Hemp Futures: Trends to Watch in 2020

Photo Montage: Compass Natural
Hemp Salve Photo: Pixabay
Hemp House Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, December 2019
By Steven Hoffman

In the year since hemp became legal in the U.S. under the 2018 Farm Bill, the hemp industry has quite literally taken off. Retail sales of CBD products in the U.S. alone are expected to surpass $1 billion in 2019, a 133% increase over 2018 sales, and Hemp Industry Daily projects retail CBD sales will increase to $10.3 billion by 2024, representing a five-year compound annual growth rate of 54%. Indeed, “2019 will forever be remembered as the year that launched America’s CBD craze,” observed Patrick McCarthy, CEO of ValidCare, a market intelligence and research platform for the hemp products industry.

While legalization has spawned a burgeoning industry, challenges for hemp operators proliferated in 2019. Retailers, vendors and other entrepreneurial businesses had difficulty finding banking and credit card companies that would work with them. FDA in November issued a consumer advisory questioning the safety of CBD along with warning letters to 15 companies, setting off late-year uncertainty among businesses that sell CBD in food, beverages and dietary supplements. For farmers, USDA’s interim hemp regulations, published in October, have generated controversy around proposed testing procedures and potential for farmers to bear an undue burden of costs if crops need to be destroyed.

They say hindsight is 2020. If so, what better year for the hemp industry to remain proactive on all fronts. On the wish list for a new decade is the opportunity to co-create an industry built on authenticity, transparency, entrepreneurship, innovation, diversity, equal opportunity and cooperation, as well as one committed to promoting local economies, social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Here’s a sampler of some of the hemp industry’s top issues, predictions and business opportunities to consider as we enter 2020 and a new decade.

Product Safety, Transparency and Reliability
“Today’s consumer cares about where the products they put in, and on, their bodies come from. This trend will hit the hemp industry next, as consumers demand information on plant origin, farming practices, product composition and sustainability,” says Patrick McCarthy of ValidCare. In addition, “broad categorical approval of CBD by the FDA won’t move forward until [industry] leaders band together to provide the safety data FDA is requesting. Until this happens, expect more FDA and FTC letters and class actions to chip away at consumer confidence and add risk and cost to branded operations,” he cautions in his new report, Ten Predictions for the Hemp-Derived CBD Industry in 2020. McCarthy also advises that as consumer sophistication grows in 2020, “they will demand easy and reliable ways to measure amounts when consuming or applying CBD and other cannabinoids. This will be driven by consumers and regulators alike, requiring ‘metered’ calibration of applicators like droppers or pumps, and standardization of serving sizes for consumables. Milligrams matter,” he adds.

Ditching the Pharmaceuticals
As consumers adopt CBD products, they are increasingly ditching the pharmaceuticals used for anxiety, depression and other mental health and physical issues. “Today, one in five Americans report they use hemp-derived CBD for “mental health reasons” such as anxiety, says McCarthy. “In 2020, we’ll see even more people ditch Prozac prescriptions for non-impairing hemp-derived CBD to support their mental health goals. Expect brands targeting this audience to commission research on hemp-derived CBD’s functional benefits for mental health.” In addition, McCarthy notes that the “AARP crowd is one of the largest demographics using hemp-derived CBD for chronic joint pain and sleep. Expect this trend to increase as Boomers seek to replace prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals with hemp-derived products – and to lobby for coverage and/or reimbursement through FSAs, HSAs and supplemental Medicare policies,” he predicts.

Certification
Discerning consumers seeking CBD supplements produced without the use of toxic, synthetic pesticides, or synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, much of which is derived from fracking, will be looking for the USDA Certified Organic seal on products. Also, in March 2019, the U.S. Hemp Authority announced 13 companies had achieved the U.S. Hemp Authority Certified Seal, established to elevate consumer confidence in product quality and safety. Expect more demand for Kosher certification and other certification programs in the future.

Using the Whole Plant
The coming decade will see the focus move beyond CBD to the whole hemp plant, many experts predict. “I think a lot of…farmers are going to realize that the cannabis plant is not a CBD plant, Marysia Morawska, Horticulture Educator at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, predicts in Hemp Industry Daily. “What we’re going to see is a movement toward a trifecta or even quad-usage plant – so, something that’s utilized for the hurd, for the fiber, for the flower, for the grain. And once we realize what those genetics are, we’ll end up realizing that each region specifically has growing styles that will be differentiated by the genetics of that region. And we will move into a place where processing will include not just CBD.”

Tribal Hemp
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem may be no big fan of hemp, but Native American tribes in the state and throughout the country are embracing hemp. In South Dakota, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe have filed applications with the USDA to grow hemp, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe plans to hold a vote on hemp before applying, reports U.S. News & World Report. Muriel YoungBear, a member of the Meskwaki Nation in Tama, Iowa, and a University of Kansas graduate student studying business, has been networking with industry leaders, visiting Colorado growing operations and working within tribal economic development circles to become an educational resource for native nations in producing hemp and added value hemp products. Oglala Lakota tribal elder Alex White Plume has become a leading hemp producer and an inspiration to others. Meanwhile, Winona LaDuke, a Water Protector, former candidate for Vice President of the United States, and founder of the Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, is leading a hemp fiber renaissance in northern Minnesota, advocating for developing hemp textile mills and helping to drive economic opportunities in hemp production for Native Americans throughout the U.S.

Infrastructure Needed
Licensed hemp acreage quadrupled in 2019, but the industry’s infrastructure wasn’t equipped to handle rapid growth. “While there is certainly expansive demand for hemp and hemp-derived products, there is a critical lack of processors capable of keeping up with such, due primarily to a lack both of hemp processing equipment or a mature supply chain,” writes Chris Hudock in New Frontier Data. “In the coming year, the introduction of new processors and established markets will remain vital to the pace and overall health of the industry” he says.

