Are You Expo Experienced? Insiders Share Tips for the Best Expo West

This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s March 2024 newsletter.

By Steven Hoffman

Natural Products Expo West, first launched in 1981 and held every year since, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, is the world’s largest natural and organic products trade show. Spread across five days, this year’s event, held March 12th to 16th, is expected to attract more than 65,000 trade visitors and over 3,000 exhibiting companies.

For business leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, retailers and others in the natural channel, attending Expo West is considered essential. However, as it can be costly, time consuming and a bit overwhelming, we asked industry insiders and colleagues their favorite tips to make the most of the show. Read on for some helpful hacks to maximize your Expo experience.

Karen Farrell, VP of Brand Services, PRESENCE
First, be sure to visit PRESENCE’s Hospitality Room at Expo West, Room 210A, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Trade members are welcome to visit during show hours for snacks, beverages, a place to meet or take a break, and to catch up with Presence Marketing team members.

On a self-care level, realize that all the restaurants and coffee shops are going to be crowded, for breakfast, in particular. Consider putting together a Whole Foods Market (or other) order with some basics for your hotel room to be delivered the night you get there. That way, you can get some nourishment and avoid long lines. Also, throw a healthy snack in your bag for nourishment during the day. This helps avoid ‘trade show stomach.’ I only sample things I haven’t tried before — samples are meant to be samples, not lunch! Also, make restaurant reservations well in advance of the show, preferably within walking distance, if possible. And if you can, consider making hotel reservations for next year’s (2025) event as soon as possible, as hotel space near the convention center fills up fast and is always in demand.

Leanne Thorsson, Director of Health and Natural Foods, Traditional Medicinals
Set appointments in advance; everyone’s time is tight at Expo West, so if you’re not on the calendar, you may not get the meeting. There’s always excitement and an extra level of engagement at the show. Plan in advance what you wish to accomplish — if it’s to visit booths, make a plan of what you want to see. We schedule meetings with account executives, regional managers, and major retail, distributor, and other key partners. This year, we are meeting with two new export partners for the first time; the event gives us an opportunity to meet with them in person and say hello. The show is a great way to get that human interaction, make the connections, talk about some of the larger items, and then set the stage for future conversations. Also, be sure to make unplanned time to walk the show and let some magic happen.

Stacy Gangestad, Director of Sales Management, Gimme Seaweed
Working as an exhibitor on the brand side, none of us in sales ever want to leave the booth, so that makes for long days. Taking a walk each day and getting some fresh air beforehand helps set the stage for the rest of the day. Wear comfortable shoes and get the extra padding under the carpet for your booth. We’ve learned over the years that a lot of initial conversations happen, but not a lot of business decisions are made at the show. It’s all about the follow up from there.

Also, consider after hours networking opportunities at Expo West: Go out to dinner with brokers and retail partners; attend events where there may be opportunities to connect with key buyers and other decision makers. Sometimes, you might run into a key contact just by going to the Hilton and Marriott lobbies, where many gather after each day of the show. We exhibit in Hall E — it’s a great location and the days go by fast because of all the positive energy and great vibes down there.

Jonathan Lawrence, VP of Center Store, Fresh Thyme Market
I’m a huge fan of Expo West. It’s very impressive, but can be very intimidating, not only to retailers and new buyers but also to brands (especially new brands). Tip number one is to capture the retailer’s attention. First thing you want to do is share the highlights around your brand strategy, specifically, why did you create this product and what makes it different from other products currently on shelf.

Have a positive and open-minded attitude. Be open to having conversations with people at all levels. When you’re talking about your brand, your product, talk to everyone that will listen, because everyone’s a consumer. Your product could be the next new product they tell people about. They might be able to give you great feedback, they might be able to make a great connection for you. Talk to the other brands when you’re at your booth. Some of those best connections are the people right next to you. The natural foods community is all connected.

Be efficient with your time. There are thousands of brands out there, so you don’t get a lot of time. Make sure you’re prepared. Have your elevator pitch ready, have maybe a sell sheet and product samples ready. Make sure you’re engaging. Don’t be sitting back behind your booth. Don’t be on your phone, looking down. Act like you want to be there, enjoy it, enjoy the fact that you’re in front of all these people at the biggest trade show.

I would focus on new retailers or new people that you don’t have current relationships with. And then keep conversations going. Not everything happens on the trade floor – great connections can be made in hallways, in passing on the show floor, off the show floor and at dinner. Utilize all the time that you have. While you’re there, you’ll have plenty of time to rest when you get home.

As a retailer, once we get home, we’re exhausted. But then Monday comes around and it’s back to work. Take a little time, but then make sure you’re following up. I would say a personalized note, don’t just send a canned email, that’s not very personal, it doesn’t show that you took the time to connect after. Send samples, I would say between a week to two weeks after. If it goes further than that, it might not be top of mind anymore. So, make sure you act fast.

Benji Fitts, Director of Growth Strategy, SPINS
So, you’re at your booth, spent a lot of money to get to Expo West, you’re meeting people, shaking hands, all that sort of fun stuff. And you’re going to need this little piece of paper, your sell sheet, to talk about your product.

There are just some simple things that you can do to make sure that your sell sheet looks good. First of all, it’s usually a piece of paper, 8½” by 11”, usually double-sided. You don’t have a lot of visual real estate so really, this has to be an amalgamation of the best things that you could possibly say about your product. Be brief, be succinct, and get the message across. Second, if you have the sell sheet in front of you, squint your eyes at it and if the biggest, most unique thing about your product, or whatever message you’re trying to convey, isn’t immediately apparent, then it needs to be fixed.

These shows are really all about discovery, finding out what’s new, what’s next. If this is what’s driving your product, is what is differentiated, innovative, what’s new and fresh about whatever you’re making, make sure that’s the primary message that a user is going to receive whenever they pick up one of these pieces of paper.

The storytelling element is really what drives a lot of the passion behind things. It’s a very passionate group of buyers, it’s a passionate industry, so lean into that a little bit, right? Make sure you’re highlighting sustainability and the key differences between you and the competition. It’s also smart to sometimes talk about your distribution partners or other people who you are already partnered with … and don’t forget to put your contact info and a call to action. Don’t just put a name and a phone number on there, but say, ‘Give me a call and let’s do business together.’

Allison Salvati, VP, Compass Natural; Former Marketing Lead for Bhakti Chai and noosa yoghurt
If you’re an exhibitor, you’ll want to collect contact information from as many people as you can who visit your booth. It’s up to you to collect that data; New Hope won’t share attendee or exhibitor contact lists. As such, it is recommended to purchase one or more seats on Expo West’s lead retrieval app. With it, you can scan badges using your smartphone camera, and at the end of the show, download contact info for every individual you and/or your team scanned. Also, consider cost-effective opportunities to amplify your brand at the show, including applying for a NEXTY Award for your new products, displaying in the New Products Showcase, and considering some of the more budget-minded sponsor opportunities for brands at Expo West, such as the Retailer’s Early Access Box. Check in to your Expo West Exhibitor Hub dashboard often so you don’t miss important deadlines, such as shipping to the show. Take advantage of Expo West social media tools, too, to promote your exhibit at the show.

