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.
Natural Foods CPG Entrepreneur Moves to Empower Farmers – GoodSAM’s Heather Terry Joins Compass Coffee Talk, Oct. 19, 2022, 11:30 am ET
Natural Foods CPG Entrepreneur Moves to Empower Farmers – GoodSAM’s Heather Terry Joins Compass Coffee Talk,
Oct. 19, 2022, 11:30 am et
LEADING PODCAST COMPASS COFFEE TALK WELCOMES HEATHER TERRY, FOUNDER AND CEO OF GOODSAM FOODS, FOR A DISCUSSION OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING FARMERS, DIRECT TRADE, AND HIGH STANDARDS FOR COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19, 2022, 11:30 am ET
ZOOM, Admission Is Free
Heather Terry, founder and CEO of GoodSAM Foods
Compass Coffee Talk™ continues its live webinar series for entrepreneurs and business leaders in the natural, organic and sustainable products industry by welcoming Heather Terry, founder and CEO of GoodSAM Foods, a public benefit corporation and a rapidly growing brand in the natural and organic products channel.
In the popular podcast, hosted by natural products veterans Steven Hoffman and Bill Capsalis, Heather will share how GoodSAM is “doing well by doing good,” leading the way in regenerative agriculture and consciously sourced consumer products, with vertically integrated product lines in coffee and chocolate sourced from sustainable partner farms.
Heather brings a career’s worth of experience to the GoodSAM venture, with a mix of entrepreneurial forays, such as NibMor Chocolate, and work as a consultant who grew many natural beauty product brands such as S.W. Basics, Pulp Pantry and Organic Bath Company, among others.
Today, Heather is focused on working with farmers to ensure they are paid fairly and the material is ethically sourced for all of GoodSAM’s direct trade products.
“It seems small, picking up snacks or coffee for your everyday, but when you buy those things from GoodSAM, you are doing so much more,” states Heather on the GoodSAM website (www.goodsamfoods.com). “You are enjoying a high quality product with health benefits, you are paying farmers and families a living wage, you are contributing to reversing climate change because of our and our partners’ sustainability practices. It’s all circular and it is the reason I love getting up in the morning to do my job.”
“Certain individuals make a big difference, and they influence and inspire others with not only good business sense, but also a strong sense of mission, leadership and service. Heather Terry is one of those people. Tune in to learn more about Heather and how her story can apply to the success of your business,” said Steven Hoffman, managing director of Compass Natural and co-host and producer of Compass Coffee Talk.
Register here for Compass Coffee Talk with Heather Terry
Register here to participate in the upcoming Compass Coffee Talk, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, 11:30 am – noon ET
About Heather Terry
Heather Terry is the founder and CEO of GoodSAM Foods, a public benefit corporation (PBC). She has been a CPG mentor and an angel investor and is the author of From Broadway to Wall Street. In addition, she is a partner and the former chief strategy officer of BeyondBrands, a leading consulting agency focused on natural products. For more than a decade, Heather has been immersed in the consumer-packaged goods vertical, first as the co-founder of NibMor Chocolate. She also has worked to expand popular clean beauty and wellness brands, including S.W. Basics, Pulp Pantry and Organic Bath Company. She has secured for her wellness clients coveted spots on the shelves of national retailers such as Whole Foods Market and Target. She has also been featured at WELL Insiders, WELL Summit, The Wild Rose Collective, the Rising Women Conference, Loyola University, Good Housekeeping’s Raise the Green Bar Summit and the Regenerative Rising Summit.
Heather is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York and received an MFA from Rutgers University. She is pursuing a degree in permaculture and is passionate about direct trade and regenerative agriculture.
About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.
VIEW OUR PAST COMPASS COFFEE TALK EPISODES ON YOUTUBE.
Family for Change: Tom Newmark and Sara Newmark Talk Regenerative Ag, Purpose, Climate, Business, and More on the Next Compass Coffee Talk
Tom Newmark (Left) and Sara Newmark (Right)
Compass Coffee Talk will get 2022 off to a bold start with a powerhouse duo sharing business wisdom and mission-focused inspiration on January 12, 2022, at 11:30 am Eastern time. Natural industry legend Tom Newmark brings a long record as a pioneer and leader in natural, organic, and regenerative business, as well as a deep and active commitment to climate-focused education and advocacy. Sara Newmark, chief operating officer at True Grace, a nutrient-dense supplements company, carries on the family tradition of advocacy, responsible business leadership, and service, while raising two kids on an organic and regenerative farm with her husband.
