Is 2024 the Year Regenerative Agriculture Takes Root?

This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s January 2024 newsletter.

By Steven Hoffman

In 1942, J.I. Rodale first popularized the term organic in the U.S. with the launch of Organic Farming and Gardening Magazine. Some 45 years later, in the 1970s, J.I.’s son Robert Rodale introduced the phrase “regenerative organic.” Robert’s goal was to describe an approach to farming that combined organic practices with a more holistic approach to land management and a focus on rebuilding soil health. Yet it’s only been in the past few years that the term has gained more widespread traction.

With the release in 2023 of two full-length feature documentary films, Common Ground and Organic Rising, along with increased adoption among farmers and producers, awareness of regenerative agriculture is set to gain ground in the coming year among large-scale food manufacturers, policymakers, researchers, the general public and more. Today, advocates of regenerative agriculture say it is the best way to produce healthier food and promote local and rural economies. And, by sequestering carbon back into soils, it can also play a significant role in mitigating climate change.

“2024 indeed will be marked as the year of regenerative agriculture. Why? We are closing in on a tipping point of awareness and collective action is being realized on a huge scale. Not only is soil and regenerative agriculture finally making its way as a leading climate, water and health solution, but we are also showing up as one of the biggest economic solutions for rural economies and businesses across the world,” said Finian Makepeace, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the nonprofit organization Kiss the Ground and Producer of the films Kiss the Ground and its sequel Common Ground.

“With the recent film Common Ground, and many other feature films and shows in this space sharing the story along with the incredible build of awareness brought on by Save Soil and others, we are seeing a dramatic increase in people comprehending the soil solution. With brands and businesses, there are huge commitments around regenerative agriculture for 2030. I believe 2024 will be a year of turning on those actions and increasing the integrity of their proposed programs. Regarding regenerative agriculture, I feel that 2024 will be the year that the world’s regen leaders find common ground and agree upon a definition that will allow for many more to work and support this space functionally,” Makepeace added.

“I do think that 2024 could be the best year yet for regenerative agriculture. While there is still disagreement over the definition, there is significant consensus that it includes a keen focus on building soil health, enhancing biodiversity, humanely integrating livestock and including worker fairness. New certification and verification programs like Regenerative Organic Certified, Certified Regenified, and Soil & Climate Health provide a lot of support and tools for farmers who want to incorporate more regenerative practices,” said Elizabeth Candelario, Director of Strategic Partnerships for MAD Agriculture, an organization that works with farmers and industry to advance regenerative practices.

In addition, Candelario said, “While their motivations may vary — from mission alignment to strengthening supply chains to mandatory ESG reporting — food companies are (finally) paying attention to the agriculture that is producing their ingredients. And food was finally on the table at the recent COP28 climate summit. The conference opened with a declaration on sustainable agriculture, signed by more than 130 countries, and ended with a final agreement that acknowledges for the first time that sustainable agriculture needs to be included in climate change solutions.”

Regenerative Products Sales Take Off
Now, the marketplace is responding. According to the Regenerative Organic Alliance Impact Report 2022 – 2023, sales of Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC®) products grew an average of 22% from EOY 2022 to EOY 2023, with sales totaling nearly $40 million in 2023. Companies including Dr. Bronner’s, Patagonia, Lundberg Family Farms, Manitoba Harvest, Bonterra and others are leading the certification efforts and serving as role models for other brands.

According to the Impact Report and based on SPINS data, revenue from sales of ROC® products in natural and multi-outlet grocers increased by one-third compared to the same period in the previous year. In addition, the number of ROC® SKUs in the market increased nearly forty-fold in 2023, “indicative of continued growth potential,” the report said. “By offering Regenerative Organic Certified products, brands are responding to the consumer desire to have their purchase make a positive impact at every level: environmentally, ethically, and socially,” the report concluded.

Globally, the market size for regenerative agriculture reached US$975.2 million in 2022, and is projected to be worth US$4.3 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a CAGR of 15.97% from 2023 to 2032, according to a June 2023 report from Precedence Research. North America generated more than 37% of the revenue share in 2022, Precedence Research reported.

While regenerative agriculture practices aren’t yet familiar to most Americans (just one in five consumers surveyed by Food Insight in 2022 said they’d heard of regenerative agriculture), 73% of consumers agreed they would be more likely to trust retailers and brands that implement regenerative agriculture programs, and 72% agreed that they would be more like to purchase from them, Supermarket Perimeter reported in October 2023.