Jim Slama, Managing Director, Naturally Chicago
Expo West is the big kahuna of trade shows in the natural products industry. Last year 65,000 attendees came to visit the booths of 3,000 vendors showing their wares. For brands, there is no better place to connect with retail buyers.

Michael Movitz, Co-Founder, Brandjectory; Managing Partner, The Movitz Group
My advice would be to attend as many social events as possible to network, network, network! I also suggest using a digital business card like Blinq or Flowpage. They’re easy to use, environmentally friendly and, in addition to contact information, can include links to your website, social media profiles and other online resources. Also, don’t forget to fully charge your devices and bring a portable phone charger – trade shows can be draining on your device’s battery, and having a backup charger can be a lifesaver.

Kelly Miano, Brand Strategy, Innovation and Launch Leader
Follow up. All of those connections you made are great but all that is forgotten if you don’t follow up in the weeks/months following Expo. Be selective in your sampling — try not to go back and forth between savory and sweet, your stomach will thank you. Drink more water than you think you need. It will help with headaches and you won’t be so tempted to try every sample. It’s easy to get sensory overload; it’s OK to take a break when you need it. Expo can be stressful — we’re on little sleep, excited, nervous, under pressure to land a sale. Everyone is trying to pack in as much as possible into a few short days. Assume positive intent, be gracious and kind. This is our industry, we are what we make it.

This article is based on personal interviews with industry leaders; a seminar hosted on Feb. 7, 2024, by New Hope Network and Naturally Boulder entitled “Beyond the Booth: A Blueprint for Creating Unforgettable Tradeshow Experiences”; and a Feb. 15, 2024, webinar hosted by Naturally Chicago, “Master Your Retailer Sell Story for Expo West.” You can access the Naturally Chicago webinar recording here.

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.

Is 2024 the Year Regenerative Agriculture Takes Root?

This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s January 2024 newsletter.

By Steven Hoffman

In 1942, J.I. Rodale first popularized the term organic in the U.S. with the launch of Organic Farming and Gardening Magazine. Some 45 years later, in the 1970s, J.I.’s son Robert Rodale introduced the phrase “regenerative organic.” Robert’s goal was to describe an approach to farming that combined organic practices with a more holistic approach to land management and a focus on rebuilding soil health. Yet it’s only been in the past few years that the term has gained more widespread traction.

With the release in 2023 of two full-length feature documentary films, Common Ground and Organic Rising, along with increased adoption among farmers and producers, awareness of regenerative agriculture is set to gain ground in the coming year among large-scale food manufacturers, policymakers, researchers, the general public and more. Today, advocates of regenerative agriculture say it is the best way to produce healthier food and promote local and rural economies. And, by sequestering carbon back into soils, it can also play a significant role in mitigating climate change.

“2024 indeed will be marked as the year of regenerative agriculture. Why? We are closing in on a tipping point of awareness and collective action is being realized on a huge scale. Not only is soil and regenerative agriculture finally making its way as a leading climate, water and health solution, but we are also showing up as one of the biggest economic solutions for rural economies and businesses across the world,” said Finian Makepeace, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the nonprofit organization Kiss the Ground and Producer of the films Kiss the Ground and its sequel Common Ground.

“With the recent film Common Ground, and many other feature films and shows in this space sharing the story along with the incredible build of awareness brought on by Save Soil and others, we are seeing a dramatic increase in people comprehending the soil solution. With brands and businesses, there are huge commitments around regenerative agriculture for 2030. I believe 2024 will be a year of turning on those actions and increasing the integrity of their proposed programs. Regarding regenerative agriculture, I feel that 2024 will be the year that the world’s regen leaders find common ground and agree upon a definition that will allow for many more to work and support this space functionally,” Makepeace added.

“I do think that 2024 could be the best year yet for regenerative agriculture. While there is still disagreement over the definition, there is significant consensus that it includes a keen focus on building soil health, enhancing biodiversity, humanely integrating livestock and including worker fairness. New certification and verification programs like Regenerative Organic Certified, Certified Regenified, and Soil & Climate Health provide a lot of support and tools for farmers who want to incorporate more regenerative practices,” said Elizabeth Candelario, Director of Strategic Partnerships for MAD Agriculture, an organization that works with farmers and industry to advance regenerative practices.

In addition, Candelario said, “While their motivations may vary — from mission alignment to strengthening supply chains to mandatory ESG reporting — food companies are (finally) paying attention to the agriculture that is producing their ingredients. And food was finally on the table at the recent COP28 climate summit. The conference opened with a declaration on sustainable agriculture, signed by more than 130 countries, and ended with a final agreement that acknowledges for the first time that sustainable agriculture needs to be included in climate change solutions.”

Regenerative Products Sales Take Off
Now, the marketplace is responding. According to the Regenerative Organic Alliance Impact Report 2022 – 2023, sales of Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC®) products grew an average of 22% from EOY 2022 to EOY 2023, with sales totaling nearly $40 million in 2023. Companies including Dr. Bronner’s, Patagonia, Lundberg Family Farms, Manitoba Harvest, Bonterra and others are leading the certification efforts and serving as role models for other brands.

According to the Impact Report and based on SPINS data, revenue from sales of ROC® products in natural and multi-outlet grocers increased by one-third compared to the same period in the previous year. In addition, the number of ROC® SKUs in the market increased nearly forty-fold in 2023, “indicative of continued growth potential,” the report said. “By offering Regenerative Organic Certified products, brands are responding to the consumer desire to have their purchase make a positive impact at every level: environmentally, ethically, and socially,” the report concluded.

Globally, the market size for regenerative agriculture reached US$975.2 million in 2022, and is projected to be worth US$4.3 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a CAGR of 15.97% from 2023 to 2032, according to a June 2023 report from Precedence Research. North America generated more than 37% of the revenue share in 2022, Precedence Research reported.

While regenerative agriculture practices aren’t yet familiar to most Americans (just one in five consumers surveyed by Food Insight in 2022 said they’d heard of regenerative agriculture), 73% of consumers agreed they would be more likely to trust retailers and brands that implement regenerative agriculture programs, and 72% agreed that they would be more like to purchase from them, Supermarket Perimeter reported in October 2023.

Major retailers are taking notice. In December 2023, Whole Foods Market announced that it had implemented new standards to protect pollinator health. As such, the retailer will now require all fresh produce and floral suppliers to implement supply chain practices that help protect honeybees and other native pollinators.