FDA Guidance Could Take Time
With growing popularity and marketing hype surrounding CBD products, federal regulators are challenged to conduct research and establish policy, and this could take not months but years. Questions of health and public safety abound, especially as less scrupulous manufacturers and marketers make unsubstantiated health claims about the effectiveness of CBD products. Add to that the mysterious vaping crisis in 2019. “You can’t go from zero to one hundred without the government needing to feel like it’s doing its job. There are checkboxes that bureaucrats and agencies need to see, and by statutory mandate, it’s the FDA’s core job to protect consumers,” says Bob Hoban, President and Founder of the Hoban Law Group. However, with regard to FDA’s warning letters, “Stop making claims,” Hoban urges marketers of CBD products. “The FDA’s perspective in [its] consumer update assumes there are no studies. This is inaccurate. And the legality of hemp derivatives is clear. If the FDA has studies that challenge the World Health Organization’s, and indicate toxicity, those should be released immediately. But every time the FDA says the words hemp or CBD the industry shakes and the media runs wild. Unless the FDA has some steak, all this sizzle is just adding to the noise. Do we really need more of that?” he asks.

Consolidation on the Horizon
With Canadian companies acquiring U.S. hemp food, beverage and CBD businesses, along with competitor consolidation, as witnessed by the 2019 merger of RE: Botanicals and Palmetto Harmony, expect more mergers, acquisitions and consolidation as businesses and investors seek to gain efficiencies and improve the top and bottom line in a young, but highly competitive market.

Continued Growth, But Better Planning Required
“The hemp industry will surely experience explosive growth in 2020 as the USDA and FDA begin to release rules, take comments and eventually implement said regulations,” predicts Ray Mazzie, Director of Hemp Industries Association Florida, in Hemp Industry Daily. “Compliance and learning from others’ mistakes will prove to be invaluable to 2020 hemp operators, regardless of where they sit in the supply chain,” he advises. Adds Mark Case, Founder and CEO of Knoxville, TN-based International Hemp Auction and Market, “2018 was a gamble but a good year for most. 2019 was a gamble but a thin year for most. 2020 is not a year for gamblers. Rather, it will be successful only for those who are wise and prudent, fully integrated and who work with a good business plan to go the long haul.”

The FDA Strikes Back: Agency Issues Warning Letters to 15 CBD Makers, Releases Consumer Guide Expressing Doubts About CBD Safety

Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, November 2019
By Steven Hoffman

As the USDA Takes Public Comments on Its Final Interim Rule for Hemp Production, FDA on November 25 Issued Warning Letters to 15 CBD Makers and Expressed Doubts about the Safety of CBD in a Newly Released CBD Consumer Guide

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to have flipped the Thanksgiving bird, so to speak, to the hemp and CBD industry when it issued on November 25 – the Monday before Thanksgiving – warning letters to 15 companies for allegedly selling products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways the agency said violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act.

On the same day, the FDA also released a revised Consumer Update – titled What You Need to Know (and What We’re Working to Find Out) About Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, including CBD – that details the agency’s alleged safety concerns about CBD products, in particular the safety of CBD in food. In a blow to the burgeoning CBD marketplace, the FDA said it couldn’t conclude that CBD is safe for use in human or animal food.

Despite the 2018 Farm Bill removing hemp — defined as cannabis and cannabis derivatives with very low concentrations (no more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis) of THC — from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act, CBD products are still subject to the same laws and requirements as FDA-regulated products that contain any other substance. “The FDA is concerned that people may mistakenly believe that trying CBD ‘can’t hurt,’” it said in the Consumer Guide. “The agency wants to be clear that we have seen only limited data about CBD’s safety and these data point to real risks that need to be considered,” the agency added.

The FDA expressed particular concerns in the Consumer Guide about potential liver toxicity, drug interactions and male reproductive toxicity. The FDA also stated that using CBD may have certain temporary side effects, including, among others, drowsiness, insomnia, gastrointestinal distress, decreased appetite, irritability, and agitation. The FDA says it is actively working to answer questions about science, safety and quality of products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, particularly CBD. It also said it wants to learn about and identify potential risks associated with cumulative exposure such as ongoing use and ingestible or topical use, the effect on special populations such as elderly, children, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, and the use of CBD by pets and other animals.

Bad Comparisons

However, Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, a publicly traded company which has created a CBD product line, challenged the FDA’s decision, telling Forbes, “The FDA has mistakenly substituted the adverse effects of Epidiolex, a refined, isolated and semi-synthetic form of CBD, as being the same form of CBD that is being sold by those in the nutritional supplement industry,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no evidence to show that botanical forms of CBD have much more ‘drug interaction’ than normal foods or that the natural botanical form of CBD confers the ‘toxic liver effects’ that the FDA mentions in its statement.”

Titus also told Forbes that the CBD industry, the Hemp Roundtable and the U.S. Hemp Authority have been working to increase their standards and industry-wide vigilance toward the quality of manufacturing, and other regulations regarding the production of a safe and well-tested form of CBD.

In a 2018 report, the World Health Organization found no adverse health effects but rather several medical applications for cannabidiol (CBD), despite FDA policy, reported Forbes. According to the WHO, naturally occurring CBD is safe and well tolerated in humans (and animals), and is not associated with any negative public health risks. Experts with the international health organization further stated that CBD does not induce physical dependence and is “not associated with abuse potential.” According to the WHO, people are not getting high off of CBD, either. “To date, there is no evidence of recreational use of CBD or any public health related problem associated with the use of pure CBD.”

Currently, writes Stephanie Savage of law firm Miller & Martin, Epidiolex is the only FDA-approved drug product containing CBD. The FDA believes that the new drug approval process is the best way to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new medicines, she says. Even though products are being marketed and sold as a food or dietary supplement, FDA asserts it is illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement. The FDA is evaluating the regulatory frameworks that apply to certain cannabis-derived products that are intended for non-drug uses, including whether and/or how the FDA might consider updating its regulations, as well as whether potential legislation might be appropriate, she writes.

Calling Companies Out for Making Health Claims

In issuing the warning letters, the FDA says it identified 15 companies that “are using product webpages, online stores and social media to market CBD products in interstate commerce in ways that violate the FD&C Act, including marketing CBD products to treat diseases or for other therapeutic uses for humans and/or animals. Other violations include marketing CBD products as dietary supplements and adding CBD to human and animal foods, the agency said in a release.

