norway, told FoodNavigator in January 2020. His concern, along with that of other researchers in Norway and the U.K., is that glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide in the world due to its use on GMO soybeans, resulting, he says in higher levels of glyphosate residues in plants and food products. According to research published in Foods in late 2019, farmers in Argentina and Brazil from 1996 to 2014 have increased application of glyphosate in their fields “more than twice as high as the recommended doses used in most field trials.” Also, reports FoodNavigator, research has shown that late-season spraying of glyphosate – used as a desiccant and harvest aid in GMO and non-GMO soybeans – increases glyphosate residues in harvested soybeans by a factor of 10 or more. “These factors increase adsorption of the herbicide and augment residue levels in the harvested beans,” the researchers wrote. According to Bohn, the current risk assessment system only received data from field trials with soybeans that were sprayed with “much lower” doses compared to “contemporary commercial farms,” reports FoodNavigator. “All possible measures should be taken to reduce consumption of glyphosate, like avoidance of desiccation, reduced used by farmers, etc. Glyphosate should not be in the food chain,” Bohn told FoodNavigator. According to a CNN report, glyphosate increased the cancer risk of those exposed to it by 41%, according to a peer-reviewed study published in 2019.
Bring Your Idea to Life: Iovate Ventures Offers Strategic Partnership Opportunities for Early-Stage Nutritional and Functional Products Brands
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bring Your Idea to Life: Iovate Ventures Offers Strategic Partnership Opportunities for Early-Stage Nutritional and Functional Products Brands
Leading Active Nutrition and Wellness Company Invites Like-Minded, Impact-Driven Brands to Join the Conversation at Natural Products Expo West, Anaheim, California
Expo West Breakfast Meet & Greet
Iovate Ventures Entrepreneurs
March 5th, 2020, 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Hilton Anaheim, Room #: Palos Verdes A, 777 West Convention Way, Anaheim, CA
Oakville, ON, Canada (February 19, 2020) – Iovate Ventures, a newly formed and dedicated international health and wellness investment group, a division of Iovate Health Sciences International Inc., is seeking like-minded U.S. start-up brands to apply to their strategic partnership program. If you are an emerging start-up brand looking to gain traction, expand retail distribution, and improve innovation, Iovate Ventures invites you to attend a morning meet and greet during the Natural Products Expo West Trade Show on Thursday March 5th, 8:00 am – 10:00 am, Hilton Anaheim, Palos Verdes A Room, Anaheim, California.
At the breakfast, brands will meet with industry leaders and learn more about the application process. Discover why your brand should collaborate with Iovate Ventures and gain access to expert advice and high-level teams, including best-in-class strategic tools and methods to accelerate ideas.
Apply to Iovate Ventures Strategic Partnership Program:
https://www.iovate.com/iovate-ventures/
For impact-driven brands, regardless of your company’s stage of growth, Iovate Ventures tailors specific strategies through its program offerings and services. Iovate Health Sciences International Inc. has more than 25 years of experience in wellness, weight loss, and active nutrition. The company’s seasoned team of scientists, R&D professionals, sales, and manufacturing experts are ready to help take your brand to the next level.
“There are a lot of great product ideas out there with tremendous potential that hit bumps on the road to their becoming viable offerings. It might be owing to a lack of experience, the necessary contacts—or resources. At Iovate Ventures, we want to ensure that great ideas achieve their potential and make a difference in the world. We’ll provide the expert resources to bring your product to market and provide access to people around the world who would most benefit,” says Raza Bashir, Vice President, Product Innovation at Iovate Ventures. “If you have a novel functional food or wellness-related consumer product in-market or ready to launch, then we want to connect at our Expo West breakfast to hear more about your products and what you stand for!”
An additional benefit to applying and joining the partnership includes exclusive connections to Iovate’s global distribution and retail networks, including the world’s largest retailers.
About Iovate Health Sciences International Inc.
Iovate Health Sciences International Inc., has been creating and building successful brands for more than 25 years. Through its commitment to scientific research and product development, Iovate Health Sciences International Inc. has led marketing efforts for countless cutting-edge products, which have been chosen by millions since its establishment in 1996. Iovate’s current brand portfolio includes Purely Inspired®, Conscious KitchenTM, Hydroxycut®, MuscleTech®, and Six Star®. The company’s core values include teamwork, accountability, passion, valuing people, customer-centric, and consumer-driven. For more information on Iovate Ventures and the application process, click here.
Iovate Ventures Contact
Raza Bashir, Vice President, Product Innovation
ventures@iovate.com
Media Contact
Steven Hoffman, Founder, Compass Natural
303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Mass Market Sales of Hemp-derived CBD Predicted to Rise Significantly
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, February 2020
By Steven Hoffman
Look out, specialty CBD retailers, the mass market is coming on. According to a survey conducted by Nutrition Business Journal, CBD supplements and beauty products are now sold in more channels than perhaps any other product in “the history of human commerce,” including natural food stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, doctor’s offices, coffee shops, bookstores, boutiques, fitness clubs, smoke shops, dispensaries, convenience stores and gas stations. Consumer awareness of CBD increased from 47% in 2018 to 70% in 2019, according to NBJ’s survey, and product sales continue to grow at a rapid pace. “The largest shift between 2018 and 2020 is projected to happen in mass market retail, increasing from under 1% of the market in 2018 to almost a quarter of sales in 2020,” says NBJ, which attributes much of that growth to the sales of topical hemp-derived CBD products. However, NBJ predicts that mass market channels will continue to see success in CBD sales as more stores offer dietary supplement product options. NBJ estimates that sales of hemp-based CBD products will reach $4 billion by 2023.
New Bill Would Require FDA to Allow Marketing of CBD in Dietary Supplements
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, February 2020
By Steven Hoffman
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would allow hemp-derived CBD to be marketed in dietary supplements and food products. Introduced by Collin Peterson (D-MN), Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, the bill would explicitly include hemp-derived CBD in the definition of a dietary supplement, reports New Hope Network. The bill is important, reports Marijuana Moment, because, while hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, according to former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, it could take years for the FDA to finalize rules around allowing hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) in dietary supplements and food products—unless Congress steps in, he said. The legislation, filed on January 14, 2020, if passed would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to include CBD in the definition of dietary supplements. “The last two Farm Bills were landmark successes for hemp, but we are still very early in this process, and growers need regulatory certainty. This bill will allow FDA to regulate CBD that comes from hemp as a dietary supplement, providing a pathway forward for hemp-derived products. It would also identify barriers to success for hemp farmers, informing growers and policy makers of the challenges facing this new industry,” said Congressman Peterson in a statement. Learn more about current FDA, USDA, and state-level hemp and CBD policy and regulation at the upcoming 7th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest exposition, conference and gathering of hemp industry professionals, March 26-28, 2020, at the National Western Complex in Denver, CO.