Speaking to executives at Progressive Grocer’s Grocery Impact conference in November 2023, Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechle said, “Whole Foods Market invites you to help us start a ripple effect of change that will fix our broken food system. The decisions we make as a business — even the smallest ones — in how food is raised and grown today can have a profound and lasting impact on nourishing people and the planet for future generations to come. One of the biggest challenges our food system is facing now and will continue [to face] in the future is the climate crisis. If we continue farming in the large-scale, mechanized way that much of the industry currently does, our topsoil is not going to have the nutrient density it needs to grow the foods we know and love today,” Buechle said.

To address this challenge, Buechle reported that the retailer is working with farmers, ranchers, suppliers, scientists and other experts, as well as leading organizations, to leverage regenerative agriculture to evolve the practices used to grow, raise and produce the products that it sells. A focus on regenerative agriculture and responsible sourcing is an essential part of the retailer’s value proposition, which remains strong despite the mainstreaming of natural foods and the effects of inflation on consumer spending, according to Buechle.

Regenerative Food and Agriculture in 2024
In October 2023, Forbes reported that water stewardship will one of the biggest food trends in 2024. “As the tides of environmental consciousness continue to shape consumer choices, it is no wonder that water stewardship is set to become one of the top food trends for 2024,” wrote Senior Contributor Daphne Ewing-Chow.

“The global agri-food industry— valued at $6 trillion— is one of the most highly exposed to water risks, with water stress impacting many of the world’s largest food-exporting countries. Paradoxically, despite mounting perils to both food and water security stemming from water depletion, pollution, and climate-induced droughts, the food and agri-business sector is a chief contributor to the problem, accounting for a substantial 70% of all freshwater withdrawals,” she continued.

According to Ewing-Chow, “Regenerative agriculture plays a pivotal role in enhancing soil health, facilitating nutrient retention, bolstering natural resilience to environmental challenges, and mitigating erosion. This contributes to the conservation of water resources and the enhancement of ecosystem water quality, reducing the volume of water required for farming activities and decreasing harmful water and nutrient runoff from agricultural lands.”

Forbes also reported that in September 2023, SAI Platform, a network comprising 170 major food companies dedicated to sustainability, unveiled a global framework outlining the transition to regenerative agriculture for food businesses. A number of mainstream food brands such as Unilever, Nestlé, McDonald’s, Danone, and General Mills have already committed their support for regenerative agriculture, Forbes reported.

Greater technical innovation and research into regenerative agriculture will continue over the coming year, the Global Ag Tech Initiative predicted in its December 2023 report, 5 AgTech Trends to Watch in 2024. “Essentially mimicking natural process and biodiversity on agricultural land, the ultimate aim of regenerative agriculture is to improve soil health in order to boost yield. To address the challenges of climate change and feed a global population of over 8 billion, regenerative agriculture is vital. Digital tools use accurate, up-to-date data to create tailored regenerative agriculture solutions. These consider soil conditions, weather conditions, microclimates, and current crop growth or land use, as well as individual budgets and local regulations. Platforms offering site specific data will likely reign supreme in 2024. A view of sustainability that extends beyond simple carbon metrics and one-size-fits-all solutions is necessary and will enable the establishment of realistic, actionable objectives for growers, promoting sustainability and formulating strategies tailored to local environments,” the report said.

Beyond Food – Regenerative Fashion Threads the Needle
On the textile and fiber front, companies including fashion leader Mango will begin incorporating regeneratively grown cotton into its 2024 fashion collections, the Fashion Network reported in December 2023. The company has partnered with Materra, a British-Indian company specializing in regenerative cotton cultivation, and said it will be able to ensure complete traceability across the value chain of its cotton, from seed to final garment.

“As a global fashion company, our intent is clear: to contribute to creating a fairer society and reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. This is why we ally ourselves with key partners like Materra, which will help us accelerate our path to ensuring that 100% of the fibers we use are sustainable by 2030,” said Andrés Fernández, Mango’s director of sustainability and sourcing.

Other fashion brands driving regenerative agriculture initiatives include J.Crew, Prana, Terra Thread and other textile and fiber companies that are members of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. “Big fashion brands and independent labels are embracing regenerative agriculture as a win-win solution that could allow them to source climate-positive materials. The challenge is that the concept doesn’t have a singular definition, and without clear standards it risks becoming a tool for greenwashing,” Business of Fashion reported in August 2023.

California Could Define Regenerative
Speaking of a definition, beginning in January 2024, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in collaboration with the State Board of Food and Agriculture, will host a series of public listening sessions to receive comments to help define “regenerative agriculture.”

“As interest in ‘regenerative agriculture’ continues to grow, we are seeing the introduction and evolution of the term in California policies and programs,” CDFA said. “Incorporating a definition of regenerative agriculture for state policies and programs provides a science-based criterion for the designation or recognition of the term ‘regenerative’ in agriculture-related policies of the state. By defining ‘regenerative agriculture’ and its associated practices, we are working to formalize holistic methods of farming that are designed to protect, sustain and enhance natural resources on our farms and farming communities throughout California,” the agency said.

Max Goldberg, Editor and Publisher of Organic Insider, commented, “If California codifies or legally defines ‘regenerative agriculture’ … it will certainly raise the profile of this term among consumers and farmers may end up paying more attention to the way they manage their soil, which is a real positive. However, both the opportunity for greenwashing and the consequences for organic could be severe,” he cautioned.

“At its core, the regenerative agriculture controversy stems from the question of whether a farming practice can be truly ‘regenerative’ if super-toxic chemicals, such as glyphosate or dicamba, are applied to the crops. There is no question that the regenerative movement has brought incredible attention to soil health … and that it has led to very important steps forward in farming practices around the world. But with all of the positive developments, ‘regenerative’ is ripe for abuse and greenwashing, and the multinational chemical companies, who have no intention of minimizing the importance of GMO seeds and synthetic pesticides, are eagerly embracing the term,” Goldberg added.

Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which manages the Regenerative Organic Certified program, told Organic Insider that she believes that California needs to act with real caution. “There are many groups and farmers advocating for ‘regenerative agriculture’ that are doing some excellent and extremely vital work. My concern, however, is that if the state defines ‘regenerative agriculture’ and it excludes organic, it could have the unintended effect of actually doing a lot more harm than good. Bad actors greenwashing the term is a real threat, and all stakeholders in California’s organic industry need to be fully engaged and on board with how the state is going to define ‘regenerative agriculture.’ The stakes are very high, for both California and our entire country, and this process cannot be rushed,” she said.

Woody Harrelson’s Regenerative Reason for Hope
Three-time Oscar nominated actor and environmental activist Woody Harrelson, in a December 2023 Op-Ed in The Wrap, expressed that, after serving as a co-narrator on the film Common Ground, he is “no longer hopeless for the future.”

Harrelson writes:

We stand at a crossroads, facing two paths. One leads to climate chaos, food shortages, deserts expanding and a biodiversity crash. The other involves rethinking our relationship with nature by choosing regenerative agriculture. The regenerative path can give us abundant, nutritious food, thriving ecosystems and a future for generations to come.