Major retailers are taking notice. In December 2023, Whole Foods Market announced that it had implemented new standards to protect pollinator health. As such, the retailer will now require all fresh produce and floral suppliers to implement supply chain practices that help protect honeybees and other native pollinators.

Speaking to executives at Progressive Grocer’s Grocery Impact conference in November 2023, Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechle said, “Whole Foods Market invites you to help us start a ripple effect of change that will fix our broken food system. The decisions we make as a business — even the smallest ones — in how food is raised and grown today can have a profound and lasting impact on nourishing people and the planet for future generations to come. One of the biggest challenges our food system is facing now and will continue [to face] in the future is the climate crisis. If we continue farming in the large-scale, mechanized way that much of the industry currently does, our topsoil is not going to have the nutrient density it needs to grow the foods we know and love today,” Buechle said.

To address this challenge, Buechle reported that the retailer is working with farmers, ranchers, suppliers, scientists and other experts, as well as leading organizations, to leverage regenerative agriculture to evolve the practices used to grow, raise and produce the products that it sells. A focus on regenerative agriculture and responsible sourcing is an essential part of the retailer’s value proposition, which remains strong despite the mainstreaming of natural foods and the effects of inflation on consumer spending, according to Buechle.

Regenerative Food and Agriculture in 2024
In October 2023, Forbes reported that water stewardship will one of the biggest food trends in 2024. “As the tides of environmental consciousness continue to shape consumer choices, it is no wonder that water stewardship is set to become one of the top food trends for 2024,” wrote Senior Contributor Daphne Ewing-Chow.

“The global agri-food industry— valued at $6 trillion— is one of the most highly exposed to water risks, with water stress impacting many of the world’s largest food-exporting countries. Paradoxically, despite mounting perils to both food and water security stemming from water depletion, pollution, and climate-induced droughts, the food and agri-business sector is a chief contributor to the problem, accounting for a substantial 70% of all freshwater withdrawals,” she continued.

According to Ewing-Chow, “Regenerative agriculture plays a pivotal role in enhancing soil health, facilitating nutrient retention, bolstering natural resilience to environmental challenges, and mitigating erosion. This contributes to the conservation of water resources and the enhancement of ecosystem water quality, reducing the volume of water required for farming activities and decreasing harmful water and nutrient runoff from agricultural lands.”

Forbes also reported that in September 2023, SAI Platform, a network comprising 170 major food companies dedicated to sustainability, unveiled a global framework outlining the transition to regenerative agriculture for food businesses. A number of mainstream food brands such as Unilever, Nestlé, McDonald’s, Danone, and General Mills have already committed their support for regenerative agriculture, Forbes reported.

Greater technical innovation and research into regenerative agriculture will continue over the coming year, the Global Ag Tech Initiative predicted in its December 2023 report, 5 AgTech Trends to Watch in 2024. “Essentially mimicking natural process and biodiversity on agricultural land, the ultimate aim of regenerative agriculture is to improve soil health in order to boost yield. To address the challenges of climate change and feed a global population of over 8 billion, regenerative agriculture is vital. Digital tools use accurate, up-to-date data to create tailored regenerative agriculture solutions. These consider soil conditions, weather conditions, microclimates, and current crop growth or land use, as well as individual budgets and local regulations. Platforms offering site specific data will likely reign supreme in 2024. A view of sustainability that extends beyond simple carbon metrics and one-size-fits-all solutions is necessary and will enable the establishment of realistic, actionable objectives for growers, promoting sustainability and formulating strategies tailored to local environments,” the report said.

Beyond Food – Regenerative Fashion Threads the Needle
On the textile and fiber front, companies including fashion leader Mango will begin incorporating regeneratively grown cotton into its 2024 fashion collections, the Fashion Network reported in December 2023. The company has partnered with Materra, a British-Indian company specializing in regenerative cotton cultivation, and said it will be able to ensure complete traceability across the value chain of its cotton, from seed to final garment.

“As a global fashion company, our intent is clear: to contribute to creating a fairer society and reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. This is why we ally ourselves with key partners like Materra, which will help us accelerate our path to ensuring that 100% of the fibers we use are sustainable by 2030,” said Andrés Fernández, Mango’s director of sustainability and sourcing.

