Whole Foods Workers Demand Amazon Stop Working with ICE
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Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
A group of current and former Whole Foods Market employees working under an anonymous group called Whole Worker published an open letter on August 12 demanding that Amazon cut ties with Palantir, a company that provides data to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), “to show solidarity with our undocumented sisters, brothers, and siblings.” The letter takes issue specifically with Amazon providing its web services technology to Palantir, which sells data to ICE, and the sale of Amazon’s own facial-recognition software, Rekognition, to law enforcement. These services are often used to deport undocumented people and conduct raids like the one that occurred at a food processing plant in Mississippi this August, reported Eater. The letter expresses solidarity with undocumented people in America who “are fleeing from conditions created by destructive U.S. policies, making it the responsibility of the U.S. to welcome them.” The letter also points out that “Palantir, in 2011, was involved in a plan to spy on labor unions and activists.” The Whole Worker group demanded that Amazon “cease all business with Palantir and any other company involved in the continued oppression of marginalized groups.” In reference to Amazon, the letter further states, “We recognize that expecting a company built on the exploitation of marginalized people and the working class to cease its collaboration with ICE’s deportation machine by way of moral condemnations isn’t enough. Workers that control the levers inside Amazon must make this machine stop and turn in another direction.”
Plant-based Meat Market to Reach $2.5 Billion by 2023, But Whole Foods’ Mackey Says Today’s Most Popular Brands Are “Super, Highly Processed Foods”
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Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
The plant-based meat market is expected to reach $2.5 billion in sales by 2023, and while Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey does believe that plant-based products are a more ethical choice and are better for the environment than conventionally produced meat, he questions the highly processed nature of some of these products. “The [brands] who are capturing the imagination of people – and I’m not going to name these brands because I’m afraid I will be associated with the critique of it – but some of these that are extremely popular now that are taking the world by storm, if you look at the ingredients, they are super, highly processed foods,” Mackey told CNBC Make It. “I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods,” said Mackey, who has been a vegan for more than 20 years. “As for health, I will not endorse that, and that is about as big of criticism that I will do in public. So the reason why these plant-based meats have taken the world by storm is that they taste very similar to regular meats, whereas if you get a [healthy] black bean burger with flax seeds and sweet potatoes in it, that’s going to taste great to me,” he said. Mackey added: “A lot of people say ... that [plant-based] meat is a transition food, meaning it’s a way for [people] to begin to reeducate [their] palates”; it’s a good first step in weaning people off of meat products,” he said.
Study Warns Climate Change Could Cost U.S. 10.5% of GDP by 2100
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Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
While there may have been some hope that certain countries could escape the brunt of global warming, a new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that “virtually all” nations will be negatively impacted by climate change by 2100. “Using a panel data set of 174 countries over the years 1960 to 2014, we find that per-capital real output growth is adversely affected by persistent changes in the temperature above or below its historical norm,” the study states. The study also suggests that, on average, richer colder countries would lose as much income to climate change as poorer, hotter nations. “Our counterfactual analysis suggests that a persistent increase in average global temperature by 0.04°C per year, in the absence of mitigation policies, reduces world real GDP per capita by 7.22% by 2100,” said the study’s authors. The impact on the U.S. — which accounted for much of the research’s focus to compare economic activity in hot or wet areas — would be even greater, a loss of 10.5% of its GDP by 2100, according to the study. In related news, the United Nations (UN) in August issued an intergovernmental panel report on climate change claiming that 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to agricultural activities. In the report, the UN concluded that humans cannot mitigate the effects of climate change without making drastic changes to the ways we grow food and use land. Organizations such as the Rodale Institute are promoting regenerative agriculture as a solution to sequester carbon and reduce the effects of climate change through agriculture.
Organic Trade Association to Host Webinar Series on Key Issues in Organic
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Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) will host a series offered free to OTA members and for a registration fee of $149 each for non-members. The webinars, scheduled between now and the end of the year, will focus on a number of issues impacting the organic products market, including: Retail Intel: Best Labeling Practices for Organic Non-food Products; Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions; NOSB Meeting Wrap-up; and Legislative Watch: A Recap of 2019 Achievements. In addition, The Organic Center will host a webinar on September 25 that is open to all with no fee. The Organic Center webinar will focus on The Biodiversity Calculator: A Simple Tool for Tracking and Managing Biodiversity for NOP Compliance. For more information visit https://ota.com/programs-events/upcoming-webinars.
