Steve Hoffman 9/6/18 Steve Hoffman 9/6/18

My Visit to Gaia Herbs Farm

Or the Tale of Rare White Squirrels, Ginkgo Groves, Fields of Echinacea to the Horizon, Dedicated People, and Organic Products that Care for Health and the Environment

Profile by Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural

Screen Shot 2018-09-06 at 11.58.29 AM.png

Asheville, NC (September 6, 2018) - Driving southwest on Highway 64 out of Asheville, North Carolina, on this early morning in late summer, in and out of thick fog and cool mountain air as my rental car navigates hills and valleys, I am struck by the lush, verdant, and primordial landscape of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

I am headed to the legendary, certified organic Gaia Herbs Farm.

Located in its own little valley, protected from pesticide drift by mountains on all sides, and bordered by the French Broad River and the 530,000-acre Nantahala National Forest to the west, the farm is in a uniquely biodiverse, temperate rainforest region where the Blue Ridge Mountains meet the Great Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina. In fact, nearly 80 percent of all plant species used in North American herbalism are native to this region – a key reason Gaia Herbs established itself here more than 32 years ago.

This was my first visit to the Asheville area, and for a guy from Boulder, Colorado, I felt right at home in this densely forested, rugged, mountainous region – an ancient geologic area left untouched by the glaciers of the last ice age that flattened much of the Northern Appalachians, with rock formations that are nearly half as old as Earth itself, and home to the highest peaks east of the Mississippi River. Plus, what they say about Asheville is true – it’s a mecca for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, and a delightful, historic town full of restaurants, craft breweries, shops, music, unique architecture, art, culture and more.

The good folks at Gaia Herbs, one of the nation’s leading herbal products brands – invited me to visit Gaia’s proprietary 350-acre organic herb farm where it grows up to 6.5 million plants a year to satisfy demand for pure, safe and efficacious herbal remedies.

The team hosted me for a full day of meetings and tours of the farm, as well as the analytical and quality assurance laboratories, and extraction and processing facilities located right on the property.

Offering more than 200 products and with a commitment to regenerative organic agriculture practices, Gaia Herbs is a truly vertically integrated herbal products manufacturer committed to health and the environment. With its farm, laboratories and processing facilities primarily in one location, the company ensures quality, integrity, potency, safety and efficacy from seed to shelf.

Discovering a Verdant Valley … and White Squirrels
More than 32 years ago, Massachusetts-based Medical Herbalist Ric Scalzo was searching for a location where he could grow the medicinal herbs he used in the formulas he developed for patients. Demand was growing for the products he created, and the farming season in New England was too short for the crops he had in mind. So, Ric headed south and stopped in his tracks when he discovered a fertile little valley tucked just outside of the rural town of Brevard, North Carolina, about 45 minutes south of Asheville.

The property that caught his eye was an old dairy farm. Protected from other industrial agriculture and with pure mountain water from Cathey’s Creek, a designated Wild Trout stream running through the farm on its way to the French Broad River, Scalzo knew that this rich bottom land would soon be home to Gaia Herbs.

(Now, here’s where the white squirrels come in: Brevard, founded in 1861 as the county seat in Transylvania County, is also known as home to a thriving, rare white squirrel population said to have descended from a pair of escaped carnival animals. The animals are unique to the area and so loved by the community that in 1986 the Brevard City Council voted unanimously to establish the town as a sanctuary for white squirrels.

After hearing numerous times from friendly staff about these elusive white squirrels, I finally got to see one hanging out in a Hawthorn tree grove near Gaia’s main farmhouse (the floral buds of the Hawthorn trees, too, are harvested for Gaia’s herbal product formulations). Not albinos, these cute critters – all white with a dark stripe running from the top of their head down their back – are a unique strain of the common gray squirrel that thrives in this particular area.)

