SOUTHERN ACCENTS: Wildly Successful NoCo Hemp Expo Puts Down Roots in Tennessee with Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo, Set for September 28-29, 2018, in Nashville, TN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo to Offer Full-scale Exhibit Hall, Networking Opportunities, Presentations and Workshops by Pioneers, Innovators and Activists in the Rapidly Expanding Hemp Industry at The Fairgrounds Nashville, Sept. 28-29, 2018
Loveland, CO – July 10, 2018 – On the heels of its sold-out, over-capacity show drawing more than 6,000 attendees and 150 diverse exhibitors, the Colorado-based NoCo Hemp Expo is taking the party south and east, launching the Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo (SHE), Sept. 28-29, 2018, at The Fairgrounds Nashville in Nashville, TN.
“The South is a leader and will continue to be a leader in hemp production, and we are very excited to bring this dynamic gathering of industry movers and shakers to the region,” said Colorado Hemp Company co-founder Morris Beegle, producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, who also noted the theme of the inaugural SHE event is “Bringing Balance Back to Mother Earth.”
“The 2018 NoCo Hemp Expo was far and away the biggest and best hemp event we have produced yet,” Beegle continued. “The interest level for this plant and all that it can do is overwhelming. We are excited to launch this expo in the Eastern U.S. With the first annual SHE event in Nashville in September and NoCo6 in Denver in March, our shows are firmly grounded in the country’s strongest regions for hemp production.”
With rising acceptance and popularity of hemp for food, fiber, and its therapeutic non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD, domestic production of hemp, or cannabis sativa, is reaching new heights. U.S. hemp-based product sales grew 16% to reach $820 million in sales in 2017 and is expected to surpass $1 billion in sales in 2018, led primarily by hemp-derived CBD, food, personal care and industrial products, according to the publication Hemp Business Journal – a number not lost on politicians. This past spring, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, which would remove hemp from the federal list of controlled substances and allow it to be sold as an agricultural crop.
The Feminine Touch
SHE – feminine acronym intended – will offer networking opportunities, presentations and workshops by pioneers, innovators and activists including the leading women and business professionals in industrial hemp. The fifth annual NoCo Hemp Expo in Loveland, Colo., in April, featured keynote speaker, activist and hemp entrepreneur Winona LaDuke, who illuminated hemp’s value in driving a new economy for rural and Native American communities. Other keynotes featured were Nature’s Path Foods founder Arran Stephens, who discussed why he’s been investing in farmland to cultivate organic hemp.
“I was amazed at the buzz of the show,” said Arran Stephens, co-founder and co-CEO of Nature’s Path Foods and a keynote speaker at the recent NoCo 5 event. “In some ways, it reminded me of the spirit of the early organic food trade shows. This is really the beginning of a strong new movement.”
“Hemp production is taking off so fast, and law reform is so close” Beegle said. “There’s never been a more exciting time in this industry, and SHE provides a festive and effective forum for expanding crucial dialogue about the latest developments and opportunities in the commercial hemp products market.”
Exhibit Space and Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available
Exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities for the Southern Hemp Expo are now available online at www.southernhempexpo.com.
About the Southern Hemp Expo
The Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO, and producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show and conference for industrial hemp. WAFBA is founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services and the Colorado Hemp Company. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. Learn more at SouthernHempExpo.com, and find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, tel 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, tel 970.541.0448, hemp@coloradohempcompany.com
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Industrial Hemp Derived CBD, Other Hemp-derived Products May Soon Become Legal throughout the U.S. Under the 2018 Farm Bill
Photo by Compass Natural
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, July 2018
By Steven Hoffman
Industrial hemp and full spectrum extract products derived from hemp, popularly known as “CBDs,” referring to products rich in hemp-derived cannabinoid compounds, may become recognized as legal throughout the nation if the 2018 Farm Bill advances with the inclusion of the Hemp Farming Act sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and a bi-partisan group of supporters including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
The Hemp Farming Act, which has now been attached to the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill - expected to become law this year - would permanently legalize hemp in the U.S.
The Farm Bill passed the Senate Agriculture Committee on June 13 with a 20-1 vote, with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) being the sole “no” vote after his amendment to exclude hemp extract products was not included in the proposed farm bill. The vote moves to the Senate floor, but hemp industry and CBD advocates warn that Sen. Grassley may yet attempt to negotiate elements of his amendment into the 2018 bill, and that the industrial hemp industry needs to remain vigilant.