Other fashion brands driving regenerative agriculture initiatives include J.Crew, Prana, Terra Thread and other textile and fiber companies that are members of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. “Big fashion brands and independent labels are embracing regenerative agriculture as a win-win solution that could allow them to source climate-positive materials. The challenge is that the concept doesn’t have a singular definition, and without clear standards it risks becoming a tool for greenwashing,” Business of Fashion reported in August 2023.

California Could Define Regenerative
Speaking of a definition, beginning in January 2024, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in collaboration with the State Board of Food and Agriculture, will host a series of public listening sessions to receive comments to help define “regenerative agriculture.”

“As interest in ‘regenerative agriculture’ continues to grow, we are seeing the introduction and evolution of the term in California policies and programs,” CDFA said. “Incorporating a definition of regenerative agriculture for state policies and programs provides a science-based criterion for the designation or recognition of the term ‘regenerative’ in agriculture-related policies of the state. By defining ‘regenerative agriculture’ and its associated practices, we are working to formalize holistic methods of farming that are designed to protect, sustain and enhance natural resources on our farms and farming communities throughout California,” the agency said.

Max Goldberg, Editor and Publisher of Organic Insider, commented, “If California codifies or legally defines ‘regenerative agriculture’ … it will certainly raise the profile of this term among consumers and farmers may end up paying more attention to the way they manage their soil, which is a real positive. However, both the opportunity for greenwashing and the consequences for organic could be severe,” he cautioned.

“At its core, the regenerative agriculture controversy stems from the question of whether a farming practice can be truly ‘regenerative’ if super-toxic chemicals, such as glyphosate or dicamba, are applied to the crops. There is no question that the regenerative movement has brought incredible attention to soil health … and that it has led to very important steps forward in farming practices around the world. But with all of the positive developments, ‘regenerative’ is ripe for abuse and greenwashing, and the multinational chemical companies, who have no intention of minimizing the importance of GMO seeds and synthetic pesticides, are eagerly embracing the term,” Goldberg added.

Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which manages the Regenerative Organic Certified program, told Organic Insider that she believes that California needs to act with real caution. “There are many groups and farmers advocating for ‘regenerative agriculture’ that are doing some excellent and extremely vital work. My concern, however, is that if the state defines ‘regenerative agriculture’ and it excludes organic, it could have the unintended effect of actually doing a lot more harm than good. Bad actors greenwashing the term is a real threat, and all stakeholders in California’s organic industry need to be fully engaged and on board with how the state is going to define ‘regenerative agriculture.’ The stakes are very high, for both California and our entire country, and this process cannot be rushed,” she said.

Woody Harrelson’s Regenerative Reason for Hope
Three-time Oscar nominated actor and environmental activist Woody Harrelson, in a December 2023 Op-Ed in The Wrap, expressed that, after serving as a co-narrator on the film Common Ground, he is “no longer hopeless for the future.”

Harrelson writes:

We stand at a crossroads, facing two paths. One leads to climate chaos, food shortages, deserts expanding and a biodiversity crash. The other involves rethinking our relationship with nature by choosing regenerative agriculture. The regenerative path can give us abundant, nutritious food, thriving ecosystems and a future for generations to come.

I had a surreal moment when I met King Charles and he said he loved “Kiss the Ground” so much he personally sent it to 1,000 people. I hope the same is true of “Common Ground” – I hope thousands of people send the new documentary to thousands of their friends.

I’ve never been a big believer in the political process in this country, but I believe in people. Congress is currently debating something called the Farm Bill. There are a lot of good people in America, who deserve to eat clean food, and it would be refreshing to see Washington prioritize communities over commodities.

I’m no longer hopeless. I’m actually inspired. In fact, I’m committed to using my voice and activism to make the regenerative agriculture movement spread far and wide.

We don’t just need to support soil in the Farm Bill — we need to make the effort in every way we can, from turning our lawns into food gardens and our food waste into compost, to buying food from local regenerative farmers and ranchers. We all eat and we can all support the people who are doing the hard work to feed the world with healthy regenerative food. We can vote with our dollars.

One thing is for certain, it’s time for a change. Soil is our common ground. 

Let’s make regenerative agriculture our priority. 