I had a surreal moment when I met King Charles and he said he loved “Kiss the Ground” so much he personally sent it to 1,000 people. I hope the same is true of “Common Ground” – I hope thousands of people send the new documentary to thousands of their friends.

I’ve never been a big believer in the political process in this country, but I believe in people. Congress is currently debating something called the Farm Bill. There are a lot of good people in America, who deserve to eat clean food, and it would be refreshing to see Washington prioritize communities over commodities.

I’m no longer hopeless. I’m actually inspired. In fact, I’m committed to using my voice and activism to make the regenerative agriculture movement spread far and wide.

We don’t just need to support soil in the Farm Bill — we need to make the effort in every way we can, from turning our lawns into food gardens and our food waste into compost, to buying food from local regenerative farmers and ranchers. We all eat and we can all support the people who are doing the hard work to feed the world with healthy regenerative food. We can vote with our dollars.

One thing is for certain, it’s time for a change. Soil is our common ground. 

Let’s make regenerative agriculture our priority. 

Learn More
Growing Life: Regenerating Farming and Ranching, by André Leu, December 2021

Food Climate and Nature FAQs, The Nature Conservancy, Sept. 1, 2023

Regeneration International, a global nonprofit organization and educational resource

44th Annual EcoFarm Conference, Pacific Grove, California, Jan. 17-20, 2024

Regenerative Business Live, United Nations, New York, NY, May 7, 2024

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.

Whole Foods Market Co-Founder John Mackey Launches Health and Wellness Company Love.Life

Natural and organic pioneer aims to transform health care as Whole Foods transformed grocery; company announces expansion of virtual health offerings and first flagship location

AUSTIN, Texas (July 27, 2023) – Love.Life, an integrated health and wellness company, is proud to announce the launch of its groundbreaking virtual health optimization programs and plans for its first flagship location slated to open in the summer of 2024. Love.Life provides a one-stop immersive health experience by combining nourishing food, evolved medical care, and cutting-edge wellness therapies.  

The company's new optimization programs provide patient-centric medical care that is outcome-driven, personalized, and dedicated to addressing all aspects of an individual's health. With licensed physicians practicing telehealth nationwide, Love.Life empowers individuals to proactively improve their health by focusing on the root causes of chronic diseases and offering comprehensive solutions. 

"Love.Life aims to transform the lives of millions of people," stated CEO and co-creator John Mackey. "The conventional medical system is fundamentally flawed, focusing on managing diseases and treating symptoms rather than prevention and finding the root cause. Studies show that 80% of chronic diseases can be prevented and reversed through diet and lifestyle changes, which are the focus of Love.Life's philosophy and are rarely included in conventional treatment plans."

Love.Life's medically supervised virtual programs far exceed the limitations of standard bloodwork testing, acute care models and transactional doctor-patient relationships of the conventional health care system. Through comprehensive testing and health assessments, individuals work in partnership with doctors to establish their true baseline health. This detailed information forms the basis of a customized, actionable plan that addresses both health risks and opportunities. Love.Life's virtual optimization programs offer a supportive environment, educational resources, and access to health and wellness coaching to facilitate the implementation, measurement, and sustainability of healthy habits.

"With grocery, we made natural and organic products mainstream, and Love.Life is going to play a similar role in the health and wellness industry. We're ready to support and empower millions in optimizing their health potential, proving that genes are not destiny," said Mackey.

"Health is highly personal, so it can be frustrating when you don't feel heard by your doctor or you leave the appointment feeling confused about test results and treatment options," said Dr. Brian Asbill, chief health officer, Love.Life. "The physicians at Love.Life evaluate all aspects of health to create highly personalized plans with — not for — patients. Whether you are seeking preventative care for overall wellness, struggle with an existing condition, or have not been able to pinpoint the root cause of a health issue, we want to offer a single source of clear, trusted, evidence-based care for patients." 

Love.Life's board-certified physicians practice "lifestyle medicine" as the foundation of care and are guided by the philosophies of integrative and functional medicine. An emerging evidence-based field, lifestyle medicine evaluates various aspects of an individual's lifestyle, such as nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, and social connection, to provide a holistic view of health. The goal is to help people lead long, healthy, and vibrant lives by improving both lifespan and health span.

Love.Life's virtual health optimization programs are available to individuals across all 50 states and internationally, with three membership programs designed to support a range of health goals. The Healthy Lifestyle Program offers an entry-level option for individuals seeking to jump-start their well-being and proactively maintain their health. It includes an assessment phase of two 30-minute appointments with a physician with a recommended set of labs to assess the individual's baseline cardiovascular and metabolic health as well as key nutrient and vitamin levels. Group health and wellness coaching, educational content, and quarterly follow-up doctor appointments are also included.

The Longevity Program provides intensive, specialized care for specific health goals, including chronic disease reversal and proactive preventative care for optimization and wellness. Under this program, patients receive:

• A more intensive assessment phase of 60-minute introductory doctor appointments, a detailed set of included labs, and tests to establish an individual's baseline of health.

• Monthly 1:1 health and wellness coaching with unlimited messaging and at least one physician appointment quarterly.

• Access to practical tools and exclusive educational content and advanced specialized assessments such as biological age, microbiome, continuous glucose monitoring, and body composition.

For the most comprehensive health and wellness care and more testing with assessments ranging from epigenetics and microbiome to cardiovascular and cancer screenings, the company also offers the Concierge Program.

As part of its commitment to revolutionizing health care, Love.Life has also acquired Mastering Diabetes, an established online coaching and education platform known for permanently reversing insulin resistance using food as medicine. This strategic acquisition complements the company's medically supervised care and enhances Love.Life's ability to provide evidence-based guidance and coaching services to combat various health conditions. The company recently launched Mastering Weight Loss and will continue to add specialized private and group coaching programs under its Mastering Programs service in the future. Cyrus Khambatta, Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry, and Robby Barbaro, MPH, co-founders of Mastering Diabetes, are now members of Love.Life's executive team and lead the development of the company's coaching services.

In addition to its virtual offerings, Love.Life's commitment to providing comprehensive care includes physical locations offering medical care, fitness and wellness therapies, and healthy food under one roof. Its first flagship location, a 45,000-square-foot space in El Segundo, California, will launch in 2024, offering a fully integrated health experience. Love.Life's health-forward restaurant in Culver City is already open and will launch evidence-based meal prescription plans for specific health conditions once the adjacent medical and wellness components of the brand open. The company also operates Love Life Cafe in Miami love.life/restaurant/miami, which opened its new location in February 2023 with expanded seating, a bar, and new menu items. 

To learn more about Love.Life's innovative medical programs or to book an appointment with a licensed physician, visit love.life/telehealth/healthprograms. For more information about Love.Life's Mastering Programs, including Mastering Diabetes and Mastering Weight Loss, visit love.life/masteringprograms.