Hemp industry watchdogs are concerned because the day before the Senate Agriculture Committee vote, Sen. Grassley filed an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill which seeks to redefine hemp to exclude “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, from Cannabis Sativa L.” The purpose of the amendment as stated in the document is, “To modify the definition of the term ‘hemp’ and to require the Attorney General to make a determination as to whether cannabidiol should be a controlled substance and listed in a schedule under the Controlled Substances Act and to expand research on the cannabidiol and marihuana [sic].”
Currently, growing industrial hemp is legal on a federal scale only for research purposes or if it’s under a pilot program in select states that have legalized it. According to Jonathan Miller, the general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, an industry advocacy group, the proposed Farm Bill includes the ‘Hemp Farming Act’ sponsored by Sen. McConnell and endorsed by 25 other senators.
According to Sen. McConnell, the Farm Bill is scheduled to be voted on by the end of June. From there, it must then go to the U.S. House of Representatives for further consideration. “The House may not pass it, and it might not include hemp in their bill, said Miller in a statement. But, if it passes with the current language, then, hemp-derived CBD would be legal from a federal perspective.”
However, observes Fresh Toast, a cannabis lifestyle publication, “This will only be the case if President Trump signs the bill into official law. In the past, President Trump hasn’t publicly expressed his views on hemp. Last week though, the President told various reporters that he supports ending the federal ban on marijuana. If President Trump stays true to his word, the move would be historic because it would result in removing the substance from its current Schedule I classification. Although the President has expressed his views to end the federal ban on marijuana, his attorney general, Jeff Sessions has quite the opposite view.”
One thing is certain: if industrial hemp becomes permanently legalized in the U.S. through passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, it will be a boon to farmers, natural products retailers and marketers, and consumers seeking more natural alternatives for health.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
Choices Matter: Announcing National Palm Done Right Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sustainable Palm Oil Awareness Campaign, Set for September 2018, Brings Natural Products Industry, Consumers Together to Celebrate the Positive Side of Palm Oil
Boulder, Colo. June 26, 2018 — Mission-based educational platform Palm Done Right™ (PDR) is enlisting industry and public support to help change the conversation about palm oil, and ultimately, how palm oil is produced.
Done right, palm oil can be grown sustainably in a way that positively supports people, communities and the environment. The choices manufacturers and consumers make can help drive more responsible practices in the conventional palm industry and grow the market for sustainably and organically sourced palm oil, helping to support smaller scale producers.
By launching the first annual National Palm Done Right Month in September 2018, the campaign’s organizers seek to build awareness about responsibly sourced palm oil, galvanize the natural products industry and gain retail, manufacturer and consumer support, and celebrate current partners supporting the Palm Done Right initiative.
Retailer support is a critical aspect of spreading the Palm Done Right message and Palm Done Right Month is a call to action. “Retailers play a key role in the natural products industry as gatekeepers to a pathway for their customers who want to improve their lives through healthy food and lifestyle choices and gain a better understanding of where their food is coming from. Through their support as Palm Done Right partners, we will broaden our message and help highlight the brands that use responsible palm oil in their products,” says Neil Blomquist, organic industry pioneer and spokesperson for Palm Done Right.
During the month of September, participating retailers will feature in-store and online promotion of products that use Palm Done Right sustainable palm oil and will have access to training materials and marketing tools such as informational brochures and shelf-talkers. Retailer partners are encouraged to become active voices in the cause and share stories, photos and information in newsletters and through social media.
An early supporter of Palm Done Right, industry veteran and owner of California-based Whole Wheatery Cheryl Hughes says, “Being a Palm Done Right retail supporter has made a positive impact on our community. We have earned the trust of our customers who look to us for education and a better understanding of the products they buy and use. The Palm Done Right platform makes learning about the good side of palm oil easy and accessible to consumers. We encourage other natural foods retailers to join the cause.”
Retail Outreach Program Resources and Goals
To encourage as many retailers as possible that sell natural and organic products to sign up as PDR partners by visiting https://www.palmdoneright.com/en/become-a-retail-supporter/.
Create PDR ambassadors within the retail stores so that responsible palm becomes a part of their conversation and promotional outreach programs to their customers.
Retailers begin to develop product standards for their stores that eventually eliminates conflict palm oil from products that they sell.
Retailers participate in Palm Done Right Month in September.
To encourage brands that are using conventional palm oil, and brands that have avoided palm oil because they fear a negative consumer reaction, to see palm oil that is produced sustainably as a viable solution for their products.
For retailers that have their own private label brands to see the value of using sustainable palm oil as an ingredient in their product line.