Award-Winning Kalona® SuperNatural™ Organic Dairy Differentiates Itself in the Field with Grass-Fed and Regenerative #DairyProud Consumer Education Campaign
Nationally Recognized Certified Organic Dairy Stimulates Industry Growth and Positively Impacts Region with Support of Small-Scale Midwestern Amish and Mennonite Farms
Kalona, IA (September 20, 2019) – Award-winning organic dairy Kalona® SuperNatural™, based in its namesake town in southeastern Iowa, is launching a consumer education initiative to help celebrate September's National Organic Month. The company's #DairyProud initiative encourages consumers to select genuine, high-quality, Non-GMO, grass-fed, and certified organic dairy products, such as Kalona SuperNatural. Known for its cream top milk and 'old-school' approach to pasteurization, Kalona SuperNatural works with select midwestern Amish and Mennonite grass-fed family farms to supply the highest quality organic dairy products nationwide.
"Unlike large-scale conventional and organic dairies, we are invested in every farmer in our region. They have a name, a family, and goals. Our employees, from our farm liaison to our CEO, know these farmers and support their efforts to protect the land and create high-quality, grass-fed milk products for everyone to enjoy," says Phil Forbes, Kalona SuperNatural Farm Liaison. "A majority of the family farms we work with are multi-generational and have been in the same family for the past 150 years. That commitment says something about the positive economic and sustainable impact we're making together for the region and industry. At Kalona, we keep things simple, so our customers can, too."
Kalona SuperNatural is committed to educating consumers about the health and environmental benefits of organic, grass-fed dairy production. Click here for more information on Kalona SuperNatural's #DairyProud consumer education campaign that explores the environmental effects of dairy farms, including the vital role animals play in small-scale holistic and regenerative farming operations.
Grass-Fed Milk Power
Traditional cow-based milk products captured $12 billion in total year-to-year sales from 2018 to 2019, according to data presented by Supermarket News. Kalona SuperNatural is on track with industry data from a SPINS article that indicates strong growth in the grass-fed organic dairy category, which grew 56% in 2018, while sales declined overall for conventional and organic. Despite the 2% industry-wide sales dip, Nielsen predicts that dairy will remain a powerhouse as other milk alternatives enter the category.
"We understand the challenges consumers face today when selecting dairy products at the grocery store. At Kalona, our farmers’ legacies are the real stories behind our milk production. Once shoppers make that connection, they can taste the difference in our grass-fed milk, butter, yogurts, sour cream and cottage cheese dairy products. In fact, our entire line is certified organic and kept in the most natural state - just the way our grandparents once enjoyed," says Sara Rissi, Kalona SuperNatural Sales & Marketing Manager. "We do less, not more to the food we create, and that's why we are #DairyProud. It's vital to celebrate and honor the small-town farmer who diligently works the land to preserve the soil. Their cows roam freely and are grass-fed, which provides the most natural habitat."
Kalona SuperNatural products include:
Organic milk & cream
Organic kefir, winner of the Blue Ribbon at the 2019 Iowa State Fair
Organic cream top yogurt
Organic Greek yogurt
Organic cottage cheese
Organic sour cream
Organic butter
Organic eggnog
Fresh cheesemaking kits
Kalona SuperNatural products can be found at leading retailers in the western U.S., including Whole Foods Market, Natural Grocers, Sprouts Farmers Market, Earth Fare, Fresh Thyme, Lucky’s, Hy-Vee, and other independent natural food stores, co-ops and grocers. Visit kalonasupernatural.com/store-locator.
For wholesale inquiries, please contact Sara Rissi, Sales and Marketing Manager, sara.rissi@opengatesgroup.com.
About Kalona SuperNatural
Kalona SuperNatural is based in a thriving organic farming community in the heartland of America - Kalona, Iowa. They work with small, sustainable Amish and Mennonite family farms to produce delicious, minimally-processed organic dairy products from pasture-grazed cows. Kalona SuperNatural offers a full-line of certified organic dairy products. Learn more at kalonasupernatural.com.
Media Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, tel 303.807.1042, steven@compassnaturalmarketing.com
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Target, Kroger Enjoying Growing Sales of Organic and Natural Foods
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Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT), based in Minneapolis, MN, on August 19 announced the launch of a new flagship private label brand, Good & Gather. The in-house brand will focus on four categories: organic; kids; seasonal; and premium products. More than 2,000 products including dairy, produce, ready-made pastas, meats, granola bars and sparkling water, are expected to roll out under the Good & Gather brand over the next 18 months. Good & Gather will become Target’s largest brand, replacing existing house brands Archer Farms and Simply Balanced and reducing the number of products under Target’s Market Pantry Brand, reports Sustainable Food News. In related news, Cincinnati, OH-based grocery giant Kroger (NYSE: KR) claims its Simple Truth brand now offers more Fair Trade Certified products than any other U.S. private label brand. The company reported on August 20 in its 2019 Sustainability Report that it sold $17.6 billion worth of natural and organic products in 2018. Kroger’s natural and organic private label brand, Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic, achieved sales of $2.3 billion in 2018, making it the second largest brand sold in its stores, the company reported. Kroger said it purchased 17.2 million pounds of Fair Trade certified ingredients for its private label products, and also said it sold more than $1 billion worth of organic produce in 2018. Kroger operates 2,800 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 35 states. Each store carries on average 4,000 natural and organic items, reports Sustainable Food News.