“As we work quickly to further clarify our regulatory approach for products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds like CBD, we’ll continue to monitor the marketplace and take action as needed against companies that violate the law in ways that raise a variety of public health concerns. In line with our mission to protect the public, foster innovation, and promote consumer confidence, this overarching approach regarding CBD is the same as the FDA would take for any other substance that we regulate,” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D., in a statement.

Michael Harinen, Chief Brand Officer at Louisville, CO-based Bluebird Botanicals, which makes hemp-derived CBD products, told Forbes that the FDA brought up valid concerns about companies that are selling products with unverified medical claims or are unsafe for human consumption. Some of the products are tainted with pesticides or herbicides, while others have little to no CBD in them, he said. “It’s affected our business because whenever the FDA comes out with an announcement, including this one, customers call us up,” said Harinen. “They are very wary and scrutinizing us. And they are concerned about the legal status of CBD.”

Companies receiving warning letters from the FDA include the following:

• Koi CBD LLC, Norwalk, California

• Pink Collections Inc., Beverly Hills, California

• Noli Oil, Southlake, Texas

• Natural Native LLC, Norman, Oklahoma

• Whole Leaf Organics LLC, Sherman Oaks, California

• Infinite Product Company LLLP, dba Infinite CBD, Lakewood, Colorado

• Apex Hemp Oil LLC, Redmond, Oregon

• Bella Rose Labs, Brooklyn, New York

• Sunflora Inc., Tampa, Florida / Your CBD Store, Bradenton, Florida

• Healthy Hemp Strategies LLC, dba Curapure, Concord, California

• Private I Salon LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Organix Industries Inc., dba Plant Organix, San Bernardino, California

• Red Pill Medical Inc., Phoenix, Arizona

• Sabai Ventures Ltd., Los Angeles, California

• Daddy Burt LLC, dba Daddy Burt Hemp Co., Lexington, Kentucky

The FDA also stated it has previously sent warning letters to other companies it says were “illegally selling CBD products in interstate commerce that claimed to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat or cure serious diseases, such as cancer, or otherwise violated the FD&C Act. Some of these products were in further violation because CBD was added to food, and some of the products were also marketed as dietary supplements despite products which contain CBD not meeting the definition of a dietary supplement,” the FDA added in a release.

Colorado’s CHAMP Hemp Initiative Welcomes Public Comments in Responding to USDA’s Interim Final Rule on Hemp

Brian Koontz, Manager of the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Program (right), shares the state’s concerns over USDA’s Interim Final Rule for U.S. hemp production at a public hearing in Broomfield, CO, on December 10. Photo: Compass Natural

Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, December 2019

By Steven Hoffman

As state and industry leaders sift through USDA’s Interim Final Rule set to govern U.S. hemp production in order to craft a response in advance of the December 30 comment deadline, a number of common concerns are emerging, not the least of which is the rule’s increased potential to place farmers at risk.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Hemp Advancement & Management Plan (CHAMP) initiative welcomed on December 10 more than 100 hemp industry members, advocates, farmers, researchers, academics and others to the agency’s office in Broomfield, CO, for a public meeting to hear comments on the USDA Interim Final Rule (IFR) to establish a national hemp production program and how it affects the state’s own plan for hemp.

The goal of the hearing was to gather comments from the public and coordinate a unified response from the state of Colorado to the USDA in advance of USDA’s December 30 comment period deadline regarding the Interim Final Rule governing U.S. hemp production. In addition, state leaders gathered information at the hearing to help align Colorado’s comprehensive hemp plan with IFR requirements.

The comment letter to the USDA, to be prepared on behalf of the state in coordination with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), the state’s Attorney General and the office of the Governor, will be signed by Governor Jared Polis and Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg. The response will express the state’s perspectives and concerns as a first mover and leader in industrial hemp regarding USDA’s IFR and its impact on Colorado hemp producers who have already been operating under a well-established, state-managed regulatory system in Colorado since 2014. At issue is where USDA rules differ from Colorado regulations and how the state’s farmers may be subject to increased violations and financial risk from seemingly inflexible federal rules that don’t allow for variation in a young, maturing industry.

To date, the USDA has received approximately 1,100 comments regarding the IFR. Hemp and industry leaders and advocates are urging all constituents to submit comments. “The USDA needs to hear from all of us and there should be 100,000 comments, not 1,100,” said one Colorado hemp farmer commenting at the Colorado CHAMP public hearing. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable prepared a letter outlining its issues with the IFR, and other states including Maine submitted comments to USDA sharing their concerns about USDA’s rule.

Percent of Violations Could Increase Under USDA’s IFR

“The way [the IFR] is written, the percentage of violations could increase. More farmers could be unnecessarily subject to violations,” observed Adam Orens, a consultant with Colorado State University and CHAMP who reported at the hearing on how the USDA’s IFR could impact the state’s hemp producers. “USDA’s set of rules was written for a state with half or less of the total acreage of Colorado. Given the expected scale of production in Colorado, we have concern that public and private investment could be affected as a result of USDA’s IFR on hemp,” he added.

Orens noted that USDA’s IFR will govern hemp for two years, after which a Final Rule will be issued. “The two year interim period allows for a full crop cycle; the 2020 season will be a test drive,” he added.

According to Orens, USDA’s interim rule defines acceptable levels of THC (“with a hard limit of 0.3%”), covers registration for hemp farmers, sampling, testing, disposal of “hot” plants, and enforcement and violations. “The showstopper is that USDA will require 100% of all lots to be sampled, while only random sampling had been required in Colorado,” Orens said. “Plus, the top one-third of the plant is to be tested; it’s not more specific than that. We see a challenge there with logistics,” he added.

Orens added that in terms of percentages of THC content, under USDA’s IFR, “the line is drawn at 0.5%.” “If the crop sample tests at greater than 0.3%, it must be destroyed. If it tests at less than 0.5%, it is not considered a negligent violation. If a crop comes in at greater than 0.5%, that is considered a violation. In Colorado, the limit is 1%, so that is different.” Orens noted that if a farmer receives three violations in one year, a suspension would be issued under the USDA interim final rule.