Palm Done Right is about how individual choices can make an impact in improving sustainable practices, preventing deforestation and finding solutions to reduce climate change. Natural Habitats, developer of the Palm Done Right platform, is dedicated to improving our food system through responsible ingredient sourcing and organic agriculture practices. PDR believes that organic farming is the solution to preserving and improving ecosystems, soil, and biodiversity and promoting healthy communities.
To Sign Up and for More Information about Palm Done Right Month
Sign-up today to engage customers and activate change with the goal of creating an industry-wide movement. http://www.palmdoneright.com/en/become-a-retail-supporter/
About Palm Done Right™
Natural Habitats Group is leading positive change in the palm oil industry by proving that palm oil can be grown for good. This approach demonstrates that palm oil grown organically, with third-party certifications, can preserve the environment and native species, bring positive economic support to local communities and create sustainable livelihoods for everyone involved. Palm Done Right, a movement, aims to connect the benefits of organic, responsible palm oil, with brands, suppliers, manufacturers, media and consumers, to change the conversation about palm oil and bring positive impact to scale. For more information, visit www.palmdoneright.com.
About Natural Habitats USA, Inc.
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Natural Habitats USA, Inc. is a group fully committed to the sustainable production of Certified Organic and fairly traded products, including organic palm oil. Natural Habitats products are cultivated using 100% organic practices by family farmers in South America and Africa, and add organic credibility to food, personal care and animal nutrition products. Natural Habitats USA, Inc. supports the communities in which it operates through Fair for Life fair trade partnership, social programs for farmers, workers and communities and funding for services including support to local schools, health care and housing to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders in the supply chain, from Farm to Fork. For more information, visit www.natural-habitats.com and www.palmdoneright.com.
Contact
Susan Fecko, Black Dog Studio, 307-690-8381, sfecko@blackdogstudiopr.com
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USDA Drops Organic Checkoff Marketing Program
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, June 2018
By Steven Hoffman
Citing “uncertain industry support for and outstanding substantive issues with the proposed program,” USDA in May 2018 terminated a proposed organic checkoff national marketing program. The measure, backed by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), would have assessed producers to pay for the program, raising at least $30 million per year.
The organic checkoff program, called by OTA “GRO Organic (Generic Research Promotion Order for Organics), would have been under the supervision of USDA, as are research and promotion orders for other commodity crops and marketing programs such as “Got Milk.”
Organic producers and handlers with sales over $250,000 would have had to pay one-tenth of one percent of their net organic sales into the marketing fund, according to the proposal. Importers also would have paid into the system, and smaller producers could opt in to take part. However, growers and handlers with gross revenue of less than $250,000 would have been exempt from contributing funds to the marketing program.
The announcement came as a surprise to the OTA, the organization that originally petitioned three years ago for the program. “It came as a complete surprise – the last we’d understood was, based on the precedent from previous checkoffs, we thought we’d cleared the threshold, OTA Executive Director and CEO Laura Batcha told FeedNavigator. “We were very, very surprised – it was incredibly unexpected,” she said.
“It is not lost on folks that the same week they terminated the organic program – they launched a proposal for GMO labeling that has a smiley face on it,” Batcha added. “At face value that does not appear like a level playing field – and USDA should be in the business of promoting choices for farmers, not in the business of picking winners and losers,” she said.
However, not all organic industry advocates supported the organic checkoff program. There have been questions regarding the effectiveness of other product checkoff programs and their benefit to small producers, along with questions about the way funding is managed, noted Mark Kastel, co-director of consumer advocacy group Cornucopia Institute.
“The proposed Organic Research and Promotion Program would have required all certified organic operations, even those exempt from the checkoff itself, to submit annual gross sales reports. All entities whose organic gross sales exceed $250,000 would have been mandated to pay 0.001% of their annual organic net sales,” said the Organic Farmers Association (OFA), based in Kutztown, PA. Jennifer Taylor, Vice President of OFA and a certified organic farmer in central Georgia added, “Organic farmers already fulfill a heavy load of annual paperwork for their organic certification. Additional federally mandated paperwork would have been overly burdensome, especially for the 75 percent of certified organic farmers estimated to be exempt from the checkoff,” she said.
OFA says it does agree with OTA and other organic industry stakeholder groups that organic research and promotion are necessary and needed by the whole community, and looks forward to finding creative solutions that serve all constituents in growing the market for organic foods.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
Organic Food Sales Top $49 Billion in 2017; Accounts for 5.5 Percent of Overall U.S. Food Sales
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, June 2018
By Steven Hoffman
When the Environmental Working Group reported in April 2018 that conventionally grown apples contain on average 4.4 toxic, synthetic pesticide residues, some at high concentrations that don’t wash off, more and more consumers are getting the clue that the old adage has changed: “It’s the organic apple a day that keeps the doctor away!”