Gaia Herbs – Next Generation
Today, Gaia Herbs employs more than 250 people and grows about a third of the plants it needs on the Brevard farm. The company also operates an organic farm in Costa Rica where it cultivates turmeric and other herbs, and plants are also sourced from certified organic farmers and ethical wildcrafters who sustainably harvest plants from nature. After completing a $5 million, state-of-the-art expansion in 2016 of its manufacturing facilities on the farm in Brevard and opening a 60,000 square-foot greenhouse in nearby Mills River, NC, Gaia Herbs is an internationally respected brand, known for its authenticity, purity, potency, efficacy, transparency, and commitment to health, organic agriculture and the environment.

With its Meet Your Herbs® transparency program from seed to shelf, and building on a platform of “Purity + Integrity = Potency,” Gaia Herbs is developing new products and herbal blends to serve an increasingly savvy and demanding natural health consumer. Under leadership of President Angela McElwee, a natural product industry veteran who started her career at age 16 helping customers in the aisles of Healthy Alternative, an independent natural foods retail chain based in Dayton, OH, the “Gaia Difference” is being well received, and Gaia Herbs continues to foster its position as an innovator and brand leader in the natural, organic, and herbal products market.

Meet Your Herbs® – Setting a New Standard for Traceability
For consumers, Gaia’s Meet Your Herbs® program raises the bar for transparency and traceability, says the company. For every Gaia Herbs product, a customer can enter a unique ID number located on the package to “virtually experience” how the botanical ingredients of a particular product were grown, cultivated and harvested, and then tested down to the DNA level in Gaia’s state-of-the-art analytical laboratories for quality and potency, efficacy and safety. Meet Your Herbs® also presents easy-to-understand science validating each step in Gaia’s process from seed to shelf, and anyone can explore the history, uses and function of each particular herb in their Gaia Herbs product formulation.

The company will showcase its new blends, including Calm A.S.A.P. and Mood Uplift, at the upcoming Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, MD. Unlike many herbal products that claim to support emotional coping skills by recommending a maintenance dose, Calm A.S.A.P. was specifically formulated for relief in the moment.* Blended from herbs cultivated on the company’s organic farms and sourced from an “impeccably transparent supply chain,” Calm A.S.A.P. was recently recognized as a 2018 NEXTY AwardFinalist for Best Condition-Specific Supplement by New Hope Network, producer of Natural Products Expo and publisher of leading trade and consumer magazines in the natural, nutritional and organic products market.

Mood Uplift, a new Gaia Herbs product designed to support mental and emotional wellbeing, combines herbal extracts traditionally used to help the body cope with daily stress, nourish the nervous system, calm the mind, support a balanced mood and help foster a better outlook on life.*

These new products, along with other Gaia Herbs’ liquid extracts, are available in Vegan Liquid Phyto Caps™. Designed for rapid absorption, Gaia’s plant-based Phyto Caps™ are a unique patented delivery system developed exclusively by the company to deliver the concentrated potency of a liquid extract in the convenience of an easily digestible, fast-dissolving capsule.

Giving Back – A Team Effort
As a socially responsible, mission-driven company, Gaia Herbs cares for its employees first, along with the local community and organizations dedicated to food, agriculture and the environment. Each year, a portion of the farm’s acreage is dedicated to growing vegetables for the company’s employees; the Gaia Employee CSA (community supported agriculture) provides 20,000 pounds of farm-fresh organic vegetables to the staff each season. In addition, team members benefit from employee wellness programs, living wage certification, and a paid volunteer program. Outside the farm, Gaia supports mission-aligned organizations including the Bread of Life Free Community Kitchen in Transylvania County, the Pisgah Conservancy to support environmental preservation in the region, Golden Courage, an international organization with a mission to end child poverty, and more.

Learn More about Gaia Herb’s Traceability Program, Meet Your Herbs®, in Part 2 of My Visit to Gaia Herbs Farm, coming next month!

Learn more at www.GaiaHerbs.com, and visit Gaia Herbs at Booth #3163 at Natural Products Expo East, Sept. 13-15, 2018, at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD.

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.

