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

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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.”

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.

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.

Steve Hoffman 7/10/18 Steve Hoffman 7/10/18

SOUTHERN ACCENTS: Wildly Successful NoCo Hemp Expo Puts Down Roots in Tennessee with Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo, Set for September 28-29, 2018, in Nashville, TN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo to Offer Full-scale Exhibit Hall, Networking Opportunities, Presentations and Workshops by Pioneers, Innovators and Activists in the Rapidly Expanding Hemp Industry at The Fairgrounds Nashville, Sept. 28-29, 2018

Loveland, CO – July 10, 2018 – On the heels of its sold-out, over-capacity show drawing more than 6,000 attendees and 150 diverse exhibitors, the Colorado-based NoCo Hemp Expo is taking the party south and east, launching the Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo (SHE), Sept. 28-29, 2018, at The Fairgrounds Nashville in Nashville, TN.

“The South is a leader and will continue to be a leader in hemp production, and we are very excited to bring this dynamic gathering of industry movers and shakers to the region,” said Colorado Hemp Company co-founder Morris Beegle, producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, who also noted the theme of the inaugural SHE event is “Bringing Balance Back to Mother Earth.”

“The 2018 NoCo Hemp Expo was far and away the biggest and best hemp event we have produced yet,” Beegle continued. “The interest level for this plant and all that it can do is overwhelming. We are excited to launch this expo in the Eastern U.S. With the first annual SHE event in Nashville in September and NoCo6 in Denver in March, our shows are firmly grounded in the country’s strongest regions for hemp production.”

With rising acceptance and popularity of hemp for food, fiber, and its therapeutic non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD, domestic production of hemp, or cannabis sativa, is reaching new heights. U.S. hemp-based product sales grew 16% to reach $820 million in sales in 2017 and is expected to surpass $1 billion in sales in 2018, led primarily by hemp-derived CBD, food, personal care and industrial products, according to the publication Hemp Business Journal – a number not lost on politicians. This past spring, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, which would remove hemp from the federal list of controlled substances and allow it to be sold as an agricultural crop.

The Feminine Touch
SHE – feminine acronym intended – will offer networking opportunities, presentations and workshops by pioneers, innovators and activists including the leading women and business professionals in industrial hemp. The fifth annual NoCo Hemp Expo in Loveland, Colo., in April, featured keynote speaker, activist and hemp entrepreneur Winona LaDuke, who illuminated hemp’s value in driving a new economy for rural and Native American communities. Other keynotes featured were Nature’s Path Foods founder Arran Stephens, who discussed why he’s been investing in farmland to cultivate organic hemp.

“I was amazed at the buzz of the show,” said Arran Stephens, co-founder and co-CEO of Nature’s Path Foods and a keynote speaker at the recent NoCo 5 event. “In some ways, it reminded me of the spirit of the early organic food trade shows. This is really the beginning of a strong new movement.”

“Hemp production is taking off so fast, and law reform is so close” Beegle said. “There’s never been a more exciting time in this industry, and SHE provides a festive and effective forum for expanding crucial dialogue about the latest developments and opportunities in the commercial hemp products market.”

Exhibit Space and Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available
Exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities for the Southern Hemp Expo are now available online at www.southernhempexpo.com.

About the Southern Hemp Expo
The Inaugural Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO, and producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show and conference for industrial hemp. WAFBA is founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services and the Colorado Hemp Company. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. Learn more at SouthernHempExpo.com, and find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, tel 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, tel 970.541.0448, hemp@coloradohempcompany.com

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Steve Hoffman 7/2/18 Steve Hoffman 7/2/18

Industrial Hemp Derived CBD, Other Hemp-derived Products May Soon Become Legal throughout the U.S. Under the 2018 Farm Bill

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, July 2018
By Steven Hoffman

Industrial hemp and full spectrum extract products derived from hemp, popularly known as “CBDs,” referring to products rich in hemp-derived cannabinoid compounds, may become recognized as legal throughout the nation if the 2018 Farm Bill advances with the inclusion of the Hemp Farming Act sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and a bi-partisan group of supporters including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

The Hemp Farming Act, which has now been attached to the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill - expected to become law this year - would permanently legalize hemp in the U.S.