USDA Draft Hemp Rules Await White House Approval
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Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
While USDA has up to a year to finalize regulations governing hemp cultivation in the U.S., the agency submitted draft federal rules to the White House in mid-September to assure states and farmers they can participate in the 2020 growing season.
The hemp industry is anxiously awaiting federal rules for the cultivation of hemp in the United States, and it may soon get its wish. In mid-September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) completed a draft of proposed rules for growing hemp and submitted the document to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
The new USDA regulations are expected to clarify changes that were included in the U.S. Farm Bill, which was passed into law in December 2018. Currently, most state hemp growing programs are operating under older rules included in the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill. The new USDA rules are expected to provide clarity on the legal definition of hemp and reinforce that hemp has been removed from the controlled substances list by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). According to UPI, the new rules also are expected to designate hemp as a commodity crop, simplify rules for interstate hemp commerce, and allow for tribal nations and U.S. territories to participate in hemp growing programs.
Originally scheduled for release on August 1 in advance of the 2020 growing season, William Richmond, USDA’S Director of the Specialty Crops Program in the Agriculture Marketing Service, informed attendees of the American Herbal Products Association’s Hemp and CBD Congress held in Denver in mid-August that the regulations were delayed in part because USDA is struggling with a requirement in the 2018 Farm Bill for a national THC testing protocol. “Our goal is to provide a consistent, easy-to-follow regulatory framework around hemp production,” Richmond said at the AHPA Congress.
Other issues impacting the rapidly emerging hemp industry include the availability of crop insurance and banking services for farmers, approval pesticides for use on hemp crops, and the import of hemp seeds, Geoff Whaling, Chair of the Washington, DC-based National Hemp Association, told UPI. Whaling predicted the USDA rules would be released “in a matter of weeks.”
According to Hemp Industry Daily, the USDA regulations will be temporary for the first year, allowing states and farmers around the country to participate in the 2020 growing season and identify and iron out any small fixes. While the 2018 Farm Bill calls for federal authorities to allow states to set their own rules for hemp production, as long as certain criteria are met, states will need to get USDA approval first, a step, Hemp Industry Daily says, that won’t happen until after the national guidelines are released.
According to UPI, the OMB has scheduled meetings to receive initial public comments regarding the USDA hemp regulations. Once released, members of the hemp industry will be invited to submit feedback before final rules are issued.
The OMB, the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States, is responsible for producing the President’s Budget, but also measures the quality of agency programs, policies and procedures to make sure they comply with the president’s policies. OMB also coordinates inter-agency policy initiatives, according to Wikipedia. Current OMB Director Mick Mulvaney also currently serves as Acting White House Chief of Staff for the Trump administration.
General Mills Working with Farmers to Reduce Pesticide Use
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Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, September 2019
By Steven Hoffman
Over the past several years, leading food producer General Mills has committed to sourcing major ingredients, including oats, wheat and sugar, from farmers who follow sustainable practices. Now, the maker of Cheerios and hundreds of other products is taking it one step further and encouraging its farmers to reduce their use of pesticides. “Recognizing that synthetic pesticides may harm beneficial insects including pollinators, or drift beyond a farmer’s field, affecting nearby fields and ecosystems, we are actively working across our value chain to limit these unintended and potentially harmful impacts,” General Mills says on its website. “We have strategies in place to reduce synthetic pesticide use, and we work with trusted agronomists and other experts to implement continuous improvement practices throughout our supply chain.” General Mills reports that it is employing four strategies to reduce pesticide use, including: 1) encouraging regenerative agriculture; 2) promoting Integrated Pest Management (IPM); 3) expanding organic acreage; and 4) promoting pollinator health. Earlier this year General Mills announced a goal of increasing regenerative agriculture practices to one million acres by 2030. The practice, which includes the use of cover crops, diverse crop rotations and other strategies, could be a key part of the company’s pesticide reduction plan, reported The Western Producer. “Among its many benefits, regenerative agriculture suppresses pests by promoting natural competition to significantly reduce the need for synthetic pesticides,” General Mills says. According to General Mills, the company is working with 45 farmers, mostly in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, coaching the producers on regenerative practices. The company is measuring a number of outcomes from regenerative agriculture, including pesticide use. According to The Western Producer, General Mills is the second largest producer of organic and natural food in the U.S. In 2018, the company reached 200,000 acres of organic production, with a goal of 250,000 in 2019.