A concern raised by a number of hemp growers at the hearing was that crop sampling and testing for THC content must be conducted within a very narrow window of 15 days prior to anticipated harvest. Harvest is not allowed until samples are taken and the crop cannot enter the stream of commerce until THC content is verified. Farmers expressed concern that, with the current scarcity of approved testing laboratories, the overwhelming demand for sample testing during the harvest months of September and October would create an impossible backlog, impacting the allowed window for sampling and testing and in consequence, farmers’ harvests. A number of citizens also asked why “hot” crops have to be destroyed and not repurposed into fiber, animal feed, or other uses where the farmer doesn’t have to lose the entire income on his or her crop.

Adding potential insult to injury, just as hemp farmers have been cleared under the 2018 Farm Bill to qualify for crop insurance, USDA’s interim rule pulls the rug out on farmers if a crop tests “hot.” According to CannaLaw Blog, “Hemp with a THC level above the compliance level will not constitute an insurance cause of loss…The lack of crop insurance coverage for hemp that fails testing, when combined with the rules about crop destruction, creates enormous risk for hemp farmers. A farmer may try to do everything right only to end up with an uninsurable crop that must be destroyed and a complete loss of their investment into hemp farming.”

USDA’s rules further require that testing labs be registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). But current DEA rules limit registration to jurisdictions in which medical or recreational marijuana is legal, reports CannaLaw Blog. “Although the number of such jurisdictions is growing, no one in the industry believes that the number of DEA registered laboratories can handle the quantities of hemp being produced by American farmers. This is an area where Congress may need to place pressure on the USDA and DEA to avoid causing a significant bottleneck in the hemp supply chain.”

States Will Need to Adopt Final USDA Rule by November 1, 2020

Brian Koontz, Manager of the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Program, told the public meeting attendees, “We can operate under our existing state plan through October 31 of next year; after that all states including Colorado will need to adopt USDA’s final rule regarding hemp on November 1, 2020.

Koontz expressed the state’s concern that, given the 100% testing requirement, more testing staff will be required and testing labs will have to be certified by the DEA. “About 2,000 acres of hemp were ordered destroyed in Colorado last year, and that was at an average of 25% testing. Given the 100% testing requirement, our concern is that the percentage of crops required to be destroyed may significantly increase, which could adversely affect our state’s farmers,” Koontz said.

Koontz also noted that, whereas the USDA IFR stipulates that hemp growing licenses will not be issued to individuals with any felony convictions, “that rule should not apply to farm workers, drivers and others who are not key personnel,” he said.

“Also, USDA in its IFR did not address certified seed. However, we see this as important, as hemp growers want reliable genetics,” Koontz added, and he encouraged people to submit comments to USDA regarding their concerns and thoughts on certified seed and seed genetics.

Commenting at the hearing, Ed Lehrburger, founder of Pure Hemp Technology and Chair of Colorado’s Hemp Advisory Committee, offered: “When farmers’ crop tests hot, it can destroy hopes and dreams. As such, I recommend that USDA’s definition of hemp be changed. The 0.3% THC limit must be increased to 0.5%. Any hemp crop testing at greater than 1% THC could be considered as ‘noncompliant,’ he suggested.

Speaking on behalf of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Nick Levendofsky, RMFU’s Director of External Affairs, told the CDA and CHAMP officials conducting the public hearing, “We support the issuance of the rule overall as it supports an emerging industry that can help rural farmers. However, dealing with acceptable levels of THC is not something we’ve seen before. Our real concern is that testing could be too costly and may reduce opportunities for rural farmers. Disposal is also a concern. Family farmers should have the same opportunities in hemp, not just venture capital backed operations, and a negligent violation should not be so punitive as to deter farmers,” he commented.

Hunter Buffington, Director of the Colorado Hemp Feed Coalition, wondered if DEA involvement in the hemp program “is another example of government overreach? No other crop has to deal with the DEA,” she observed. Buffington and others also advocated that by requiring testing of the top one-third of the plant “ignores the rest of the plant.” She advocated for testing homogenized samples of the whole plant instead, and also asked that the program make exceptions for research and development. “We want stable and compliant varieties. The rule is written for farmers but not for researchers. An exemption is absolutely necessary to allow institutions to conduct research,” she said.

Jared Stanley, co-founder of Charlotte’s Web, noted that industrial hemp is not just CBD. “The 2018 Farm Bill allows for all parts of the plant,” he reminded the CHAMP hearing panel. Stanley also advocated for exploring the allowance in the program for an export market for U.S. grown hemp. “American hemp was created via this program,” he said. “We need to promote an export market for our hemp so we don’t have to grow hemp in Uruguay just to sell to Europe.”

In summary, says CannaLaw Blog, “Everyone in the hemp industry ought to submit a comment. Submitting a comment is easy: just click here. Note that you can also upload documents, such as prepared statements or other relevant materials.”

Naturally Bay Area to Host 2nd Annual Pitch Slam Competition for Emerging Organic & Natural Brands During Winter Fancy Food Trade Show, January 19, 2020, San Francisco, CA

Entrepreneurs Compete to Pitch their Companies' Innovations to Business Leaders at Premier Industry Event for Prizes Worth Over $30,000, including $5,000 Cash, a Booth at 2020 Natural Products Expo East (Courtesy of New Hope Network), and a Suite of Professional Services

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 11, 2019) – Naturally Bay Area, a vibrant and thriving business community comprised of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and leading brands in the natural and organic products industry, is gearing up for its premier event of the year. The 2nd Annual Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam will take place on the first night of the Winter Fancy Food Show on Sunday, January 19, 2020, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at the Mission Bay Conference Center, San Francisco, CA. Naturally Bay Area, now in its second year, is home to a robust membership of 500+ business entrepreneurs and leaders who work in various industries from food, beverage, health, wellness, beauty, pet, hemp/CBD, and more in Northern California. 

“Our second annual Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam will spotlight emerging local natural and organic brands that are creating unique better-for-you food, beverage and personal care products,” says Don Buder, Naturally Bay Area Board Chair and Founding Board Member. “It’s also a celebration of the flourishing hub we have built together in the last two years for the Northern California natural products innovation community. The Pitch Slam will be a special opportunity for everyone to meet elite entrepreneurs, breakthrough brands, and many leaders of the Northern California natural products ecosystem. We invite all of our members and industry leaders from across the country who will be visiting San Francisco for the Winter Fancy Food Show to join us for this community celebration.”