Learn More
Growing Life: Regenerating Farming and Ranching, by André Leu, December 2021

Food Climate and Nature FAQs, The Nature Conservancy, Sept. 1, 2023

Regeneration International, a global nonprofit organization and educational resource

44th Annual EcoFarm Conference, Pacific Grove, California, Jan. 17-20, 2024

Regenerative Business Live, United Nations, New York, NY, May 7, 2024

Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic, sustainable and hemp/CBD products businesses. Compass Natural serves in PR and programming for NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, and Hoffman serves as Editor of the weekly Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, published by We are for Better Alternatives. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

How to Build Your Brand with Social Media Influencers

How to Build Your Brand with Social Media Influencers

By Steven Hoffman

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the September 2022 edition of Presence Marketing News

With the explosive growth of social media, working with influencers is no longer an option for consumer products marketers, but rather an essential component of any modern-day marketing strategy.

Building word of mouth by collaborating with influencers on such social media sites as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook is particularly important for sellers of natural, organic, nutritional, eco-friendly and wellness brands where storytelling, education and product recommendations from a trusted source helps build trial, sales and loyalty among consumers.

Working with Presence Marketing, we interviewed a few brand leaders about their social media strategies. Here, in their own words, they share some helpful tips and insights for small and large brands alike on how to build your brand with social media influencers.

Rebecca Morgan, Marketing Director, Fresh Hemp Foods Ltd. / Tilray Wellness / Manitoba Harvest:
Influencers and content creators are an integral part of our community at Manitoba Harvest. They embody our commitment to hemp education through their recipe creation, engaging content and nutritional awareness. The most meaningful partner relationships are built over time, and Manitoba Harvest is proud to have a thriving ambassador program with 100+ creators, most of whom we’ve worked with for years.

As a Manitoba Harvest ambassador, creators receive bi-annual gifts of our everyday favorites and new products, and can count on our support content shares and paid investments. Whether they’re blending, baking or imagining innovative new uses for nutritious hemp, we’re inspired every day by the creativity of our ambassador community and value the engagement of the creators behind it.

In addition to our ambassador program, we partner with select influencers for larger content partners. Recently, we partnered with food blogger, @foodbymaria, for a five part “Can You Hemp It?” series, designed to show the incredible versatility of Hemp.

In the series, Maria celebrates the use of Hemp outside of traditional breakfast occasions by blending it into a Pina Colada smoothie, mixing it into a vegan Caesar Salad dressing, baking it into a strawberry shortcake, and more. These entertaining, engaging recipe videos are perfect for our organic social media, and allow us to run targeted digital ads to drive traffic to our retail partners.

Rosa Compean, VP of Marketing, Gimme Seaweed:
Developing an influencer strategy was new for us but now we feel we’ve gotten to a place where we’ve fine-tuned the consumer through our social media. We show up where our audience is, and for now, that is TikTok and Instagram. Even though we have more followers on Facebook, it’s not a channel where we are seeing the most engagement these days, so we shifted our content strategy to focus on Instagram and TikTok, including videos and Reels. It’s an age-related thing – we have what we refer to as the “OG” parents who may still be on Facebook, but the core target for us is on the newer channels. We’ve also started looking at other channels such as Discord (a gamer community), Twitch and others. We want to be where our audience is.

Our consumer is very health minded, gender neutral, 30-39 years old, diverse, and open to trying new things, with some disposable income where they can afford to buy organic snacks for themselves and their families. As such, we have to create content every month. As an organic, non-GMO brand, we create content about food, recipes, lifestyles, sustainability practices and to educate about our seaweed farms and commitment to the environment. For content creation, we use a combination of in-house creative and a kind of agency partner who helps us create fun, relevant content that we apply to a variety of platforms.

Gimme Seaweed just marked its 10-year anniversary as a company. We have a lot happening and we’ll have an active influencer campaign to accompany the launch of new  products this fall, including new flavors including Spicy Chili Lime and Vegan White Cheddar, and “slim packs” that fit in pockets, backpacks or more.

For big campaigns and when we want to work with influencers with 100,000 to 1 million or more followers, we often use the GRIN tool (www.grin.co) – it’s an all-in-one influencer platform that allows you to find the right influencers and affiliate marketers. It’s turnkey; all the legal paperwork is there and the best part is that all your data is stored on GRIN – at the end of each campaign, I can see all the metrics. It’s a very nice tool to have. The influencer world is an imperfect marketplace, and we are always testing, learning and optimizing. 

