Recapping Negative Foods 1st Quarter
The Quarterly Recap (12th) Edition of the Negative Foods Newsletter
Welcome to the 12th edition of the Negative Foods Newsletter! It’s on!
The end-of-each-quarter edition will recap what we’re learning re carbon negative foods. What did we cover in the three months since we began?
The First Edition explained that the newsletter will cover foods that draw carbon from the atmosphere.
The Second Edition explained that we’ll celebrate the entrepreneurs bringing carbon negative foods to market.
The Beer Edition celebrated awesome beer brands.
"When we encounter carbon negative foods (and beers), the consumption of such products is a lever to reverse climate change.”
In the Seaweed Edition, we learned the many uses of kelp, including permanently removing carbon from the atmosphere, fertilizing crops with less carbon intensity and reducing cow methane emissions.
In the Big Food Edition, I recommended that we give Big Food a chance.
In the Feedback Edition, I recognized the people who disagreed with my Big Food recommendation and I explained that criticism is welcome. I also told the “why” of the newsletter.
In the Bread Edition, we talked about the carbon footprint of bread and how a bread brand can be a Negative Food.
In The Case for Being Bullish, my favorite edition, I explained that consumers will drive up demand for foods that reverse climate change and make them healthier, which will help reverse climate change and create the greatest opportunities - of their lifetimes - for entrepreneurs and investors.
The Oyster Edition was, of course, a love story. Modern oyster cultivation sequesters carbon, cleans waters and provides a delicious, nutritious and and affordable source of protein. #aphrodisiac
The Food Waste Edition explained the types of food waste and how the future reduction in consumer food waste, corn ethanol, industrial beef and ultra processed food will make society healthier, happier and wealthier, and will materially reduce our carbon emissions.
Finally, in the Pet Food Edition, we learned that cats are bad and dogs are good. I was inspired to change my dogs’ diet to reduce my family’s carbon footprint (see product review below to see how the dogs feel about it).
What stories about foods with carbon negative or neutral footprints should we cover in the next quarter? Let me know!
I am grateful for your energy. I’m blown away by the quantity and quality of people passionate for Negative Foods. Some of the ass kickers inspiring me since we started:
Belcampo Founder Anya Fernald
Bren Smith, author of Eat Like a Fish, and Executive Director of Green Wave
Blue Hill co-founder David Barber
My friend and mentor Benzi Ronen (see his blog/newsletter)
Petaluma’s Co-Founder & CMO Caroline Buck
Robert Bonnie at the USDA
Soil ecologist Dr. Christine Jones
Dan Kittredge, Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association
Skip Bennet of Island Creek Oysters
Bill Dewey, Director of Policy for Taylor Shellfish Farms
Dr. David Moore of the University of Manchester
Michael Doall, the Associate Director for Bivalve Restoration at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences
Peter Stein, the founder of Peeko Oysters
Ryan the world class fish monger
Koen van Seijen, host of the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
Parker Hughes of Soilworks Natural Capital and the Regeneration Weekly newsletter
Who inspires you? Let me know!
Product Review: Petaluma Dog Food
My kids laughed when I said Carli & Sadie would do the next product review. There would be no suspense. The dogs love roasted sweet potatoes and peanut butter. So of course they loved Petaluma dog food.
We’ve switched dog foods and everyone is happy.
Sadie is proud to help reverse climate change by eating carbon neutral dog food. Carli is proud to protect the family from chipmunks.
Petaluma’s cheerful packaging and graphics are a joy. I’ve got a feeling about this awesome startup, and I hope you join me in supporting them, pleasing your dogs, and reversing climate change.
For Your Further Consideration:
The U.S. Is About to Go All in on Paying Farmers and Foresters to Trap Carbon
Whipstitch Capital: CPG innovation is benefitting from a 10-fold investment increase in ESG funds
This New ‘Zero Foodprint’ Dish At Just Salad Helps to Boost Regenerative Farming
Expect Fungi-Based Steak On Your Plate By 2022: Meati Raises $50 Million
Commercial Kitchens Not Ready To Forsake Gas, But Can Profitably Cut Carbon
25 Books on Food Tank’s Summer 2021 Reading List
Nestle S A : Nestlé joins industry movement for more sustainable food systems in Europe
Pasture-raised dairy: The ultimate planet-friendly milk
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.
Cats aren't bad, Paul! They are more discerning creatures than dogs - not better, not worse. The best, happiest homes have both kinds of pets. And there are negative cat food and cat litter choices to reduce the feline carbon pawprint -- some of which you pointed out in your pets edition.