So many consumers are buying into organic these days, in fact, that overall sales of organic foods will soon top $50 billion. According to the latest data released in May 2018 from the Organic Trade Association (OTA), sales of organic products totaled $49.4 billion in 2017, reflecting an increase of 6.4 percent and new sales of nearly $3.5 billion over the previous year.
Sales of organic foods grew the same – 6.4 percent – to $45.2 billion, and sales of organically produced non-food products increased 7.4 percent to $4.2 billion.
The growth rate for organic food sales was short of the 9 percent growth recorded in 2016, “impacted by markedly slowed growth in the big organic dairy and egg category,” said the OTA in a release. However, organic food sales were well above that of the overall food market, which barely grew at 1.1 percent. “Organic continued to increase its penetration into the total food market, and now accounts for 5.5 percent of the food sold in retail channels in the U.S.” OTA said.
This year’s annual survey marks the 20th year OTA has released data tracking the organic industry’s growth. Widely regarded as the most comprehensive look at the retail organic sector in America, the survey first measured organic sales in 1997. That year, organic food sales were pegged at $3.4 billion; 2017’s sales of over $45 billion reflect a growth of nearly 15 times. In the last decade alone, the U.S. organic market has more than doubled in size, reports OTA.
Fresh fruit and vegetables continued to be the largest organic food category, posting $16.5 billion in sales and 5.3 percent growth over 2016 sales. Another category standout was organic beverages, with fresh juices driving 10.5 percent growth to sales of $5.9 billion in 2017. Nonfood items grew significantly, including organic fashion and fiber, which grew 11 percent to $1.6 billion, and organic dietary supplements, the sales of which increased 9 percent in 2017.
“Organic has arrived. And everyone is paying attention,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. “Our survey shows there are now certified organic products in the marketplace representing all stages of the life cycle of a product or a company—from industry veterans to start-ups that are pioneering leading edge innovation and benefits and getting shelf space for the first time. Consumers love organic, and now we’re able to choose organic in practically every aisle in the store.”
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
Whole Foods Market Delays GMO Labeling Deadline for Suppliers
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, June 2018
By Steven Hoffman
In an email sent to suppliers in May 2018 from Whole Foods Market President and COO A.C. Gallo, Global VP of Merchandising Don Clark and Global VP of Procurement for Perishables Karen Christensen, the world’s largest natural products retailer announced the company has decided to postpone the rollout of its GMO Labeling Policy.
The company’s leaders cited concerns from suppliers about complying with both Whole Foods Market’s upcoming policy deadline, originally set for Sept. 1, 2018, and the USDA’s proposed GMO labeling rules just introduced this past month, dubbed the federal Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, as the reason for the delay.
In 2013, Whole Foods announced it would require all food producers who wished to sell products in its stores to include labeling that discloses the presence of any GMO ingredients. Whole Foods had previously announced that it would require suppliers to label products that contain genetically modified (GMO) risk ingredients and were not third-party verified as non-GMO or organic.
“While the proposed [USDA] rule speaks to requirements for disclosing a bioengineered food, it is silent on requirements for making an on-label non-GMO claim,” the email said. “Given the uncertain details of the federal regulation, we do not expect the verification of non-GMO claims on existing branded products by the previously communicated September 1, 2018, deadline.” Whole Foods’ executives further stated, “Once there is a better understanding of the final federal regulation, we will be able to provide further updates and timelines.”
In a May 22, 2018, statement to Food & Wine Magazine clarifying its position, Whole Foods added, "As the USDA finalizes the Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard and the food industry assesses the impact, we have decided to pause on our September 1, 2018, deadline for our GMO Labeling Policy. We remain committed to providing our customers with the level of transparency they want and expect from us and will continue to require suppliers to obtain third-party verification for non-GMO claims."
In a separate document, Whole Foods noted that it will continue to require suppliers in all categories to acquire third-party verification by a Whole Foods-approved program for “non-GMO” claims on their package labels. Approved vendors include The Non-GMO Project, NSF Non-GMO True North or the USDA Organic program, reported Project Nosh.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
USDA’s Proposed “Bioengineered” Labels, featuring Nature and a Smiling Sun, Give Impression that GMOs are Healthy, Environmentally Friendly
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, June 2018
By Steven Hoffman
USDA in May issued a proposed rule to implement legislation requiring some form of GMO ingredient label disclosure on food packaging.