Photos: Compass Natural, Wikimedia Commons, Gaia Herbs

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Steve Hoffman 9/4/18 Steve Hoffman 9/4/18

Judge Rules Case Can Proceed Against USDA’s Withdrawal of Organic Welfare Rule

A judge for the federal court for the Northern District of California on August 21 concluded that a legal challenge filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) against the USDA’s decision to withdraw organic animal welfare regulations could move forward. In March, seven nonprofit organizations, led by CFS, sued the USDA and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, challenging its decision to withdraw the organic standards for animals on certified organic farms, called the “Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices” rule. The regulation, finalized by the USDA under the Obama administration in early 2017, strengthened the requirements for the care and wellbeing of animals on organic farms. “We are very gratified that the Court agrees we can challenge the unlawful withdrawal of these hard-won animal care protections in organic production,” said George Kimbrell, CFS legal director and counsel in the case. “The Trump administration unlawfully reversed 28 years of well-settled organic law and policy. We look forward to protecting the public’s right to a meaningful organic seal.”

Steve Hoffman 9/1/18 Steve Hoffman 9/1/18

Growth in Organic Market Represents Ongoing and Deep Cultural Shift

For the foreseeable future, organic products will remain for most consumers “the gold standard of a safer, higher-quality product,” says leading market research firm The Hartman Group. “Organic communicates freedom from chemicals (on the farm and during production) as well as a product that is seen as ‘better for the world.’ As such organic products will continue to play an important role in consumers' search for better food, said Hartman CEO Laurie Demeritt. Of U.S. consumers who use organic products, the majority (61%) is made up of Mid-level (Inner + Outer) organic consumers, with smaller segments at the two extremes: 24% are Core consumers, and 15% are Periphery consumers. The Outer Mid-level is the largest consumer segment (37%).

As described, Core organic buyers are the most intensely involved. As the trendsetters and early adopters, they are the most knowledgeable regarding issues surrounding organic products. By understanding the Core, we are able to examine potential upcoming important issues, which Mid-level consumers may come to espouse over time.
The Mid-levels represent the majority of organic consumers and thus the biggest opportunity for retailers, manufacturers and restaurant operators. Inner Mid-level consumers aspire to Core attitudes and behaviors but pragmatically apply them with less consistency and reach.
Outer Mid-level consumers engage with organic products as well, often motivated by fear of unknown consequences of conventional food as well as by status — “everyone is doing it.”
Periphery consumers prioritize other concerns. They still, however, know some general principles and occasionally incorporate organic products into their diet.

Hartman recommends that manufacturers, retailers and restaurant operators should:

Prioritize speaking to consumer values around organics; do not risk falling out of consumers’ consideration set.
Focus on communicating the benefits of organic and natural from a health and wellness perspective first. However, consumers do appreciate hearing about positive effects on the wider world: Communications that convey “better for you AND better for the world” are the most impactful.
Leverage the organic seal as a means of elevating quality perceptions, particularly in categories where pesticides are front of mind.

Source: The Hartman Group Organic and Natural Report 2018

Steve Hoffman 8/28/18 Steve Hoffman 8/28/18

Plant Based Food Sales Outpacing Overall Food Sales by 10X

Source: Plant Based Foods Association — *Source:* *Plant Based Foods Association*

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, September 2018
August 28, 2018
By Steven Hoffman

Plant-based food sales are growing like a weed. According to a new Nielsen study commissioned by the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), sales of plant-based foods grew a whopping 20% in the 52 weeks ending June 16, 2018. “The growth is significant, especially compared to the sales of all foods, which grew just 2%, so plant-based foods dollar sales are outpacing dollar sales of all retail foods by 10X,” says PBFA. Sales of plant-based milks grew 9% vs. -6% growth in cow’s milk; and sales of plant-based meat products grew 24% compared to 2% growth in animal meats. Other standout categories included plant-based creamers, which grew 131% over the same period last year; plant-based yogurts (55% growth) and plant-based cheeses (43% growth). Learn more here.