The Farm Bill passed the Senate Agriculture Committee on June 13 with a 20-1 vote, with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) being the sole “no” vote after his amendment to exclude hemp extract products was not included in the proposed farm bill. The vote moves to the Senate floor, but hemp industry and CBD advocates warn that Sen. Grassley may yet attempt to negotiate elements of his amendment into the 2018 bill, and that the industrial hemp industry needs to remain vigilant.

Hemp industry watchdogs are concerned because the day before the Senate Agriculture Committee vote, Sen. Grassley filed an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill which seeks to redefine hemp to exclude “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, from Cannabis Sativa L.” The purpose of the amendment as stated in the document is, “To modify the definition of the term ‘hemp’ and to require the Attorney General to make a determination as to whether cannabidiol should be a controlled substance and listed in a schedule under the Controlled Substances Act and to expand research on the cannabidiol and marihuana [sic].”

Currently, growing industrial hemp is legal on a federal scale only for research purposes or if it’s under a pilot program in select states that have legalized it. According to Jonathan Miller, the general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, an industry advocacy group, the proposed Farm Bill includes the ‘Hemp Farming Act’ sponsored by Sen. McConnell and endorsed by 25 other senators.

According to Sen. McConnell, the Farm Bill is scheduled to be voted on by the end of June. From there, it must then go to the U.S. House of Representatives for further consideration. “The House may not pass it, and it might not include hemp in their bill, said Miller in a statement. But, if it passes with the current language, then, hemp-derived CBD would be legal from a federal perspective.”

However, observes Fresh Toast, a cannabis lifestyle publication, “This will only be the case if President Trump signs the bill into official law. In the past, President Trump hasn’t publicly expressed his views on hemp. Last week though, the President told various reporters that he supports ending the federal ban on marijuana. If President Trump stays true to his word, the move would be historic because it would result in removing the substance from its current Schedule I classification. Although the President has expressed his views to end the federal ban on marijuana, his attorney general, Jeff Sessions has quite the opposite view.”

One thing is certain: if industrial hemp becomes permanently legalized in the U.S. through passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, it will be a boon to farmers, natural products retailers and marketers, and consumers seeking more natural alternatives for health.

Steve Hoffman 6/26/18 Steve Hoffman 6/26/18

Choices Matter: Announcing National Palm Done Right Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Boulder, Colo. June 26, 2018 — Mission-based educational platform Palm Done Right™ (PDR) is enlisting industry and public support to help change the conversation about palm oil, and ultimately, how palm oil is produced.

Done right, palm oil can be grown sustainably in a way that positively supports people, communities and the environment. 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.

By launching the first annual National Palm Done Right Month in September 2018, the campaign’s organizers seek to build awareness about responsibly sourced palm oil, galvanize the natural products industry and gain retail, manufacturer and consumer support, and celebrate current partners supporting the Palm Done Right initiative.

During the month of September, participating retailers will feature in-store and online promotion of products that use Palm Done Right sustainable palm oil and will have access to training materials and marketing tools such as informational brochures and shelf-talkers. Retailer partners are encouraged to become active voices in the cause and share stories, photos and information in newsletters and through social media.

An early supporter of Palm Done Right, industry veteran and owner of California-based Whole Wheatery Cheryl Hughes says, “Being a Palm Done Right retail supporter has made a positive impact on our community. We have earned the trust of our customers who look to us for education and a better understanding of the products they buy and use. The Palm Done Right platform makes learning about the good side of palm oil easy and accessible to consumers. We encourage other natural foods retailers to join the cause.”

Retail Outreach Program Resources and Goals

To encourage as many retailers as possible that sell natural and organic products to sign up as PDR partners by visiting https://www.palmdoneright.com/en/become-a-retail-supporter/.
Create PDR ambassadors within the retail stores so that responsible palm becomes a part of their conversation and promotional outreach programs to their customers.
Retailers begin to develop product standards for their stores that eventually eliminates conflict palm oil from products that they sell.
Retailers participate in Palm Done Right Month in September.
To encourage brands that are using conventional palm oil, and brands that have avoided palm oil because they fear a negative consumer reaction, to see palm oil that is produced sustainably as a viable solution for their products.
For retailers that have their own private label brands to see the value of using sustainable palm oil as an ingredient in their product line.