About Love.Life
Love.Life is an integrated health and wellness company that makes lasting health and vitality attainable. The company unites the power of nourishing food, holistic medical care, and precision wellness therapies to promote healing, optimization, longevity, and community. The company was co-founded in 2020 by Whole Foods Market co-founder and former CEO John Mackey; Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods; and Betsy Foster, a former executive of the grocer. For more information, visit www.love.life.

Media Contact
Robin Kelly press@love.life

Amazon’s to Open Whole Foods Market Stores Featuring Cashierless Technology

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s October 2021 Industry Newsletter

By Steve Hoffman

Whole Foods Market announced on Sept. 8, 2021 that it will open two stores featuring Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” cashierless technology as an option for customers. The stores, expected to open in 2022, will be located in Washington, D.C.’s Glover Park neighborhood and in Sherman Oaks, CA.

According to Whole Foods Market, by using Just Walk Out technology, customers can enter, shop for the items they want, and simply exit the store. Those shopping using Just Walk Out will also have the option to use Amazon One, a fast, convenient, contactless way for people to enter, identify, and pay. If customers prefer, they can also opt to shop using self-checkout lanes or check out at the customer service booth with Whole Foods Market Team Members, the company said.

In a news announcement posted on Amazon’s website, Dilip Kumar, Amazon's VP of Physical Retail and Technology, said the company has engineered its Just Walk Out system, which relies on computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning, to Whole Foods’ services and assortment. “Customers at these stores will be able to shop stations with self-service fresh-squeezed orange juice and mochi ice cream, while still shopping with the Just Walk Out experience and without adjusting any shopping habits,” he wrote.

“By collaborating with Amazon to introduce Just Walk Out Shopping at these two Whole Foods Market stores, our customers will be able to shop for fresh, thoughtfully sourced products that all meet our unparalleled quality standards, receive exceptional service from our Team Members throughout their shopping trip, and save time by skipping the checkout line,” said John Mackey, Co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market.

Though the new cashierless system offers the prospect of labor savings, Kumar noted that the stores using the Just Walk Out system “will employ a comparable number of Team Members as existing Whole Foods Market stores of similar sizes. With Just Walk Out-enabled Whole Foods Market stores, how Team Members in the store spend their time is simply shifting, allowing them to spend even more time interacting with customers and delivering a great shopping experience,” he said.

John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, to Give Exclusive Interview with Compass Coffee Talk™

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, to Give Exclusive Interview with Compass Coffee Talk™

Entrepreneurs, Marketers, and Innovators Are Invited to Join the Conversation with Natural Products Retail Pioneer, John Mackey, as he Discusses his New Book, ‘Conscious Leadership,’ February 25, 2021, 11:30 am EST

What: Compass Coffee Talk™
To Register: John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market, February 25, 2021,
11:30 am – 12:15 pm EST  
Presented By: Compass Natural, Connecting Media and Markets in Natural and Organic Products
Sponsored By: Allegro Coffee and Presence Marketing

Boulder, CO (February 8, 2021) – John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, will participate in a rare natural products industry interview with Compass Coffee Talk on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm EST. Mackey will discuss his latest book, “Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business,” a follow-up to the groundbreaking bestseller Conscious Capitalism — sharing what it takes to lead a purpose-driven, sustainable business.

John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market

Entrepreneurs interested in hearing John Mackey’s perspectives on business will have an opportunity to hear first-hand from the natural products executive during Compass Coffee Talk’s live episode via Zoom. Mackey will reflect on how Whole Foods Market has transformed in the past 40 years and share what’s ahead for the company in the next decade, including what it means to lead a business during these unprecedented times.

In his book Conscious Leadership, Mackey writes, “A conscious leader needs to be actively appreciative. We can be tough leaders at times, we can and should be strong, but at the end of the day, human beings respond best to care and appreciation. It’s important to remember that in business, everything we accomplish is ultimately done with and through other people. That is what conscious leaders do—we inspire, motivate, develop, and lead others.”

Compass Coffee Talk’s co-hosts Steve Hoffman and Bill Capsalis are looking forward to John Mackey’s participation on the show. "It’s not every day you get an opportunity to sit down and chat with legendary Whole Foods Market Co-Founder and CEO, John Mackey. We’re more than thrilled to be hosting an exclusive chance to speak with John in an intimate live setting and learn insights from his books and stories from his four decades in business at the nation’s top natural products grocer,” said Steven Hoffman, Managing Director, Compass Natural Marketing and Co-Host, Compass Coffee Talk. 

Anyone who is involved in the natural products industry, entrepreneurs, marketers, brand managers, and communicators are encouraged to join in the conversation. Registration is free, and attendees can sign up here. 

About John Mackey
John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, has built the natural and organic grocer from a single store in Austin, Texas in 1978, into a Fortune 500 company, which went public in 1992, and was purchased by Amazon in 2017. Today, Whole Foods Market is a top U.S. supermarket with more than 500 stores and 95,000 Team Members across the U.S., Canada, and U.K. While devoting his career to helping shoppers satisfy their lifestyle needs with quality natural and organic foods, Mackey has also focused on building a more conscious way of doing business.

Compass Coffee Talk Sponsors
Compass Coffee Talk gives special thanks to its sponsors Allegro Coffee and Presence Marketing.

Allegro Coffee Powers Compass Coffee Talk™ 
Colorado-based Allegro Coffee, a specialty coffee company that believes that where and how coffee is grown matters. Since 1977, Allegro Coffee has been committed to sourcing the highest quality coffee from farmers dedicated to environmental stewardship and worker livelihood. 

Presence Marketing
Presence Marketing is the nation’s leading independently owned natural foods broker. Over the past 25 years, Presence has grown from a small and humble Midwest-based natural and organic food brokerage to a national powerhouse with more than 500 employees.

About Compass Coffee Talk™ 
Compass Coffee Talk™ features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to succeed in the marketplace. Hosted by natural and organic products industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Compass Coffee Talk is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading P.R., branding, and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. 

Contact 
Bill Capsalis, Co-Host, 303.808.3441, bill@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Steven Hoffman, Co-Host, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

# # #

Conscious Leadership: Join John Mackey on Compass Coffee Talk, February 25, 2021, 11:30am EST

Conscious Leadership

Join John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, for a rare natural products industry interview with Compass Coffee Talk.

Thursday, February 25, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm EST
Zoom, Admission is Free

Featured guest John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, joins Compass Coffee Talk. Mackey will discuss his latest book, “Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business,” a follow-up to groundbreaking bestseller Conscious Capitalism — revealing what it takes to lead a purpose-driven, sustainable business.

About John Mackey
John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, has built the natural and organic grocer from a single store in Austin, Texas in 1978, into a Fortune 500 company, which went public in 1992, and was purchased by Amazon in 2017. Today, Whole Foods Market is a top U.S. supermarket with more than 500 stores and 95,000 Team Members across the U.S., Canada, and U.K. While devoting his career to helping shoppers satisfy their lifestyle needs with quality natural and organic foods, Mackey has also focused on building a more conscious way of doing business.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS, ALLEGRO COFFEE AND PRESENCE MARKETING!