Steve Hoffman 8/27/18 Steve Hoffman 8/27/18

Glyphosate Found in 95% of Foods Containing Conventionally Grown Oats

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, September 2018
August 23, 2018
By Steven Hoffman

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer and the most heavily used pesticide in the history of the world, has tested positive in 95% of oat-based foods, including popular breakfast cereals, oatmeal, granola and snack bars, according to independent laboratory testing commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Of 45 conventional products tested, glyphosate residues were present in 43, and 31 of those products contained levels higher than what EWG scientists consider safe for children. The herbicide, also used as a pre-harvest desiccant on cereals and grains, is so pervasive it also showed up in 31% of food samples made with organic oats, although EWG reports the organic foods tested at levels “well below EWG’s health benchmark.” In August, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million in damages to a former groundskeeper who claimed his cancer was caused by repeated exposure to glyphosate. To view EWG’s chart of oat-based foods tested, visit here.

Steve Hoffman 8/13/18 Steve Hoffman 8/13/18

PLANT-BASED, CHEF-MASTERED, GOOD CATCH SECURES $8.7M SERIES A FINANCING ROUND LED BY A SYNDICATE OF IMPACT INVESTORS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW CROP CAPITAL AND BEYONDBRANDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World's First Food-Tech Brand to Mimic Real Taste and Texture of Tuna Sets Sail to Revolutionize Seafood on a Global Scale.

New York, NY (August 13, 2018) – On a mission to provide ocean-friendly, plant-based seafood options for everyone, the culinary rebels with a cause at Good Catchtoday announced the closing of an $8.7M Series A funding round. The round was led by New Crop Capital and a syndicate of investors: leading European food manufacturer PHW Group; retailers Thrive Market and Fresh Direct; strategic private investors and entrepreneurs with global reach; and mission- aligned impact partners, including Stray Dog Capital, Clear Current Capital, VegInvest, Rocana Capital, Blue Horizon, EverHope Capital, Baleine & Bjorn Capital, M13, and Starlight Ventures.

Good Catch’s early success represents the expansion of the plant-based megatrend into the seafood market segment, a virtually uncontested space with international impact potential. Good Catch is launching at a critical moment, tapping into the food-tech zeitgeist with a line of culinary- driven, fish-free seafood as the world braces for the collapse of global fisheries before 2050.

Nearly 90% of large predatory fish stocks are depleted.
Oceans currently serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 3 billion people consuming marine life as their primary protein source.
Alternative proteins are poised to command a third of the protein market by 2050.

“The relentless and indiscriminate killing of marine life is devastating ocean ecosystems,” said Good Catch co-founders and co-CEOs Chris Kerr and Eric Schnell in a joint statement. “The only truly sustainable seafood is seafood that allows fish to remain in the ocean. It is abundantly clear that we need a new approach to seafood. This is a global concern, and we need global stakeholders to put this approach into action; time is not on our side.”

United over their love of good food, plant-based eating, and animal welfare, the founders of Good Catch are bringing more than 100 years of mission-driven entrepreneurship and visionary leadership to the company. Founded by the venture firm New Crop Capital, by conscious branding agency BeyondBrands, and with culinary innovation led by renowned plant-based chefs Chad and Derek Sarno, the team aims to help solve the oceans’ complex global issues with new sustainable food technology and marine welfare, which are at the core of the company’s mission.

"The Good Catch team has built a truly world-class plant-based protein, an area where we're seeing massive growth and demand. We're incredibly excited to help bring Good Catch to market in 2018 and proud to call them the third investment out of Thrive Market Ventures," said Nick Green, Thrive Market cofounder and co-CEO.

“The equity investment in Good Catch is evidence of our forward-thinking strategy. Good Catch is consistent with our pursuit to provide the Europe with sustainable, clean foods. We do not see this transaction as a financial investment but rather as the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership,” said Peter Wesjohann, PHW Group, one of Europe’s largest poultry producers.

Also investing in this round is M13, founded by serial CPG entrepreneurs and investors Courtney & Carter Reum. Courtney, who has also joined Good Catch’s board, remarked, "M13's mission is to accelerate innovative consumer brands through the use of leading-edge technology and media. We are thrilled to collaborate with such a groundbreaking, dynamic, and on-trend brand."