About the Pitch Slam
Natural product companies based in Northern California were invited to compete and pitch amongst a wide selection of brands in the Bay Area. The Naturally Bay Area team narrowed the selection down to six finalists who will compete for grand prize packages valued at over $30,000, including:

• $5,000 cash

• 10'x10' booth at 2020 Natural Products Expo East (the world’s largest natural products trade show on the East Coast), courtesy of New Hope Network 

• A guaranteed spot to pitch at the 2020 Natural Products Expo East Pitch Slam, courtesy of New Hope Network

• A suite of professional services (including financial/legal advice, marketing, strategy consulting, and more!)

Hundreds of natural products industry leaders will gather to cheer on the Pitch Slam finalists and hear about their companies' innovations and brand strategy. The Pitch Slam is the premier event of the year and provides unique networking opportunities to rub elbows with industry leaders, in addition to learning and listening to keynote speakers.

Pitch Slam Finalists 
There are a total of six Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam finalists in the 2020 Competition. Each Pitch Slam finalist will present a timed business pitch to a panel of select expert judges who will vote for the final top-three winners. Buder adds, “The Pitch Slam is a game changer for the brands competing. This is the ultimate night for our community to gather and connect seasoned natural products industry experts with passionate and innovative entrepreneurs.” The six Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam finalist companies include:

• A Dozen Cousins: A Dozen Cousins makes convenient products inspired by traditional Black and Latino recipes. They believe that health, convenience, and culture shouldn't be mutually exclusive, and they're on a mission to inspire families of all backgrounds to eat better food and live longer, more vibrant lives. 

• Bread SRSLY: Bread SRSLY is serious about reuniting people with sourdough when they thought good bread was off the table. Bread SRSLY uses organic, gluten-free grains, and the magic of wild fermentation to bake traditional sourdough bread that is delicious, nourishing, and comforting.

• Down to Cook: Down to Cook helps home cooks prepare delicious plant-based meals that are nutritious, convenient, and accessible. Their mission is to provide greater access to the health benefits of plant-based food while reducing animal product use and household food waste. 

• Dr Hops Kombucha: Founded in 2015 to produce the world's most delightful and health-conscious alcoholic beverages, Dr Hops Kombucha Beer is making radically authentic high-alcohol kombucha with hops, completely unfiltered and unpasteurized, gluten-free, probiotic, and explosively tasty.

• Outlaw Soaps: Outlaw offers a collection of Western adventure soap, lotion, lip balm, and solid cologne that smells like the Wild West and nature. Come for the Bacon soap, stay for the Whiskey soap.

• Renewal Mill: Renewal Mill helps reduce global food waste by upcycling okara into a nutritious, versatile flour that's better for you and better for the planet! Okara is a delicious superfood harvested from the pulp of organic soybeans that is created during soymilk production.

Pitch Slam Celebration & Registration: 
Join the fun: mingle, cheer, learn, and eat & drink. Reserve your seat now to make sure you have a spot for the premier event of the year – we will sell out! Tickets: Members, $49. Non-members, $69. Click here for tickets today! 

Event Details: January 19, 2020, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Mission Bay Conference Center (Robertson Auditorium), 1675 Owens Street #251, San Francisco, CA. Lisa Curtis, Co-Founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli, will MC the event. Hear from our 2020 Keynote Speaker, Miyoko Schinner, CEO/Founder of Miyoko's Creamery and learn more about the insightful story leading up to the successful evolution of Miyoko’s dairy-free, plant-based cheese brand. In addition, Wayne Wu, Partner at VMG Partners will interview Elizabeth Giannuzzi, CEO/Co-Founder of Siren Snacks and the First Place Naturally Bay Area 2018 Pitch Slam Winner, and Hector Saldivar, Founder of Tia Lupita Foods and Second Place Naturally Bay Area 2018 Pitch Slam Winner, during a Fireside Chat. 

2020 Pitch Slam Competition Sponsors
Aspect Consumer Partners, New Hope Network, Whole Foods, and Compass Natural Marketing.

Naturally Bay Area Sponsors
Naturally Bay Area is proud to have Premier, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze-level Sponsors. Premier Sponsors include Aspect Consumer Partners, BPM LLP, Clif Bar & Company, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, GABY, Mista/Givaudan, Navitas Organics, New Hope Network, Propeller Industries, and The Burbank Hafeli Schiller Group. For a complete list of Sponsors, visit here.

About Naturally Bay Area
Naturally Bay Area is dedicated to building and fostering a community that nurtures conscious growth, leadership and innovation in the Bay Area natural products industry. Founded in 2018 as a 501c6 non-profit organization, it now has over 500 members compromised of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and emerging and leading brands. Naturally Bay Area provides access to cutting-edge business education events and programs, opportunities for meaningful connections and networking, and special celebrations. 

Naturally Bay Area is a part of Naturally Network, which supports a national ecosystem to galvanize and grow the natural and organic products industry. Naturally Network serves those who wish to create a more conscious and regenerative economy and culture through the power of business. Our collective goal is to manifest meaningful change for our industry, our society, and our planet. 

Visit us online at naturallybayarea.org or find us on LinkedIn or Facebook. For member or sponsor information, please contact us at info@naturallybayarea.org. 

Contact
Vanessa Toy, Naturally Bay Area, vanessa@cultivatecreations.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com

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Legal Experts Weigh In on USDA Interim Final Hemp Rule

Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, November 2019
By Steven Hoffman

As USDA seeks comments by December 30 for its new Interim Hemp Rule that lays out regulations to establish a U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program, a major concern is the rule’s timeline for farmers getting their plants tested to make sure they don’t exceed the maximum allowed level of THC.

The challenge is the rule requires that the plants be tested within 15 days before harvest begins. The USDA says if farmers delay harvest beyond 15 days, the plants will likely have a higher THC level than the sample. If the level exceeds 0.3%, the plants will have to be disposed of under Drug Enforcement Administration regulations because the hemp would be considered a controlled substance. But the 15 days aren’t much time to submit the plants and get the results needed to know whether it’s OK to harvest the crop, Michael Bowman, a co-founder of First Crop, a public benefit company working with hemp farmers, told the Denver Post. “I would call it unworkable at this point,” Bowman said of the provision.