About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.

Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.

Pandemic Shifts: Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 Food Trends for 2021

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s November 2020 Newsletter

By Steven Hoffman

Citing the Covid-19 pandemic, “There have been radical shifts in consumer habits in 2020,” said Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Chief Marketing Officer of Whole Foods Market, in an October 19, 2020, release announcing the world’s largest natural and organic products retailer’s Top 10 Food Trends forecast for 2021. “For example, shoppers have found new passions for cooking, they’ve purchased more items related to health and wellness, and more are eating breakfast at home every day compared to pre-COVID,” she said.

Entitled The Next Big Things: Top 10 Food Trends for 2021, the annual report highlights the predictions of Whole Foods Market’s Trends Council, comprised of more than 50 team members, including local foragers, regional and global buyers, and culinary experts who “compile trend predictions based on decades of experience and expertise in product sourcing, studying consumer preferences and being on the frontlines with emerging and existing brands,” the company said.

Significantly influenced by the current state of the food industry, Whole Foods’ 2021 trends report reveals some of the early ways the food industry is adapting and innovating in response to COVID-19 for a post-pandemic food world, the company said. 

Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 Food Trend Predictions for 2021*

Well-Being is Served – The lines are blurring between the supplement and grocery aisles, and that trend will accelerate in 2021. That means superfoods, probiotics, broths and sauerkrauts. Suppliers are incorporating functional ingredients like vitamin C, mushrooms and adaptogens to foster a calm headspace and support the immune system. For obvious reasons, people want this pronto.

Epic Breakfast Every Day – With more people working from home, the most important meal is getting the attention it deserves, not just on weekends, but every day. There’s a whole new lineup of innovative products tailored to people paying more attention to what they eat in the morning. Think pancakes on weekdays, sous vide egg bites and even “eggs” made from mung beans.

Basics on Fire – With more time in the kitchen, home chefs are looking for hot, new takes on pantry staples. Pasta, sauces, spices — the basics will never be boring again. Get ready for reimagined classics like hearts of palm pasta, applewood-smoked salt and “meaty” vegan soup.

Coffee Beyond the Mug – The love affair between humans and coffee burns way beyond a brewed pot of joe. That’s right, java is giving a jolt to all kinds of food. You can now get your coffee fix in the form of coffee-flavored bars and granolas, smoothie boosters and booze, even coffee yogurt for those looking to crank up that breakfast parfait.

Baby Food, All Grown Up – Thanks to some inspired culinary innovation, parents have never had a wider or richer range of ingredients to choose from. We’re talking portable, on-the-go squeeze pouches full of rhubarb, rosemary, purple carrots and omega-3-rich flaxseeds. Little eaters, big flavors.

Upcycled Foods – Peels and stems have come a long way from the compost bin. We’re seeing a huge rise in packaged products that use neglected and underused parts of an ingredient as a path to reducing food waste. Upcycled foods, made from ingredients that would have otherwise been food waste, help to maximize the energy used to produce, transport and prepare that ingredient. Dig in, do good.

Oil Change – Slide over, olive oil. There’s a different crop of oils coming for that place in the skillet or salad dressing. At-home chefs are branching out with oils that each add their own unique flavor and properties. Walnut and pumpkin seed oils lend a delicious nutty flavor, while sunflower seed oil is hitting the shelves in a bunch of new products and is versatile enough to use at high temps or in salad dressing.

Boozed-up Booch – We tipped you off about hard seltzer bursting on the scene in 2018, and now alcoholic kombucha is making a strong flex on the beverage aisle. Hard kombucha checks all the boxes: It’s gluten-free, it’s super bubbly and can be filled with live probiotic cultures. Cheers to that!

The Mighty Chickpea – You can chickpea anything. Yep, the time has come to think beyond hummus and falafel, and even chickpea pasta. Rich in fiber and plant-based protein, chickpeas are the new cauliflower — popping up in products like chickpea tofu, chickpea flour and even chickpea cereal. That’s garbanzo-bonkers. 

Fruit and Veggie Jerky – Jerky isn’t just for meat lovers anymore. Now all kinds of produce from mushrooms to jackfruit are being served jerky-style, providing a new, shelf-stable way to enjoy fruits and veggies. The produce is dried at the peak freshness to preserve nutrients and yumminess. If that’s not enough, suppliers are literally spicing things up with finishes of chili, salt, ginger and cacao drizzle. 

Source: The Next Big Things: Top 10 Food Trends for 2021, Whole Foods Market, Oct. 19, 2020

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.”

Whole Foods Market Expands Topical CBD Products to 359 Locations in 30 States

Photo: Pexels

Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, October 2019
By Steven Hoffman

Concerned in the past that it might present itself as a “high profile target” to regulators, Whole Foods Market has moved slowly in carrying natural products made with full spectrum hemp extract and CBD. However, as market demand explodes for these products, Whole Foods is taking the plunge by increasing its offerings of topical CBD products. The leading natural and organic products retailer announced in September it is expanding distribution of topical CBD products, making them available in 359 Whole Foods Market locations in 30 states across the country. Whole Foods also announced it is adding exclusive CBD bath items from Pacha Soap Co. “Our shoppers have expressed a growing interest in CBD products,” said Jennifer Coleman, Global Senior Category Merchant for Whole Foods Market in a press release. “We’re thrilled to roll out topical CBD products in even more stores and to share new, exclusive items from our longstanding supplier partner Pacha Soap Co.” As of September 2019, Whole Foods Market now carries topical CBD products in 30 states including: Alabama, Arkansas*, Arizona*, California*, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia*, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas*, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan*, Mississippi, Missouri*, Nevada*, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma*, Oregon, Pennsylvania*, South Carolina*, Tennessee, Texas*, Utah, Virginia* and Wisconsin.

As with all body care items sold at Whole Foods Market, the retailer says the new CBD products meet the grocer’s rigorous body care quality standards, which ban parabens, phthalates, triclosan and more than 100 other questionable ingredients used in conventional body care products. (* New distribution as of September 2019.)

On the Organic Trail

Originally appeared in New Hope Network’s IdeaXchange, May 2019
By Steven Hoffman

In which the author spends the month of May visiting Whole Foods Market Global Headquarters in Austin, TX; EARTH University in Costa Rica, the world’s leading university of sustainable tropical agriculture; and Washington, DC, lobbying at OTA’s Organic Week on behalf of organic agriculture, industrial hemp and CBD.