“Today, while navigating the quest for clean protein and nutrition, consumers are faced with a minefield of choices and tradeoffs,” said Good Catch cofounder Marci Zaroff. “Good Catch is committed to solving the problem with innovative ingredients and delicious novel products that serve and satisfy consumers globally — no exploitation required.”

Experience seafood without sacrifice at www.goodcatchfoods.com. @goodcatchfoods

Contact
Rachel Krupa, Krupa Consulting, rachel@krupaconsulting.com, tel 213.626.0465

# # #

Steve Hoffman 8/7/18 Steve Hoffman 8/7/18

Farmers to Trump on Tariffs: “Trade, Not Aid”

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, August 2018
July 26, 2018
By Steven Hoffman

In early July when President Donald Trump imposed trade tariffs on imports of commodities including steel and aluminum, the nations singled out by Trump, including China, Canada, Mexico and the EU, struck back, targeting food producers across the U.S. with stiff retaliatory tariffs on exports of corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sorghum, pork, poultry, fish and a number of nuts, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products including bourbon, orange juice and dairy products.

Asked to be patient in a speech to Iowa farmers on July 26, U.S. farmers are bearing a disproportionate brunt of Trump’s trade war. Feeling the financial pain, the patience of America’s heartland farmers – a bastion of support for President Trump – is wearing thin in a trade war Trump promised would be “easy to win.”

In an attempt to alleviate the economic impact to farmers as a result of his own trade policies, President Trump on July 24 promised $12 billion in emergency aid to farmers, using a depression-era assistance program to put a band aid on the immediate pain American farmers are feeling as a result of the U.S. imposed tariffs and subsequent trade retaliation by China, the EU and others.

But some Republicans and farmers are not buying it. Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker in a statement called Trump’s trade policy “incoherent” and the administration “was offering welfare to farmers to solve a problem they themselves created.”

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said in a statement, “This trade war is cutting the legs out from under farmers and the White House’s ‘plan’ is to spend $12 billion on gold crutches. . . .America’s farmers don’t want to be paid to lose — they want to win by feeding the world.”

Sen. John Kasich (R-OH) said that President Trump was resorting to “farm welfare” when what American farmers really want is the administration to stop imposing tariffs. American consumers will feel the pinch both ways under the proposed bailout strategy in the form of higher costs for foods due to the higher tariffs, and also the $12 billion emergency aid for farmers will end up coming from U.S. taxpayers.

Relief from an EU Deal
In a move that could provide some relief to U.S. soybean producers, President Trump on July 25 announced a deal with EU President Jean-Claude Juncker that would remove tariffs on a number of industrial goods in trade between the U.S. and the EU. In a hastily scheduled joint press conference on the White House lawn, Trump declared that European countries would be buying “a lot of soybeans” from American farmers. In a campaign-style speech on July 26 in Iowa, Trump told a group of farmers, “We just opened up Europe for you farmers. You’re not going to be too angry with Trump, I can tell you,” he said.

However, existing tariffs still remain in place and the U.S.-EU announcement did nothing to resolve Chinese sanctions on U.S. soy, pork and other farm products. In response to Trump’s trade tariffs, China in early July imposed a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybean exports and also placed tariffs on U.S. corn, wheat, sorghum, pork, beef, nuts, fruit, vegetables and many other agricultural products. Mexico is also levying a 20 percent tariff on U.S. pork in response to Trump administration trade sanctions, as well, Agri-Pulse reported.

“If the price of soybeans goes down, farmers will have less to spend on new equipment. And equipment makers such as Caterpillar and John Deere will (eventually) have to raise the price of equipment due to steel tariffs,” Chicago trade attorney R. Kevin Williams said in the Chicago Tribune. “Eventually it will have an impact on the economy.”

“Patience is wearing thin on U.S. pork producers because the next six months of market prices – there’s a lot of red ink. We need the administration to come to these deals quickly,” Iowa hog farmer Gregg Hora told ABC News.

