Regenerative Foods go Mainstream at Expo West
The 2022 Expo West Edition (47th) of the Negative Foods Newsletter
Regenerative foods are marching inexorably into our mainstream food markets. Expo West, the leading trade show in the natural, organic, and healthy products industry, is the tip-of-the-spear for healthier food trends. If you’ve never attended Expo West, you might be surprised at its monstrous size. If you are a serial attendee, then you understand that this show is often the coming out party for tomorrow’s hot food startups.
This year, Expo West is showcasing regenerative brands. I wasn’t able to attend, but according to Patrick Smith of Wolf Tree Ventures, there are 53 exhibitors at Expo West this year that explicitly support regenerative agriculture. Check out Wolf Tree’s Expo West regenerative guide, which includes labeled maps and lists show events related to regenerative agriculture.
This year a new Nexty Award category was created for “Best New Organic or Regenerative Organic Certified Product.” The winner was Navitas Organics, ROC Certified Cacao Powder.
This proud Certified B Corp holds the distinction of the first company to offer a Regenerative Organic Certified Cacao Powder to consumers. We love how Navitas Organics recognizes and empowers farmers who use holistic and Indigenous practices that respect the entire ecosystem and surrounding communities. These practices increase biodiversity and conserve natural resources, creating an environmentally friendly food chain that helps strengthen local economies and communities that are crucial components to addressing economic and social inequality on a global level. This smooth 100% cacao powder is USDA Organic and Fairtrade, indulging not only our senses but also our food ethics.
We will always serve natural and organic, but there are other ways that the industry is defining itself when you look at the rise of regenerative agriculture and focus on regenerative supply chains... If you also look at the values driving a lot of these companies, they are so aligned with the natural and organic industry in terms of helping to take care of and regenerate the planet and bring good nutrition to all people.
Expo West 2022 demonstrates that the revolution is underway. Let’s go!
Should we be concerned that regenerative foods are making a splash at Expo West? Yes. We should be concerned that Big Food will hijack and exploit this rising trend with greenwashing. The appropriate response to this concern will be to define “regenerative”, to set meaningful standards and certifications, and for progressive brands to leverage carbon footprint labels to give consumers sufficient knowledge to make informed choices. I’m writing an upcoming edition of this newsletter on progress toward certifications and carbon labels.
For Your Consideration:
3 new regenerative agriculture certifications you'll see at Expo West
Nori Raises $7M Series A Investment As It Scales Its Groundbreaking Carbon Removal Marketplace
Soil Carbon Initiative Launches Regen Ag Certification Program
Mushrooms and Regenerative Agriculture Top List of Natural Trends for 2022
With Regenerative Agriculture, Guinness Really Is Good For You!
Food Grown On Regenerative Farms Could Actually Be Healthier For You
Op-Ed: There Is Ample Evidence That Agroecology Can Transform the Food System
Organic Superfood Pioneer Navitas Organics Roots Itself in Superfoods with Purpose
Windfall for farmers as (AUS) government changes carbon credit rules
Regenerative agriculture is farm resilience
Vodka Made From CO2? Entrepreneurs Find Surprising Uses for Captured Carbon
Tyson venture initiative to invest in sustainability tech
Soil Proof: The Plan to Quantify Regenerative Agriculture
CIBO & Bushel partner to make carbon farming ‘economically viable’ for US growers
The wave to come: Presence report highlights “spectacular shift” in conscious consumption
Philosopher Foods: Taking on Degenerative Agriculture One Nut Butter at a Time
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.
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