Boulder, Colorado, is a pretty great place from which to run a public relations, communications and brand marketing agency dedicated to natural, organic, eco-friendly, hemp-centric and other mission-based brands. For a relatively small town, the concentration of natural products entrepreneurship and resources available for both startups and established businesses is like few other places (see Naturally Boulder).*

Yet, after a long winter, and having received a small handful of unexpected invitations, I packed my bags for a nearly month-long road trip that began with a visit in early May to Whole Foods Market’s global headquarters in Austin, TX (another “epicenter” of natural products; see Naturally Austin), to attend a unique brand innovation summit; and ended by participating in the Organic Trade Association’s Organic Week in Washington, DC. There, yours truly served as a speaker and sponsor of OTA’s annual policy conference, which included visits to congressional offices to lobby on behalf of organic agriculture and industrial hemp and CBD.

In between, I took advantage of a unique opportunity to travel to Costa Rica – a country in which I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the late 1970s – to visit and learn about a number of permaculture, regenerative organic and sustainable agriculture operations and educational institutions in a country that has taken the lead on sustainability and climate change in Latin America.  

From Punta Mona, an educational permaculture farm reachable only by boat or hiking trail where the Caribbean Sea meets the coastal rainforest, and EARTH University, the world’s leading sustainable tropical agriculture institution drawing more than 400 students and researchers from over three dozen countries, our Costa Rica tour also took us to Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon Farm), a 300-acre biodynamic farm and eco-resort located adjacent to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, a 250,000-acre nature reserve at the foot of Arenal Volcano in the north of the country. There, Finca Luna Nueva’s founders are dedicated to promoting sustainable building and regenerative agriculture, and spreading the message worldwide about soil health, carbon sequestration and climate change.

This, then, is my brief tale, On the Organic Trail.

• Boulder and Austin are not the only epicenters of natural products entrepreneurship in the country. Check out Naturally Chicago for companies and events in the Windy City. Note: Presence Marketing is a founding Sponsor of Naturally Chicago.

Whole Foods Market, Austin, TX – Brand Innovators Summit
With a lower pricing strategy and a renewed commitment to supporting brand innovation, Whole Foods Market hosted on May 2-3 Secrets to a Healthy Brand Strategy, an invitation-only summit that matched some of the world’s largest food companies with unique startup and emerging brands vying for attention online and on the shelf. Held at Whole Foods’ corporate headquarters in Austin, TX, and produced by Brand Innovators, the largest peer-to-peer community of brand marketers in America, the event featured an exploration of consumer behavior and technology and what it takes to build enduring healthy lifestyles and mission-based brands.

Former Whole Foods Market board member and Celestial Seasonings founder Mo Siegel opens the Brand Innovators summit in Austin on May 2

I was invited to the brand strategy summit after getting to know Michael Schall on a hiking trail during an earlier trip to Hill Country outside of Austin. Michael, Senior Coordinator of Global Growth and Business Development for Whole Foods Market, is also former CEO of Manischewitz Kosher Foods and Guiltless Gourmet. A very knowledgeable and experienced business leader and one heck-of-a nice person, after learning of my work, Michael insisted I attend. How could I possibly say no?

There, I met Wes Hurt, a recovering drug addict and founder of CLEAN Cause, a sparkling Yerba Mate beverage company founded in Austin in 2015 that donates 50% of its profits to support recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. The products are sold online and in select stores nationwide; nearly $300,000 in profits have been donated to date. I also spoke with Peter McGuinness, CMO of Chobani. While the company has an unsurpassed social mission, I asked Peter if Chobani is considering coming out with certified organic products, produced without the use of toxic, synthetic pesticides such as glyphosate, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones to serve a core organic consumer like me. While Chobani’s yogurt products are not produced organically, Peter mentioned the company is exploring some plant-based offerings made with organic ingredients – a positive move for people and the planet, in my respectful opinion. Other speakers included the founders and senior-level managers of Siete Foods, a Texas-based and family owned maker of grain free chips; Harmless Harvest, seller of premium certified organic coconut water; Jamba Juice; Pepsico; Sir Kensington’s; Vital Farms; Maple Hill; Health-Ade Kombucha; and more.

My takeaway: Competition is everywhere today, yet Whole Foods Market continues to be the mecca of natural and organic products – it is the place where the largest multinational corporations as well as local startups aspire to sell their products. And its association with Amazon, while infrequently mentioned during the conference, was certainly felt. In my perspective, the leadership at Whole Foods’ is energized and empowered to expand the company’s influence and reach and further enhance the bridge between brick and mortar and online retail. Whole Foods remains the gold standard in natural products retailing.

Costa Rica Organic Farm Tour
With a national greeting of “Pura Vida,” meaning “pure life,” Costa Ricans share a sunny attitude and gratitude for what they have. The government abolished the armed forces in 1948, and has since invested in healthcare and education. Costa Ricans welcome visitors from around the world; English is spoken and the dollar is accepted throughout the country, though being able to speak some Spanish is certainly a benefit. Costa Ricans, or “Ticos,” are very proud of their nation’s biodiversity and natural beauty. This past year, Costa Rica took the lead on sustainability and climate change in Latin America. During my excursion, we were able to visit the following organic and sustainable agriculture locations.

Herbalist Sarit Bianca at Punta Mona in Costa Rica

Punta Mona – South of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a delightful, off the beaten track, Rasta-style community on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, beyond road’s end, lies Punta Mona, a 100-acre permaculture outpost just 10 miles north of the Panama border, reachable only by boat or by foot on a trail cutting through eight kilometers of primary rainforest. (The boat ride was a blast; during our trip it was much too muddy to hike the trail.) Powered by solar panels, Punta Mona is located right off the beach, and it is also decidedly off the grid. Founded by father and son organic products entrepreneurs and permaculture advocates Norman and Stephen Brooks, Punta Mona draws visitors and volunteers from all over the world to tour and/or work in the farm’s lush and diverse fruit and vegetable gardens, community kitchen, herbal products laboratory, and all other aspects of managing the farm and “rustic” resort. If you go, be prepared to “rough it.” But if you can handle rainforest-style basic camp conditions, the natural beauty, organic agriculture, good clean healthy plant-based food, and biodiversity simply cannot be beat. Stephen Brooks also is founder of La Ecovilla, a planned permaculture community located northwest of Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose.

Students from nearly 40 countries attend EARTH University for degrees in mission-based, sustainable tropical agriculture

EARTH University – On the eastern coastal lowlands outside the town of Guacimo, Costa Rica, among massive commercial banana and pineapple plantations, is a 10,000-acre nature preserve and internationally renowned sustainable agriculture college, EARTH University. You may have heard of EARTH University, or at least its sustainable fair-trade bananas, sold in Whole Foods Market stores across the U.S. Established in 1986 as an international nonprofit agricultural education and research institution, EARTH university draws more than 430 students from over three dozen countries for a full, four-year degree in Agricultural Sciences. Led by an international faculty, EARTH University’s innovative educational approach has been preparing entrepreneurially minded young people from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and other regions to contribute to the sustainable development of their home communities while constructing a prosperous and just global society. According to its leadership, EARTH University offers a world-class scientific and technological education emphasizing ethical entrepreneurship and a strong socio-environmental commitment. Traveling with lifelong friend and colleague Jim Frank, an estate tax advisor and former fraternity brother from my Penn State University days, we were treated to lunch and extensive tours by a number of EARTH researchers, faculty and staff who generously took the time to show us sustainable banana and cacao research and production, student test plots, state of the art facilities and more. Frankly, there is no place like EARTH University. The campus is open to visitors; consider it in your travel plans if you are a tropical sustainable agriculture geek, like me. One additional note: our visit included a stop at Ecolirios, a boutique eco-resort, restaurant and modern architectural treasure located on a beautifully landscaped plateau in the heart of the mountainous rainforest up a steeply inclined, low-gear, four-wheel drive road. A bumpy ride, but once you get there, the experience is well worth it.

Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon Farm) in Peñas Blancas near Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica

Finca Luna Nueva – With a newly completed, open-air, poolside restaurant built from locally sourced bamboo and other sustainable materials, plus comfortable cabins, bungalows, yoga studio and common areas located throughout the property, Finca Luna Nueva in Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica, is a jewel in the rainforest and the biodynamic pride and joy of New Chapter’s former CEO Tom Newmark and his wife Terry, owners of Finca Luna Nueva along with their longtime business partner and farm manager Steven Farrell. With its neighbor and program partner, Brave Earth, Finca Luna Nueva offers educational workshops in sustainable building and regenerative agriculture, corporate retreats, yoga retreats, and a world-class eco-resort in the heart of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Located adjacent to the 250,000-acre Children’s Eternal Rainforest preserve near the Arenal Volcano, visitors to Finca Luna Nueva can take farm and cacao tours and view toucans, sloths, and other wildlife along the property’s hiking trails. Finca Luna Nueva was named among the Ten Best Eco-lodges in Costa Rica by Bookmundi in January 2019. Co-owner Tom Newmark co-authored a recent article in Yes! Magazine on the importance of soil health, carbon sequestration and climate change. Tom, a board member of Greenpeace USA, also is co-founder of The Carbon Underground, a nonprofit organization committed to drawing carbon out of the atmosphere and into the soil to help mitigate climate change. Spoiler alert: my agency, Compass Natural, compiles a quarterly e-newsletter for Finca Luna Nueva. For more on Finca Luna Nueva, visit here or contact me at steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

OTA’s Organic Week, Washington, DC
Capping off a marathon month of travel was a visit to Washington, DC, on May 20-23, where my agency, Compass Natural, was invited by the Organic Trade Association to help plan and present an educational track focused on the growing market for organic hemp, CBD and related products as part of OTA’s annual Organic Week policy conference.

Carla Vernon, President of General Mills’ Natural & Organic Unit, speaks on May 22 at OTA’s Organic Week in Washington, D.C.

At the conference, OTA announced that sales of organic products in the U.S. surpassed $50 billion, growing 6.3% to reach a record $52.5 billion in 2018. Almost 6% (5.7%) of all food sold in the U.S. is now organic, driven in large part by demand for organic produce, dairy, plant-based products, dietary supplements, textiles and fiber. “Organic is now considered mainstream. But the attitudes surrounding organic are anything but status quo,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the OTA. “In 2018, there was a notable shift in the mindset of those working in organic toward collaboration and activism to move the needle on the role organic can play in sustainability and tackling environmental initiatives.”

As part of OTA’s Organic Week, I was scheduled to visit several congressional offices on Capitol Hill, lobbying on behalf of organic food and farming and industrial hemp, CBD and related products. The staff at the offices of Colorado Senators Michael Bennett and Cory Gardner were supportive of industrial hemp in our meetings, and in alignment with Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ goal of furthering Colorado’s leadership in industrial hemp, as were staff leaders in the offices of Colorado Representatives Joe Neguse and Diana DeGette. However, staff at the offices of Idaho Congressmen Russell Fulcher and Mike Simpson deferred to their state’s legislature when it came to my questions regarding Idaho’s seizure in January of a container shipment of industrial hemp from a licensed grower in Oregon bound for processing in Colorado, despite the 2018 federal Farm Bill declaring that interstate transport and commerce of hemp-derived products is now legal throughout the U.S.

In addition to our Capitol Hill visits, I moderated a lively seminar attended by a number of organic farmers interested in or already growing hemp for food, supplements and fiber as part of an educational track focused on hemp during OTA’s Organic Week. The importance of certified organic in hemp farming cannot be overstated – currently, nearly 80,000 acres are in hemp production in the U.S., and few of them are certified organic, meaning that all that hemp is being grown conventionally using toxic, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

At the seminar, longtime organic farmer Chris Jagger, owner of Blue Fox Farm in Oregon, shared how he began growing hemp three years ago. Instead of planting hemp densely, like they do for fiber production where tall stalks and little foliage are desired, Chris farms his hemp like a specialty crop, or “like vegetables,’ he says, to cultivate the delicate hemp flowers for CBD extraction. Currently, a small number of organic certifiers, including OneCert, CCOF and MOSA are certifying farms for organic hemp production, and rumor has it some other major certifiers will soon follow.

Organic agriculture is a bright spot in the U.S. farm economy, continuing to grow at a rate more than double the growth rate of the overall U.S. food market. According to new OTA data, the number of organic farms grew by 39% while the total number of farms in the U.S. shrank by 3% between 2012 and 2017. Organic products can now be found in more than 82% of U.S. homes, and in some states, including California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and my home state of Colorado, organic products are in over 90% of U.S. households. Now, after a month of travel, that’s news worth coming home to.

Noteworthy Events

• Grain Place Foundation 2019 Field Day, July 13, 2019, Marquette, NE – Help preserve the legacy of the 300-acre Grain Place organic farm in Eastern Nebraska, which first went organic in 1953 and has been shepherded by the Vetter family ever since. Join over 100 organic farmers for a tour of the Grain Place and a keynote luncheon presentation by renowned organic farming pioneer Bob Quinn and Liz Carlisle, co-authors of Grain by Grain. Learn more. To sponsor the 2019 Field Day with a tax-deductible contribution, contact me at steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

• Southern Hemp Expo, Sept. 6-7, 2019, Franklin, TN – Learn about the exploding market for products derived from industrial hemp – from bioplastics to CBD – at the 2nd annual Southern Hemp Expo, the largest hemp exposition and conference in the Eastern U.S., featuring an investors summit, business conference, agriculture symposium and a full exhibition half. Visit www.SouthernHempExpo.com. To exhibit, sponsor and for more info, contact me at steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

Steven Hoffman, is Managing Director of Compass Natural, dedicated to providing brand marketing, public relations, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. A former agricultural extension agent and also former Editorial Director of New Hope Network’s natural products trade magazine and trade show division, Hoffman brings 30+ years of communications, sales and brand marketing expertise to his clientele. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

Photos: Compass Natural