“We would prefer trade not aid,” said Dave Struthers, who grows corn and soybeans and raises hogs in Iowa, in a July 25, 2018, Bloomberg News report. “We’d like to see things figured out on these trade issues.”

According to Bloomberg, agriculture is the third-largest U.S. export industry. American farmers export approximately one-third of their annual production. According to Bloomberg, that generated an estimated $21 billion trade surplus this past year, however, that is now under threat after China imposed tariffs on U.S. soybeans and other agricultural products.

Impact on Natural and Organic Producers
But farmers are not the only ones affected by the administration’s trade wars. Packaged goods manufacturers, too, are beginning to feel negative effects. When the Trump administration placed tariffs on Chinese goods with an annual trade value of about $200 billion, roughly 1,300 products were impacted. The additional taxes will ripple through supply chains, reports CNN Money, compelling businesses in the U.S. and China to decide whether to absorb costs or raise consumer prices.

CNN Money published a list of food products impacted by the trade tariffs here. Eater also published a list of foods subject to tariffs, by country, here.

Closer to home, Arnold Coombs, Director of Sales and Marketing for Bascom Maple Farms, the largest supplier of maple syrup and maple sugar in the U.S., and a seventh-generation Vermont maple sugar maker, puts it this way:

“While selling maple to Canada is like selling ice to Eskimos, we do sell some maple syrup and maple sugar to manufacturers there. We will lose a little under $1 million in sales. The bigger issue for us will be the U.S. withdrawal from the TPP. Unless this is reversed or another agreement completed, we will lose close to $9 million in sales.

“One more trade issue for us is CETA, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The tariff on Canadian maple is gone while there is still an 8 percent tariff on U.S. maple. This has essentially taken us out of the EU market with a loss of $4-5 million in sales. I doubt that we will have an agreement with the EU in the near future.

It seems that just when we had a good grasp of developing new export markets, the U.S. government got in the way and threw up some roadblocks. Ultimately, this hurts the U.S. farmer, as we will have to buy less syrup from them. That’s not the direction we want to go.”

Leading organic dairy producer Organic Valley’s CEO George Siemon added:

“Our dairy business will be mainly affected by the conventional market being harmed. Our own sales will not be that affected, as we do not export that much to the countries with tariffs. No matter how well we manage an organic dairy pool you end up with some conventional sales; thus a lower conventional price due to tariffs will hurt our income from those sales.”

Dietary Supplement Products “Ensnared” in U.S. – China Trade War
With many nutritional product manufacturers sourcing ingredients from China and the world over, supplement makers are feeling the pinch of a 10 percent to 25 percent import duty on a range of ingredients including minerals, animal and plant proteins, sweeteners, hemp seeds, phytosterols and other ingredients.

According to Natural Products Insider, online trading resource IngredientsOnline.com has complied a list of more than 180 ingredients that could be affected by the trade tariffs. "Keep in mind this is just the beginning; we're hearing the tariffs can range from 10 percent to 25 percent. It's obvious this will have a tremendous effect on not only the industry but on consumers as well,” said Peggy Jackson, VP of sales and marketing for IngredientsOnline.com.

Among a list released in July of Chinese goods facing tariffs of 10 percent or more were a number of specifically named herbs and botanicals, as well as what American Herbal Products Association President Michael McGuffin described as a “catch-all” category that could include a number of herbal ingredients and a separate designation that could impact certain forms of minerals used in dietary supplements.

In addition, importers may choose to buy up raw materials before tariffs take effect, and “all of a sudden the supply-demand equation is no longer balanced and the costs are going to go up,” McGuffin told New Hope Network.

Generational Effects…Or Patience?
Robert Leonard, News Director for Iowa radio stations KNIA and KRLS, claims in a New York Times Op-Ed that President Trump’s trade war will hurt farm business at a time when the rural population is aging, and that it could accelerate the hollowing out of farm communities. “Mr. Trump recklessly opened trade wars that will hit ‘Trump country’ – rural America – hardest and that have already brought an avalanche of losses. Indeed, the impact of his tariffs will probably be felt by family farms and the area for generations,” he wrote.