Katrina Picon, Director of Communications, Califia Farms:
At Califia Farms we love working with authentic brand fans, individuals who have mentioned or tagged us on social media. We actively seek them out. We work with many different types of creators, including people who are what we call “plant curious” and enjoy experimenting with plant-based products. For example, they might add oat milk to their morning latte, make a dessert with coconut milk or blend almond milk in their daily smoothie. Authenticity both as a Califia fan and in the plant-based category is key.

Traditionally, we’ve seen a lot of success on Instagram with influencers who like to share their daily coffee or smoothie routine as well as those who love showing off high-production images of food recipes using our products. These types of partnerships on Instagram allow us to show delicious, mouthwatering visuals of dairy-free creations that are possible with our brand and help encourage plant-based experimentation. Our iconic, curvy bottle also lends itself well to the platform and has allowed us to build a visual presence there with both organic and paid social mentions. Influencers and Instagram users alike love showing off Califia’s gorgeous bottle!

With the incredible rise of TikTok, we’ve naturally looked to engage there with influencers. It’s an ideal way to forge relationships with younger millennials and GenZ, a demographic that has helped drive excitement around plant-based eating and is often the first to try a new fun food hack or zany drink. TikTok is a great vehicle for us to engage with this younger segment and test some fun, out-of-the-box ideas.

We do have internal staff and external partners who work together to develop our integrated social and influencer campaigns. We always have our eye on the cultural and social landscape, ensuring that we’re on top of trends and staying engaged with our existing and new followers. All of this is certainly a team effort and requires a lot of internal communication, planning, and creative brainstorming sessions. We look for ongoing, seasonal opportunities to tell our story, but we also stay nimble and pivot when needed and where it makes sense for the brand. Planning ahead while remaining flexible are absolutely critical to our integrated communications programs.

Our influencer marketing efforts must always ladder up to our overall marketing plan, and that begins with clear marketing objectives and advance planning. If it’s a fun idea but doesn’t link back to our marketing objectives, we don’t execute on it. Regular, weekly check-ins with our brand team as well as campaign recaps where we break down what did and didn’t work are essential to campaign success. There is always room for improvement.

Regarding Affiliate Marketing, it can work well when you’ve established a relationship with an influencer, and their followers truly see the authenticity of the partnership shine through. The reason: it often takes a handful of brand social mentions on the influencer’s page before some of those affiliate sales convert. New, exciting product launches and limited-edition items are great candidates for these campaigns as they naturally generate a lot of social interest and there’s a sense of urgency to scoop them up. An affiliate code is often just what a consumer needs to try a new, untested product.

It’s important to remember that every influencer is different and has different levels of experience when it comes to working with brands on paid collaborations. Some influencers appreciate explicit instructions while others prefer minimal guidelines that allow them the freedom to stretch their creative muscles. There’s not a one-size fits all. I’ve also learned that it’s absolutely critical to hold kick-off calls with your influencer partners to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands the objectives of the campaign. This helps cut down on misunderstandings or delays down the road.

Finally, don’t overlook the value of working with micro influencers, these are typically influencers with less than 100K followers. They might not have the higher follower counts, but their audiences are often more engaged and take a creator’s product recommendations quite seriously.

Learn More
Learn more about how to build your brand with social media influencers at a free virtual Zoom workshop on Sept. 8, 2022, presented by Compass Natural and featuring special guest Ari Adams, CEO of ShiftCon, the nation’s largest community of “Eco-Wellness” influencers. Register here. Also, learn more about how your brand can get involved in the ShiftCon Eco-Wellness Influencer community and its upcoming annual conference, Oct. 13-15, in Westlake Village, CA.

For turnkey resources to match the right influencers with your brand, visit www.grin.co or www.upfluence.com.

For market research statistics on the growing importance of influencer marketing, visit Key Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know for 2022, and the 2022 Influencer Marketing Report. Also, MAVRCK published an informative, free downloadable guide, An Integrated Approach to Influencer Marketing for Food and Beverage Brands.

To learn more about Affiliate Marketing, visit Affiliate Marketing 101: What It Is and How to Get Started and The Ultimate Business Guide to Influencer Affiliate Marketing. Another helpful guide is Affiliate Marketing for Social Media – How Can Your Business Benefit? Also, check out the organic food brands that have been reported to have the most successful affiliate programs here. To see what other healthy lifestyle brands are doing, visit 52 Health Brands with Influencer Programs.