Officially named the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS), the 106-page proposed rule provides definitions on what is considered a bioengineered ingredient, suggestions on how to disclose those ingredients and the scope of exemptions available under the law. For example, food products produced from an animal that ate GMO – or what USDA now refers to as “bioengineered” – feed do not require label disclosure. Food service establishments and very small food manufacturers are also exempt, reports legal firm Keller and Heckman. Foods certified under USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) also are not subject to GMO or “BE” disclosure.
Comments on the proposed rule are being accepted through July 3, 2018, and should be submitted as directed in the Federal Register document, published on May 4, 2018.
In addition, USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service announced an informational webinar to provide an overview of the background, provisions and potential impacts of the proposed bioengineered food standard, available on AMS’s website.
USDA’s proposed GMO or “Bioengineered (BE) symbols include scenes of nature and a smiling sun, intimating that GMOs are healthy and environmentally friendly.
USDA’s proposed rule addresses federal legislation passed in 2016 to create a national GMO labeling standard in an effort to prevent individual states from passing their own GMO labeling regulations. As a result of the federal legislation, Vermont’s law to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered ingredients, which took effect in 2016 for a brief period of time, was overturned in favor of the national law.
USDA’s proposed standard defines “bioengineered” food as food “(A) that contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques; and (B) for which the modification could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.”
According to organic industry observer Max Goldberg, publisher of Organic Insider, “This does not give us any clarity about whether GMO 2.0 technologies, such as gene-editing, synthetic biology and RNAi, will be covered under this rule. Second, a GMO-disclosure rule should make it clear and easy for consumers to know whether a food is genetically modified or not. The truth is that most people have no idea what ‘bioengineered’ means, and using this seldom-used, scientific term is confusing to consumers. Even the USDA itself was content to use the term ‘GMO labeling’ on its own website up until a few months ago,” he said.
Foods that need to be labeled are broken down into two proposed lists:
Bioengineered foods commercially available in the U.S. "with a high adoption rate,” i.e., genetically modified varieties are planted or produced more than 85% of the time. This would include such foods as canola, corn, cotton, soybean and sugar beet, and can be labeled as "Bioengineered food” or “Contains a bioengineered food ingredient.”
Bioengineered foods commercially currently available in the U.S. "with a low adoption rate,” including such foods as apples (non browning), papayas, potatoes and squash (summer varieties). These can be labeled as “May be a bioengineered food,” “Contains a bioengineered food ingredient,” or “May contain a bioengineered food ingredient.”
According to Goldberg, companies will have three options to disclose the presence of bioengineered foods: text, symbol or QR codes. However, he says, QR codes are inherently discriminatory since nearly 100 million Americans do not own a smartphone. Plus, USDA’s proposed bioengineered symbols, “which are supposed to be neutral, give off the impression that bioengineered foods are healthy,” he says.
Additionally, Goldberg warns, under the proposed rule, “Organic foods can be labeled as ‘Non-GMO’ or ‘Not BE.’ This is very problematic and poses an enormous risk for organic. While genetic modification is prohibited in organic production, this does not mean that organic foods are free from GMO contamination.”
Comments Talking Points
Comments on the proposed GMO labeling rule are being accepted through July 3, 2018, and can be submitted via regulations.gov. Goldberg recommends including the following talking points among your comments:
The term "bioengineered" should not be used. It is both misleading and confusing to consumers. "GMO", "GE" or "Genetic Engineering" should be used instead. These are terms consumers are familiar with and understand.
All forms of genetic engineering should be disclosed, including gene-editing, synthetic biology and RNAi.
All highly processed foods, such as genetically engineered oils, syrups and sugars, should not be excluded from labeling.
Any symbol that represents "bioengineered" should be neutral and not contain a smiley face or a sun, or a nature scene.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
Empowering Women, One Chocolate Bar at a Time
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BIJA Chocolates' Social Mission of Disrupting Cycles of Poverty Featured on NBC's The Today Show
Bellingham, WA (May 16, 2018) – When Paul Newman and Ari Lee-Newman spent their honeymoon volunteering to distribute Vitamin A in remote villages in India in 2014 with the nonprofit group Vitamin Angels, they were struck by the joy and contentment they encountered, even among the most impoverished communities.
Realizing they wanted to build a business that supports such communities around the world, the couple left their jobs to launch BIJA Chocolates, a social enterprise that works directly with cacao farmers and women-owned bean-processing cooperatives throughout the equatorial belt to make high-quality, hand-crafted organic chocolate bars, pass along a greater share of profit to the producers, and ensure greater economic opportunities for families and communities.