Yet, President Trump argues that his proposed emergency farm aid bailout is only temporary. Eventually, he argues, the trade war will pay off—farmers will no longer need taxpayer help. “The farmers will be the biggest beneficiary [sic]. Watch,” he said. “We’re opening up markets. You watch what’s going to happen. Just be a little patient.”

Photo: Compass Natural
This article originally appeared in the August 2018 edition of Presence Marketing News.

Steve Hoffman 7/30/18 Steve Hoffman 7/30/18

National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive Launched

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, July 2018
By Steven Hoffman

A rich trove of video interview recordings featuring pioneers and legends of the sustainable and organic agriculture movements has been unveiled by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) at the University of Minnesota.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive captures interviews from such luminaries as poet, author and farmer Wendell Berry; Jill Auburn, former program leader of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture; organic agriculture policy advocate Roger Blobaum; Kate Clancy of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health; Environmental Working Group president and cofounder Ken Cook; former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin; Land Institute founder Wes Jackson; Kathleen Merrigan, Director of Sustainability for George Washington University; and others.

“Through a series of video-recorded interviews, this oral history archive documents the development and evolution of public policies to advance sustainable and organic agriculture going back to the 1970s. The women and men whose stories were recorded for this archive are among the key leaders and advocates who played significant roles in devising and promoting the laws and government programs that continue to undergird efforts to achieve a sustainable farming and food system in the United States,” said Ron Kroese, senior fellow in the Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems at the University of Minnesota and project leader for the Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive.

To view the complete collection of video interviews, visit https://www.misa.umn.edu/publications/sustainableagoralhistoryarchive.

Steve Hoffman 7/16/18 Steve Hoffman 7/16/18

Hawaii Becomes First State to Ban Pesticide Found to Be Harmful to Children

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, July 2018
By Steven Hoffman

More than a year after the Trump administration denied a petition to ban the controversial pesticide chlorpyrifos, the state of Hawaii on June 13 became the first U.S. state to ban this widely used pesticide, found to be linked to severe developmental problems in children and other significant health risks.

Under Senate Bill 3095, signed into law by Gov. David Ige after it was unanimously approved by the state legislature, pesticides containing chlorpyrifos will be prohibited throughout Hawaii beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Businesses will be able to apply for a three-year extension to meet the new regulations, reported Huffington Post.

The new law also prohibits the spraying of pesticides within 100 feet of schools during normal school hours. According to The Garden Island, the law also provides $300,000 from the Pesticides Revolving Fund for staffing, education and outreach plus funding to monitor and study pesticide drift at three schools in the state.

“This was a law that was years in the making. Its time had come,” Hawaii state Sen. Russell Ruderman told The Garden State. “We have been guided by the belief that we must always put our keiki (Hawaiian word for children) first. On that we should all agree.”

Steve Hoffman 7/11/18 Steve Hoffman 7/11/18

Sustainable Palm Oil Awareness Campaign, Set for September 2018, Brings Industry, Consumers Together to Celebrate the Positive Side of Palm Oil

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, July 2018
By Steven Hoffman

Mission-based educational platform Palm Done Right is enlisting industry and public support to help change the conversation about palm oil, and ultimately, how palm oil is produced, by launching the first annual National Palm Done Right Month in September 2018.

Done right, palm oil can be grown sustainably in a way that positively supports people, communities and the environment, say the event organizers and brand partners supporting the Palm Done Right initiative. 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.

Throughout the month of September, National Palm Done Right Month events and activities will galvanize the natural products industry, gain retail, manufacturer and consumer support, and build awareness around responsibly sourced palm, while also celebrating 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.

Retailers and others can sign-up to receive a Palm Done Right Month tool kit, engage customers and activate change with the goal of creating an industry-wide movement at http://www.palmdoneright.com/en/become-a-retail-supporter/.

National Palm Done Right Month is organized by Natural Habitats USA, based in Boulder, CO, 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 all stakeholders. The Palm Done Right initiative 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.

Stay In The Loop!