Palm Done Right is about how individual choices can make an impact in improving sustainable practices, preventing deforestation and finding solutions to reduce climate change. Natural Habitats, developer of the Palm Done Right platform, is dedicated to improving our food system through responsible ingredient sourcing and organic agriculture practices. PDR believes that organic farming is the solution to preserving and improving ecosystems, soil, and biodiversity and promoting healthy communities.

To Sign Up and for More Information about Palm Done Right Month
Sign-up today to engage customers and activate change with the goal of creating an industry-wide movement. http://www.palmdoneright.com/en/become-a-retail-supporter/

About Palm Done Right™
Natural Habitats Group is 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 everyone involved. Palm Done Right, a movement, 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.

About Natural Habitats USA, Inc.
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Natural Habitats USA, Inc. is a group fully committed to the sustainable production of Certified Organic and fairly traded products, including organic palm oil. Natural Habitats products are cultivated using 100% organic practices by family farmers in South America and Africa, and add organic credibility to food, personal care and animal nutrition products. Natural Habitats USA, Inc. supports the communities in which it operates through Fair for Life fair trade partnership, social programs for farmers, workers and communities and funding for services including support to local schools, health care and housing to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders in the supply chain, from Farm to Fork. For more information, visit www.natural-habitats.com and www.palmdoneright.com.

Contact
Susan Fecko, Black Dog Studio, 307-690-8381, sfecko@blackdogstudiopr.com

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Steve Hoffman 6/22/18 Steve Hoffman 6/22/18

USDA Drops Organic Checkoff Marketing Program

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, June 2018
By Steven Hoffman

Citing “uncertain industry support for and outstanding substantive issues with the proposed program,” USDA in May 2018 terminated a proposed organic checkoff national marketing program. The measure, backed by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), would have assessed producers to pay for the program, raising at least $30 million per year.

The organic checkoff program, called by OTA “GRO Organic (Generic Research Promotion Order for Organics), would have been under the supervision of USDA, as are research and promotion orders for other commodity crops and marketing programs such as “Got Milk.”

Organic producers and handlers with sales over $250,000 would have had to pay one-tenth of one percent of their net organic sales into the marketing fund, according to the proposal. Importers also would have paid into the system, and smaller producers could opt in to take part. However, growers and handlers with gross revenue of less than $250,000 would have been exempt from contributing funds to the marketing program.

The announcement came as a surprise to the OTA, the organization that originally petitioned three years ago for the program. “It came as a complete surprise – the last we’d understood was, based on the precedent from previous checkoffs, we thought we’d cleared the threshold, OTA Executive Director and CEO Laura Batcha told FeedNavigator. “We were very, very surprised – it was incredibly unexpected,” she said.

“It is not lost on folks that the same week they terminated the organic program – they launched a proposal for GMO labeling that has a smiley face on it,” Batcha added. “At face value that does not appear like a level playing field – and USDA should be in the business of promoting choices for farmers, not in the business of picking winners and losers,” she said.

However, not all organic industry advocates supported the organic checkoff program. There have been questions regarding the effectiveness of other product checkoff programs and their benefit to small producers, along with questions about the way funding is managed, noted Mark Kastel, co-director of consumer advocacy group Cornucopia Institute.

“The proposed Organic Research and Promotion Program would have required all certified organic operations, even those exempt from the checkoff itself, to submit annual gross sales reports. All entities whose organic gross sales exceed $250,000 would have been mandated to pay 0.001% of their annual organic net sales,” said the Organic Farmers Association (OFA), based in Kutztown, PA. Jennifer Taylor, Vice President of OFA and a certified organic farmer in central Georgia added, “Organic farmers already fulfill a heavy load of annual paperwork for their organic certification. Additional federally mandated paperwork would have been overly burdensome, especially for the 75 percent of certified organic farmers estimated to be exempt from the checkoff,” she said.

OFA says it does agree with OTA and other organic industry stakeholder groups that organic research and promotion are necessary and needed by the whole community, and looks forward to finding creative solutions that serve all constituents in growing the market for organic foods.

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