In May, BIJA’s social mission – and its delicious chocolate bars – was recognized on national television by Whole Foods Market and NBC’s The Today Show. Selected among hundreds of manufacturers by Whole Foods’ “Local Program," BIJA was featured as part of The Today Show’s Small Business Week, sponsored by Whole Foods Market, as one of the most innovative small businesses in America that is creating significant impact through ethical sourcing and social entrepreneurship to elevate communities around the world.
BIJA has partnered with eight carefully selected women’s associations in the Dominican Republic and Peru and intends to support one or two women’s groups in each of the top 10 cacao-producing countries by 2025. BIJA – which means “the seed and source of life” in Sanskrit – not only ensures that the people who pour their hearts and souls into cacao production are fairly compensated, but also supports the women’s cooperatives and nearby farms in obtaining organic certification.
“We work to equalize the cacao industry, empowering women globally, and making one of the most complex, distinctively flavored bean-to-bar chocolates possible,” said Newman.
Investing in Women
“BIJA is more than chocolate, though it’s darn good chocolate,” added Lee-Newman. “BIJA grew out of a passion for people. We hold the belief that if you invest in women, they will reinvest in their families and communities. The intention to invest in women is very important for us, and in many of the countries where we work, women are under-represented.”
Chocolate is a $100 billion industry, but many cacao farmers earn less than $2 a day. Working directly with small-scale growers and women-owned cooperatives allows BIJA to pay farmers and processors 25% more than traditional fair-trade prices. Also, BIJA’s 24 x 25 Organic Certification Program helps women’s co-ops achieve organic certification so they can expand their domestic and export market opportunities and increase profitability. BIJA intends to fund organic certification for 24 women’s cooperatives across the globe by 2025.
“When we meet women we would like to work with, more often than not, they’re not certified organic,” Newman explained. “There’s a lot of entrapment in the industry because organic certification costs thousands, forcing growers and co-ops to join larger co-ops because they can’t afford that on their own. We help shepherd them through the conversion process and gift them the certification. It’s all about economic empowerment. There’s a human component to food that can get obscured in the supply chain. We are trying to help people make more conscious decisions.”
Both Paul and Ari believe raising awareness about the human cost of chocolate production and providing economic opportunities to women’s groups throughout the world will pave the way toward exploring the human story of chocolate and rewriting the way cacao is sourced to ensure the people who grow, harvest and process cacao are compensated fairly. Through its One Seed Foundation, BIJA will begin to work in 2019 to provide scholarships for women to learn the craft of bean-to-bar chocolate making in their own facilities.
Each BIJA Bar is the alchemy of hand-harvested beans transformed with European craftsmanship to create an incredibly complex bean-to-bar experience. BIJA’s handcrafted-quality chocolates contain only four ingredients or less and are 100 percent Certified Organic, soy-free, non-GMO and gluten-free. The dark chocolates are vegan. The bars come in nine flavors: Burnt Maple Crunch, Cherry Chia Crunch, Dark Chocolate Adventure, Espresso & Cacao Nibs, Himalayan Sea Salt, Pure Dark, Sea Salt Almond, Tart Citrus Incaberry, Toasted Coconut, and Wild Ginger & Cayenne.
About BIJA Chocolates
BIJA, named after the Sanskrit word meaning “the seed and source of life,” is a social enterprise founded by husband and wife Paul Newman and Ari Lee-Newman that seeks to empower women by working directly with producers and bringing higher wages to communities. By working directly with women-owned co-ops, we create real relationships with the women and pay them directly. This ensures greater economic opportunities to help their families and communities. Recently, BIJA was recognized by Whole Foods Market as one of the most innovative small businesses in America that creates impact through ethical sourcing and social entrepreneurship. Visit www.bijachocolates.com.
Contact
Paul Newman, BIJA Chocolates, paul@bijachocolates.com, tel 877.342.2452
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
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Worth the Retreat: One Week At Finca Luna Nueva
Photo by Compass Natural
Perspective by Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing
Eco-resort and certified Biodynamic farm Finca Luna Nueva, situated at the base of 250,000 acres of pristine rainforest surrounding the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, provides visitors an ideal setting for corporate retreats, vacation, and reconnecting with the natural world.