Meghana Shah, a co-leader at the New York City office of Eversheds Sutherland law firm, told the Denver Post, “It doesn’t address the fact that all of the sampling and testing is essentially happening around the same time for all of the producers. There’s uncertainty as to when the results will come back and how that affects a producer’s decision to actually harvest. There are a lot of sort of logistical and practical hurdles posed by the 15-day window with not a lot of answers. That is one of the areas where USDA sought comment, so I think we can expect to see it addressed during the comment period,” Shah added.

According to USDA, the draft hemp rule outlines provisions for USDA to approve plans submitted by states and Indian Tribes for the domestic production of hemp. It also establishes a federal plan for producers in states or territories of Indian Tribes that do not have their own USDA-approved plan. The program includes provisions for maintaining information on the land where hemp is produced, testing the levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, disposing of plants not meeting necessary requirements, licensing requirements, and ensuring compliance with the requirements of the new part. The rule will become effective when it is published in the Federal Register. Comments received by December 30, 2019, will be considered prior to issuance of a final rule.

To help producers and businesses make sense of USDA’s draft Hemp Rule, a number of law firms and legal experts specializing in industrial hemp have published opinions, analyses and client alerts about the impact and key takeaways of the draft rule. Read more here for a sampler of recent legal analyses covering USDA’s new interim hemp rules.

To date, USDA has received over 800 comments on the draft rule to establish a domestic hemp program. Read the USDA Interim Final Rule here. To submit a comment, visit here. Comments received by Dec. 30, 2019 will be considered prior to issuance of a final rule. 

Learn more about the state of the industrial hemp market at the upcoming Winter Hemp Summit, Jan. 16, 2020, in Boulder, CO, and the 7th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo in Denver, March 26-28, 2020.

Aldi, Tesco Seek to Reduce Single-Use Plastic; Aldi Announces Bee Protection Plan

Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, December 2019
By Steven Hoffman

In a bid to help protect bees and other pollinators, leading grocer Aldi recently announced a plan to minimize its use of pesticides in the U.S. Aldi’s new “Pollinator Policy” is encouraging its suppliers of fruits, vegetables, live plants and flowers to phase out the use of chlorpyrifos and neonicotinoid pesticides – among the most toxic to bees. In addition, the policy further encourages suppliers to limit the use of non-essential pesticides and to use integrated pest management strategies that support the use of less toxic alternatives. 

Aldi further stated that it supports and encourages the growth of the organic industry, which it said in turn supports pollinator health. The announcement follows a multi-year campaign led by Friends of the Earth and others. A recent peer-reviewed study co-authored by Friends of the Earth shows that U.S. agriculture has become 48 times more toxic to bees and other insects since the introduction of neonicotinoid insecticides 25 years ago.

In related news, leading U.K. grocery chain Tesco in November announced plans to remove 1 billion pieces of plastic from its own privately branded products in its U.K. stores by 2021. The grocer said that it will remove plastic trays used for ready meals, replaced small plastic bags used for produce and baked goods with paper bags, stop including straws and sporks from drink and snack cartons, and remove secondary lids on items such as yogurt and cereals. In addition, Tesco said it will remove 200 million pieces of plastic currently used for greeting cards and clothing. The retailer says it has adopted a strategy of “remove, reduce, reuse, recycle.” In practice, Tesco says this means it will “remove non-recyclable and excess packaging from its business,” CNBC reported. 

Aldi, in turn, announced earlier this year that it plans to convert 100% of its packaging to reusable, recyclable or compostable materials by 2025. The grocer also pledged to reduce packaging for Aldi-exclusive products by at least 15% by 2020, reported Grocery Dive. In November, Aldi introduced a pilot program in more than 250 of its U.K. stores to make available reusable bags for fruits and vegetables. “We are committed to cutting the amount of plastic that Aldi and our customers use, particularly excess or single-use plastic like produce bags," Aldi’s managing director of corporate responsibility Fritz Walleczek told Fresh Fruit Portal. 

Earlier this year, Greenpeace ranked U.S. grocers on their efforts to reduce plastic waste. Aldi, Kroger, Albertson’s, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Wegman’s, Whole Foods and others rated highly. However, reported Supermarket News, Greenpeace noted that U.S. supermarkets have a long way to go to effectively address plastic pollution, in particular single-use plastics.

Dean Foods Bankruptcy Impacts Natural, Organic Brands

Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, December 2019
By Steven Hoffman

Uncle Matt’s Organic Inc., a leading organic juice brand, on November 12 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, along with dozens of other businesses owned by Dean Foods Company, the largest milk processor in the U.S.

Dallas-based Dean Foods (NYSE: DF) said the bankruptcy filings by it and all its subsidiaries in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas comes as the company deals with losing its biggest customer, Walmart, which decided to build its own milk plant, and the impact of declining demand for milk as American consumers opt for plant-based beverage alternatives, reported Sustainable Business News, a subscriber-based organic and sustainable food industry online news site. 

Founded in 1925, Dean Foods’ brand portfolio includes more than 50 national and regional dairy brands, including Country Fresh, DairyPure, Friendly’s, Garelick Farms, Land O’Lakes, Meadow Gold, Oak Farms Dairy, Swiss Premium, TruMoo, Tuscan Dairy Farms, and others. Among its natural and organic brand holdings, Dean Foods also owns juice maker Uncle Matt’s Organic, based in Clermont, FL, and is a majority stakeholder in flax-based plant beverage brand Good Karma, based in Boulder, CO. 

The bankruptcy filing’s effect on those companies is uncertain at this point. Representatives from Uncle Matt’s have not issued comment, to date. In an email to BevNET, Good Karma CEO Doug Radi said Dean Foods’ bankruptcy has “no impact” on the brand, which remains an independent company with a separate leadership team and board of directors. “We remain dedicated to our mission of making dairy alternative food and beverage products that deliver a plant-based mighty bundle of nutrition,” he told BevNET. 