Instagram's affiliate program lets creators share shoppable feed posts and stories, as well as host a "shop" on their account where influencers can earn a commission on any sales from their page. Instagram is planning to expand its affiliate tools to more video content in 2022; visit here for more information.

To help identify top wellness influencers, visit Top Inspirational Eco Influencers Brands Should Follow, 10 of the Best Health Instagram Accounts and Influencers, 25 Best Organic Food Blogs and Websites, Top 38 Vegan Influencers Making a Big Impact on Social Media, and Top 50+ Wellness Influencers (2022, Non-celebrity).

Life After Manitoba Harvest: Mike Fata Celebrates 25 Years of a Personal and Entrepreneurial Journey to Health

This article originally appeared on LetsTalkHemp.com

By Steven Hoffman

Mike Fata, founder and former Chair and CEO of Manitoba Harvest – and one of the original founders of the hemp food industry – is celebrating the 25th anniversary this month marking the beginning of his personal journey to health.

In 1995, Mike was, as he said, “an unhealthy and unhappy 18 year old who weighed 300 pounds. I became sick and tired of being sick and tired, and decided to do something about it.”

Along the way, Mike learned a lot about nutrition, a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. He lost 125 pounds, regained his health, and … “the journey to health got me to see the value of hemp seed,” he said.

Inspired by the superfood potential hidden in the hemp seed, Fata in 1998 founded Manitoba Harvest. Today, the award-winning company is a widely recognized global hemp food leader, with lifetime sales in 2020 surpassing $500 million.

After successfully selling Manitoba Harvest in 2019 to Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY), a publicly traded, vertically integrated cannabis company based in Canada, for US$318 million, Mike is no longer involved on a day to day basis with the company. “It came to the point where the business was going that it was best to have a classically trained CEO leading the company,” he observed.

Yet, having carved out a significant entrepreneurial legacy in hemp and the natural and organic foods industry, Mike has future plans to mentor and invest in companies and brands that are committed to improving health, the environment and the quality of people’s lives.

“My passion is health and my purpose is to share it with the world,” Fata said. “I’m starting to diversify and help other founders fulfill their mission in the natural products space. I’ve made a couple of investments and got involved on the board level, and am involved actively in a couple of businesses.” Mike cites, for example that he’s become involved with Om Organic Mushrooms, an emerging natural supplements brand.

Mike also is committed to helping the hemp industry and natural products industry grow in Canada. “Giving back has been a big part of my work for my whole career; I’ve done 25 years of nonprofit board work,” he shared. Currently, Fata serves as Chair of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), and during his tenure, the organization has been supportive of removing restrictions on CBD sales in Canada.

Currently, there are no legal means to bring non-prescription CBD health products to the Canadian marketplace, said CHFA in a statement. However, the association this past month released a report identifying CBD products as an opportunity for economic recovery in Canada that could create a niche market valued at more than C$1 billion.

“CHFA has been very outspoken in favor of hemp and CBD in the last couple of years,” said Fata. “Currently, to buy CBD in Canada you have to go to a licensed dispensary. We’re trying to change it so natural food retailers in Canada can sell these products.”

In applying what he’s learned leading the growth of Manitoba Harvest, Fata said, “At the end of the day, if you have a great product and you put the right capital and great people together, good things can happen. However, he noted, “The hemp industry is missing strong strategy and planning because it’s still a new industry. Also, more innovation has to happen,” he advised.

Fata also believes that “extracts aren’t the cure all and end all for the hemp industry. People rushed in; it will take years to work out.”

However, Mike notes that there is huge potential for hemp food and hemp fiber. “There is tremendous value in the seed and the fiber 10 to 20 times over where the industry is now,” he said. “For now, we have hemp hearts, but we need more innovation. Look at the advancements in soy protein, pea protein, for example. “Hemp is just scratching the surface. We’re just getting started on being a superfood.”

While Mike admits he is currently under a noncompete agreement in the hemp market as a result of the sale of Manitoba Harvest to Tilray, “I am a super hemp consumer and am super passionate about it, from genetics to market. So, stay tuned.”

The best way to reach out to Mike Fata is via LinkedIn.