San Isidro, Costa Rica (April 27, 2019) – Walking on a solo hike through the rainforest at Finca Luna Nueva, a magical, “rustic luxury” eco-resort and certified Biodynamic farm at the foot of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest near San Isidro, Costa Rica, listening to the primal scream of the Howler monkeys and the loud calls of the Oropendola birds in the tall trees above me, I am reminded of the innate intelligence of Mother Earth.
Of how everything is connected. The cycles of life, death, decay and rebirth and the abundance of nature – how it all works together to foster new life all around us. Nature is a community we are a part of, not just a commodity for us to selfishly exploit without any consideration for other life or the environment. All of this is clearly visible every which way you look in the lush rainforest surrounding the farm and resort.
It can be seen in the tropical saplings growing quickly through the stumps of fallen trees that came before. In how the leaf cutter ants recycle organic matter and build soil fertility by harvesting bits of foliage throughout the jungle to feed a fungus they cultivate in their underground nests to farm their own food.
A delicate balance of natural resource and nutrient usage. Plants and animals taking advantage of a new niche when a giant tree falls, leaving a gap of light in the dense forest canopy that quickly fills in with eager new growth. The myriad, complex defense mechanisms the jungle’s living creatures create for survival. A mother three-toed sloth watching carefully as she begins to train her baby to fend for itself in a tree for a few moments before cradling it again in the comfort of her lap. How the tall Cecropia tree, with its dangling seed pods, draws different species of birds including colorful toucans at different times of day to eat and spread the tree’s seeds in the forest. How the tiny red poison dart frog has to eat certain species of ants that in turn have to eat certain species of plants in order for the frog to manufacture its particular brand of poison with which it defends itself.
You begin to see how it's all connected, and how life has evolved so that it's all dependent on each other and on the Earth itself. Mother Nature abhors a monoculture; that's evident in the cacophony of rich biodiversity represented at Finca Luna Nueva.
It’s all connected, and if you tug on one thread, like we humans are doing with the environment, there is a great risk that it all unravels.
Three-toed sloth and baby, regular residents at Finca Luna Nueva in Costa Rica.
A Vortex of Biodiversity
Finca Luna Nueva is located at the base of 250,000 acres of primary and secondary rainforest, with the still-active Arenal Volcano looming over all. One of its owners, and my host for the week, Tom Newmark, Co-founder of the Carbon Underground and former Co-owner of New Chapter Vitamins, explains it like this:
“Here we are in the very middle of Central America, at the nexus point of a narrow land bridge connecting the immense continents of North America and South America. In addition, we are at a central location with the Atlantic Ocean immediately to the east, and the Pacific Ocean
immediately to the west. It is a critical corridor of biodiversity. This ‘vortex’ has created one of the most biodiverse regions in one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet – and Finca Luna Nueva, with its 224 acres of rainforest and regenerative “food forest,” is smack dab in the middle of all that. We’ve been told this is one of the most biodiverse farms on the planet!”
Trail at Finca Luna Nueva.
"Rustic Luxury" Retreat Center
I came to Finca Luna Nueva as the guest of Tom and his wife Terry Newmark, and Co-founder and farm manager Steven Farrell, as Compass Natural has the great fortune of helping with marketing and PR for this incredible place. The resort’s mission is to raise awareness of environmental issues and regenerative and Biodynamic agriculture, and provide a memorable corporate retreat and conference center for mission-based companies and organizations in natural, organic, regenerative and related products and services.
With its open air meeting center, a soon to be completed poolside restaurant and bar constructed with bamboo and other natural building materials, spa, hot tub, rooms and individual cabins, organic food grown on the farm and served in its restaurant – and an amazingly kind, courteous and muy amable staff – I highly recommend Finca Luna Nueva to reconnect with your company’s mission, your people, Mother Nature ... and yourself.
Natural Building Highlighted
An unexpected highlight of my trip was arriving at Finca Luna Nueva right at the start of a natural building workshop that was being conducted on the farm by Dome Gaia, an organization founded by Hajjar Gibran, grand nephew of late author and poet Kahlil Gibran.
Led by instructors Rafael “Rafa” Bravo and Gabriel De La Cruz, the workshop attracted nearly 30 people from all over the world to learn to build affordable, sustainable dome buildings made from “AirCrete.” Made with cement and the foam of dish detergent (the instructors specifically use Seventh Generation dish detergent, due to its particular formulation!), the lightweight AirCrete blocks are meant to help people the world over to build low-cost, eco-friendly dome buildings and homes. The group embraced me warmly into the fold and I witnessed and photographed the dome getting built in just 10 days. You never know when you’re going to learn something new ... and meet great people!