In a statement to BevNET, CROPP Cooperative — which includes Organic Valley, Organic Prairie and Mighty Organic — said that, while it is “disheartened” by the bankruptcy, the joint venture it established in March 2017 with Dean Foods, called Organic Valley Fresh,  a direct to store distribution system for Organic Valley products, is outside of the Dean Foods filing, meaning “it has no impact on the venture’s customers or vendors. Organic Valley remains strong and our business overall has been bolstered by new innovations we’ve brought to market, including Ultra, the first organic ultra-filtered milk,” the statement read.

Save the Date: Tickets on Sale Now for 2nd Annual Colorado Winter Hemp Summit, January 16, 2020, Boulder, CO

Hemp community, leaders, and advocates invited to day-long, town hall-style summit to discuss and recap hemp’s growth in 2019 and share 2020 industry and market projections

2nd Annual Winter Hemp Summit
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 10am-6pm
Boulder Jewish Community Center, 6007 Oreg Ave., Boulder, CO 80303 (map)
Produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, producer of the 7th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo

Boulder, CO (November 6, 2019) – The Colorado Hemp Company is pleased to announce the date and location for the 2nd Annual Colorado Winter Hemp Summit, taking place at the Boulder Jewish Community Center, located at 6007 Oreg Avenue in Boulder, CO, on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, from 10 am – 6 pm. Organizers and industry experts will discuss the state of the hemp industry in a town-hall-style meeting and provide a catered luncheon for attendees.

"We're looking forward to hosting the 2nd Annual Winter Hemp Summit in Boulder which is widely known as an epicenter of the natural and organic products industries, along with the emerging hemp industry. The companies and entrepreneurs who are based there are known to be at the forefront of innovation,” said Morris Beegle, Founder of the Colorado Hemp Company and Producer of the NoCo Hemp Expo, Southern Hemp Expo and the upcoming Colorado Winter Hemp Summit. “The entire community is invited to participate in the Winter Hemp Summit’s town-hall-style format and hear about the exciting market opportunities on the horizon.”

The Winter Hemp Summit is the run-up event to the 7th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo (NoCo2020), scheduled for March 26-28, 2020, at the National Western Complex in Denver. Produced by the CO Hemp Company, as well, NoCo2020 – the world’s largest gathering of hemp industry professionals under one roof – is expected to draw nearly 20,000 visitors. Setting the stage for this highly anticipated trade show and conference, the Winter Hemp Summit kicks off the new year with the latest market research, forecasts, policy updates and news related to the 2020 growing and production season.

“Colorado Hemp Company, through its events including the Winter Hemp Summit and the NoCo Hemp Expo, focuses on the entire hemp industry and supply chain, not just a narrow ingredient focus, i.e., CBD. More real business gets done at these events because of the quality of the participants, including leaders and veterans in the trade,” said Robert Hoban, President and Founder of the Denver-based Hoban Law Group, one of the world’s leading legal firms serving the hemp/cannabis industry. “I support their mission of making the world a better place through the use of hemp,” Hoban added.

The 2nd Annual Winter Hemp Summit Initial Agenda

• 10am – Doors Open

• 11am-1pm – Let’s Talk Hemp, Session 1: 2019 Year-in-Review, Farm Bill Updates, CHAMP and Key Policy Insights

• 1pm-2pm – Networking Lunch

• 2pm-4pm – Let's Talk Hemp, Session 2: 2020-2021 Forecast, Policy, Regulations, Compliance, Market Opportunities, and Growth

• 4 pm-6pm – Networking Hempy-Happy Hour

Ticket and Sponsorship Information
Tickets are on sale now for the 2nd Annual Winter Hemp Summit for $99.00 each. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit https://winterhempsummit.com/.

If you're interested in becoming an industry support partner of the Winter Hemp Expo, please visit https://winterhempsummit.com/.

About Colorado Hemp Company
The Colorado Hemp Company, producer of the 2nd Annual Winter Hemp Summit and the 7th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo (NoCo7), is a leading organization for the advancement and advocacy of hemp farming, processing, production, innovation, education, and legalization in the USA. The entire team is committed to researching and developing alternatives so that hemp can once again thrive, prosper, and help individuals and communities throughout America and around the globe.

Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, 970.541.0448, info@nocohempexpo.com 

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Gene editing, celery powder and organic enforcement: A roundup from the NOSB’s fall meeting

Originally Appeared in New Hope Network’s Idea Xchange, November 2019
By Steven Hoffman

The National Organic Standards Board recently addressed some of the industry’s critical issues: protecting small-scale organic dairy farmers; strengthening fraud enforcement; and gene editing.

From protecting small-scale organic dairy farmers and strengthening enforcement over organic fraud, to expressing concern over the use of celery powder in processed organic meats and the threat of gene editing in organic production, the National Organic Standards Board addressed several critical issues surrounding the integrity of the organic seal during its recent fall meeting.

The board voted to prioritize four areas of organic research: ecosystem services and biodiversity of organic systems; managing cover crops for on-farm fertility; identifying barriers and developing protocols for organic nurseries; and assessing the genetic integrity of organic crops at risk.

Approximately 150  advocates, producers, farmers, manufacturers and others attended the fall meeting of the National Organic Standards Board Oct. 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, according to a USDA spokeswoman. During the 12 hours of public comment, about 115 people spoke to the board members about their concerns, she said.

“Farmers are some of the most innovative people in the world when we need to be,” said Jeff Dean, an organic farmer and member of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. “Please keep our standards strong and give our proud, innovative farmers the chance to provide organic products to the consumers who want them,” he appealed to the NOSB board members.

This overview of the meeting was collected from published accounts and Twitter feeds from Organic Trade Association, Cornucopia Institute, Organic Insider, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Foundation and other organizations attending the event.

Strengthening organic enforcement

Preventing fraud in organic trade is critical to maintaining product integrity and consumer confidence. Jennifer Tucker, deputy administrator of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), presented a proposed NOP Enforcement and Oversight Rule that will be issued later this year for public comment, and improvements already underway to strengthen enforcement.

Those improvements include additional training resources focused on oversight of complex domestic operations; traceback and mass balance audits; and research into risk-based certification models for accreditation and certifier oversight. The National Organic program accredits and oversees more than 80 independent certification organizations, examining and verifying how these organizations document, certify and inspect more than 37,000 organic farms and businesses around the world.

