Recapping Negative Foods 2d Quarter
The Quarterly Recap (25th) Edition of the Negative Foods Newsletter
Welcome to the 25th edition of the Negative Foods Newsletter! The end-of-each-quarter edition recaps what we’ve learned. Click here for the 7/9/21 recap for the first quarter of the newsletter.
It feels great to knock this newsletter out each Friday at 745am. Today is 25 straight weeks, rain or shine. When I’m tired, I write. When I’m on vacation, I write. When I’m sick, I write. You get the idea.
I am grateful for you. The warmth and energy and wisdom of this community propels and inspires me. Please share the newsletter with your networks! Please continue to share with me your ideas and feedback.
What did we cover in the last three months?
Carbon Labels. Effective carbon labeling will be a lynchpin for reversing climate change with the food system. The second quarter of the newsletter kicked off with a three-part carbon labeling series:
The Golden Rule of Food explained why consumers need carbon footprint labels, why carbon labeling failed in the past, and why carbon labeling will succeed going forward.
The Early Adopters shone the spotlight on carbon labeling early adopters, such as Quorn, Oatly, Panera, Unilever and more.
The Picks & Shovels explored the idea that, if brands are going to declare their carbon footprints to consumers, the world will need tools, standards and certifications. And the state of the world is currently a mess for the picks and shovels of carbon labeling. Entrepreneurs, this is a great market opportunity!
Being a Negative Foods Eater. I shared my advice on how to be a negative foods eater and what foods to buy where and how:
On Being a Negative Foods Eater shares some thoughts on how eaters, in an age where carbon footprints are hard to identify, can reduce their footprints with their food choices.
The What Food You Should Buy? edition was the intro to The List of Carbon Negative Foods, the edition that contains Negative Foods that we’ve covered in this newsletter or learned along the way.
An Investment in 4P Foods. The shift toward a food system based on a regenerative supply chain is inexorable. The supply will lag demand, and that’s the market opportunity for companies like 4P, which is building the infrastructure (the “missing middle”) to distribute regenerative food to the thoughtful masses.
Has organic jumped the shark? I revealed my disappointment that the organic movement hasn’t fulfilled its promise. But I admit to eating mostly organic food, and that I love that the movement shows that people will pay more for food they perceive to be better for their health and the environment.
The Land of Fire & Ice. A trip to Iceland with my daughter inspired me to imagine the United States’ future, when we’ll be powered by low cost 100% renewable electricity, and when our fleets will be 100% electric. Examining a country like Iceland as a sandbox is a useful and enjoyable exercise.
Beef Can be a Climate Lever. In Let's talk about beef (again), I describe how beef production, if we switch from industrial beef to regenerative beef, is a lever that can be flipped from emitting greenhouse gasses to removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.
California Can also be a Climate Lever! I’ve got California on my mind, as it is the biggest producer of fruits and vegetables in the United States, and because it often is where you see the future of the United States.
Can Olives Save California from Climate Change? I explained how a growing California olive industry could help California become a giant carbon sink.
My favorite edition of last quarter was A Letter from a Future California. This thought exercise from the future explains how California led the way, providing the world with an important example that inspired other agricultural regions of the world to convert their farmland to levers that are removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.
Recapping the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum. Last week we recapped the RSFI forum, which brought together many of the best entrepreneurs and investors in the U.S. working to reverse climate change with our food system.
What’s up next in this newsletter? Next week I’ll share the Negative Foods Manifesto, which includes my mission and my commitments for the rest of my career. What else would you like to see? Send your ideas.
The views in this newsletter belong solely to Paul Lightfoot (and not to BrightFarms or other organizations). This newsletter accepts no advertising. Learn more about this newsletter at https://paullightfoot.substack.com/about.
For Your Consideration:
Treating beef like coal would make a big dent in greenhouse-gas emissions
Brief: McDonald’s pledges net zero emissions by 2050 targeting beef supply to energy sources
Certified Organic Isn't Enough
Meat Startup [Do Good Foods] Focused on Cutting Food Waste Plots Grocery Debut
Why Defining Agricultural Terms is Critical
The ocean is a $100tln market opportunity
Cattle Comparison: Pasture-Raised, Grassfed Cattle vs Feedlot, Grain-Finished Cattle
New Platform Aims to Elevate the Importance of Sustainable Diets
Outdoor Clothing Giant Patagonia Is Brewing Regenerative Beer That Helps Sequester Carbon
Soil health practices are paying off
Perennial Grains Start Appearing on Grocery Store Shelves
Mars Inc. pledges to go net zero by 2050
Does an ally against climate change lie beneath our feet?
The Power of Vertical Integration: Spotlight on Double Brook Farm
Nestlé, Campbell Soup 'highly exposed' to climate risks, investor group warns
Five Seasons Ventures pulls in €180M fund to tackle human health and climate via food tech
Brief: Walmart joins Canopy to remove at-risk forests from materials supply chain