My journey to Finca Luna Nueva was a meaningful one for me, as it marked the 40th anniversary of my first entering the Peace Corps in 1978 at the age of 22 and a return to this rich Central American country. While I was eventually assigned to serve in Honduras, I lived for three months with a wonderful Costa Rican family while receiving immersive training in tropical agriculture and Spanish language and culture at the Peace Corps’ training center in La Guacima Alajuela, near the capital of San Jose.
Natural building, natural food, natural world. Thank you, Tom, Terry, Steven and everyone at Finca Luna Nueva. While I’ve returned to my home in beautiful Boulder, CO, a piece of mi corazón will always remain in Costa Rica, and, “si Dios quiere,” I look forward to a return visit to my beloved Finca Luna Nueva. As the Costa Ricans say, Pura Vida, everyone!
Corporate Retreats Available
If you’re interested in exploring corporate and organizational meetings, workshops and retreats at Finca Luna Nueva, contact us at Compass Natural and we’ll be pleased to share more information and connect you with the very professional team at Finca Luna Nueva. Our associate Evan Tompros will be pleased to be of assistance. Contact evan@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
Resources
Finca Luna Nueva
Brave Earth
Dome Gaia
Ecological Building Network
Tom Newmark’s vanilla blog
From left: Terry and Tom Newmark, co-owners of Finca Luna Nueva.
Photos by Steven Hoffman
Whole Foods Market Recognizes Lotus Foods for Environmental Stewardship through Innovative More Crop Per DropTM Rice Growing Practices
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond, CA (April 25, 2018) – Lotus Foods, the leading heirloom rice and ramen company focusing on sustainable rice production, was recognized by Whole Foods Market at their sixth annual Supplier of the Year Awards dinner April 18, with an award for Environmental Stewardship. Each year Whole Foods Market spotlights producers that exemplify the company’s mission and core values through their commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, ethical sourcing, and culinary innovation. The national and local suppliers are selected from thousands of driven, passionate, mission-based brands at Whole Foods Market. This year a total of only 27 perishable and non-perishable suppliers were recognized with just two highlighted for their environmental stewardship.
According to Dan Epley, who leads WFM Global Grocery Team, Lotus Foods was recognized for implementing the ‘More Crop Per Drop™' system, allowing farmers to dramatically increase yields while decreasing water consumption, seed use and methane gas emissions. “Lotus Foods’ B Corp certification is a testament to their commitment to serve as a force for good, specifically through small-scale farmer partnerships and environmental responsibility,” he added.
More Crop Per Drop™ is how Lotus Foods refers to the System of Rice Intensification, an agroecological method that enables lowest-income farmers to produce higher yields of rice with 20-50% less water, 80-90% fewer seeds, no agrochemicals, 40% less methane emissions, and less work and health hazards for women. In a radical departure from conventional rice production, paddies are no longer kept continuously flooded saving enormous amounts of water and reducing methane emissions. Flooded rice paddies are a major source of global warming, producing up to 20% of manmade methane, which is 30X more warming than CO2 over a 100-year period. Paul Hawken’s recent book, Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever to Reverse Global Warming, counts SRI as one of 100 solutions that can reverse global warming if scaled.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled and pleased,” Lotus Foods Co-Founder/Co-CEO Caryl Levine said in response to the award. “SRI is truly transformative. It’s not just about mitigating global warming but helping farm families adapt right now to increasing uncertainties in weather and diminishing availability of water. Whole Foods has been a very important partner in our journey to create market channels for these pioneering farmers and helping us share our message with US consumers and we are so grateful.”
Since 1995, Lotus Foods has partnered in direct and fair trade with small family farmers around the world who are growing rice more sustainably while preserving rice biodiversity. Lotus Foods’ product line includes pigmented heirloom and organic rice varieties such as Forbidden® Rice, Jade Pearl RiceTM, Red Rice, Madagascar Pink RiceTM & Volcano RiceTMas well as Rice Ramen, Arare Rice Crackers and now Basmati and Jasmine Rice along with Pad Thai Rice Noodles and Rice Delights. Products are available at major retailers throughout the US and Canada including Whole Foods, Costco, Wegmans, Target and Amazon.com. As a B-Corporation, Lotus Foods is committed to Changing How Rice is Grown Around the World by focusing on rice grown through the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), what we call More Crop Per DropTM, that minimizes water usage, empowers women, financially rewards farmers and reduces climate impact. Visit www.lotusfoods.com to learn more.
Contact
Liz Kaplan, Lotus Foods, tel 510.725.2913, liz@lotusfoods.com
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