In the realm of imports, farm-level yield analysis has been a valuable tool in taking enforcement action, Tucker said. In the Black Sea region, the NOP examined records from organic grain and oilseed producers, data from regional producers and weather models and found many organic farms reported yields far higher than regional averages. As a result, more than 275 operations in that area have lost their organic certification, according to the agency.

The NOP has continued country commodity studies and ship surveillance, increased the number of unannounced visits it makes, Tucker said. Follow-up investigations have led to certifiers and operators adverse actions, she said.

Tucker shared that new training on dairy compliance is available for certifiers and inspectors at the online Organic Integrity Learning Center, which continually offers new courses since its launch in May. 

Also, the comment period for the Origin of Livestock rule—a proposal to change how farmers may transition their dairy animals to organic—has been reopened. Written comments must be received or postmarked on or before Dec. 2. 

What’s the deal with celery powder?

To the relief of organic meat producers but to the chagrin of those concerned about the potential health hazards of nitrates and nitrites in processed foods, the NOSB board voted 11-1, with one abstention, to allow the continued use of celery powder in organic food production. Dave Mortensen, chair of the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire, voted against keeping celery powder on the list, and Emily Oakley, founding partner of Three Springs Farm in Oaks, Oklahoma, abstained from voting.

Used in the curing of processed meats such as hot dogs, sausages, bacon and deli meats, celery powder is a key processing ingredient in the organic meat industry, as it is the only allowed alternative to synthetic nitrates and nitrites used in conventional meat production. At issue, reports New Food Economy, is the fact that a significant amount of processing goes into producing celery powder for use in cured meats, and that the celery itself does not have to be organic, which brings with it the concomitant use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Non-organic celery is ranked 11th on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of vegetables that, when grown conventionally, absorb the highest levels of pesticides.

Additionally, whereas the amount of synthetic nitrates is limited in conventionally processed meats, unlimited quantities of celery powder are allowed in meats that are labeled “uncured” or “nitrate free,” New Food Economy reports, which has been cause for concern among some health advocates.

“There is little evidence that preserving meats using celery … is any healthier than other added nitrites,” Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, told New Food Economy. “Until industry provides strong evidence that nitrites in celery juice have different biologic effects than nitrites from other sources, it’s very misleading to label these [products] as ‘nitrite free’ or to consider such processed meats as being healthier.” 

The Organic Trade Association supported continuing the allowance of non-organic celery powder at the Fall NOSB 2019 Meeting so as not to disrupt the organic meat industry. However, the trade association, in collaboration with the Organic Center, submitted a $2 million proposal to the USDA and convened a working group to find organic sources of celery powder and research alternatives to celery powder in organic meat processing. NOSB members expressed hope that when the ingredient comes up for review again in five years, their successors may be presented with more alternatives.

Gene editing in organic

Gene editing, which the organic industry considers GMO technology, remains a prohibited method in organic agriculture, Tucker said, adding that gene editing is not on USDA’s regulatory agenda for organics. However, according to Informa’s IEG Policy News, Tucker also noted that USDA does encourage “continued robust dialogue about the role of new technologies and innovations in organic agriculture.”

That idea alarmed a number of organic advocates concerned that USDA might try to influence the NOSB’s position on gene editing. In response, Mortensen criticized USDA NOP officials. “It’s clear from the many comments that we received that organic consumers and organic farmers do not want genetically modified practices as any part of our production system, end of story,” he said. “And I don’t think we should be encouraging or suggesting that we need robust dialogue. I think this is just one example of where we get ourselves into trouble and compromise the policies that we were charged to do.”

Consistent with its gene-editing position, NOSB voted unanimously to exclude induced mutagenesis via in vitro nucleic acid techniques as a method in organic production, reported the Organic Seed Alliance in its Twitter feed. According to the organic advocacy organization IFOAM Organics International, such mutagenesis technology—as well as CRISPR, grafting onto transgene root stock and other related practices—“are genetic engineering techniques that are not compatible with organic farming and that must not be used in organic breeding or organic production.”

Other board activity

On Oct. 24,  the USDA published a final rule in the Federal Register to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances based on public input and the April 2018 recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board. This final rule allows elemental sulfur to be used as a slug or snail bait to reduce crop losses; allows polyoxin D zinc salt for plant disease control; and reclassifies magnesium chloride from a synthetic to a non-synthetic substance. The final rule is effective Nov. 22.

During the fall meeting, new NOSB officers, who serve 1-year terms, were elected:

• Chair—Steve Ela (Producer), Ela Family Farms, Hotchkiss, Colorado.

• Vice chair—Scott Rice (Certifier), Washington State Department of Agriculture, Olympia, Washington.

• Secretary—Jessie Buie (Producer), Ole Brook Organics, Jackson, Mississippi.

In addition, outgoing NOSB members Harriet Behar, Ashley Swaffer, Tom Chapman and Lisa de Lima were recognized for their public service.

The next NOSB meeting is scheduled for April 29-May 1 in Crystal City, Virginia.

Yale University Study: GMO Mosquitoes Bite Back

Photo: Pexels

Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, October 2019
By Steven Hoffman

What happens when a U.K.-based biotech company, Oxitec Ltd., releases tens of millions of mosquitoes in Brazil that were genetically engineered to produce sterile offspring with the intent to combat the spread of diseases such as Zika and malaria? “The idea would be that when these males mated with females, the offspring would die. And therefore, the overall population size of the mosquitoes would decline,” said Yale University professor Jeffrey Powell, who led a research study to assess the results of the experimental release of the GMO mosquitoes into the Brazilian rainforest. “What we found was unexpected. Unpredicted,” he said. According to the study published in September 2019 in Nature, the researchers found hybrids of the GMO mosquitoes and the native mosquitoes – signifying that some of the offspring weren’t sterile, reported WSHU Public Radio. “Evidently, rare viable hybrid offspring between the release strain and the Jacobina population (native mosquito species in Jacobina, Bahia, Brazil) are sufficiently robust to be able to reproduce in nature,” the study’s authors concluded. “We don’t know what the effect of having this hybrid population is. These could be stronger mosquitoes, harder to control,” Powel said. Editorial note: Why do these scientists sound surprised? Anyone in the organic and non-GMO movement could have told you what would happen. In fact, we did. Can you say “Unintended consequences?”