About Sara Newmark
A strong community and social impact professional, Sara Newmark is the COO at True Grace, a new brand of nutrient-dense supplements formulated to improve the health of body and planet for generations to come. An experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the health and wellness industry, Sara is an advocate for the power of business to make lasting, systemic change. She brings diverse experience and leadership in sustainability to the True Grace team where she works to improve the health of communities, farmers, people, and planet by committing to doing business regeneratively.
Sara is board co-chair for Green America and sits on the boards for the Coalition for Supplement Sustainability and The Retreat Farm. She lives in Vermont on a 10-acre organic and regenerative farm with her husband and children. The Newmark family also owns Finca Luna Nueva, an eco-lodge and teaching center for regenerative agriculture in Costa Rica.
About Tom Newmark
Tom Newmark is a member of the Leadership Council of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at California State University, Chico and co-owner of Finca Luna Nueva, an eco-lodge and regenerative farming operation in Costa Rica. Tom is co-founder and chair of The Carbon Underground, co-founder of Regeneration International, past chairman of the Greenpeace Fund USA and the American Botanical Council, and founder of Sacred Seeds, a plant conservation project administered by United Plant Savers. As CEO of New Chapter, Inc. he helped to align that company with the goals of the NonGMO and organic movements.
About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.
VIEW OUR PAST COMPASS COFFEE TALK EPISODES ON YOUTUBE
Pepsico Announces Goal to Expand Regenerative Farming Practices on 7 Million Acres by 2030
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s June 2021 Newsletter
Pepsico announced in late April that the company is launching an ambitious, impact-driven “Positive Agriculture” strategy with the goal of spreading regenerative agriculture practices across 7 million acres of farmland by 2030, which the company says is approximately equal to its entire agricultural footprint.
“Any plan to tackle the urgent challenges facing the global food system must address agriculture, the source of nourishment for billions and a key lever to address climate change and inequality,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta.
Pepsico estimates the initiative will eliminate at least 3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by the end of the decade. Additional 2030 goals within its Positive Agriculture agenda include improving the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural supply chain, and sustainably sourcing 100% of its key ingredients, the company said.
“One big part of Positive Agriculture is extending regenerative farming practices — a set of techniques that improve and restore ecosystems with a focus on building soil health and fertility, reducing carbon emissions, enhancing watershed management, increasing biodiversity and improving farmer livelihoods. Partnering with farmers, PepsiCo will spread the adoption of these practices across 7 million acres, approximately equal to the company’s entire agricultural footprint. The growers behind products like Lay’s potato chips, Quaker oats and Tropicana orange juice will be driving forces,” the company said.
“Today, we're accelerating our Positive Agriculture agenda, because we know we have to do even more to create truly systemic change,” said Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “By focusing on regenerative agriculture practices at the local level to build soil health, we can build a stronger foundation for our products and help make the entire food system more sustainable.”
Join Robyn O'Brien and Pam Shepherd on Compass Coffee Talk, June 16, 2021, 11:30am EDT
Financing the Transition to Regenerative Agriculture
Food Industry Icon Robyn O’Brien and Finance Expert Pam Shepherd Discuss the Future of Organic and Regenerative Farming on the Next Compass Coffee Talk™, Wed., June 16, 2021
Wednesday, June 16, 11:30am - Noon EDT
Zoom, Admission is Free
Robyn O'Brien (Left) and Pam Shepherd (Right)
Get the latest dirt on why soil is the future and hear from rePlant Capital’s Co-founder and Managing Director Robyn O’Brien, alongside finance expert Pam Shepherd, Managing Director, Manna Tree Partners.
Robyn O’Brien has been called “food’s Erin Brockovich” by the media and is globally recognized for her voice in the industry. At rePlant Capital, O’Brien diligently works to reverse climate change through the deployment of a series of proprietary funds focused on U.S. farmers. On Compass Coffee Talk, she will share her perspective on the future of organic farming and how financing plays a part in transitioning American farmland to regenerative and organic agriculture.
Also joining Compass Coffee Talk is Pam Shepherd, who brings 18 years of financial, transactional, and operational expertise to Manna Tree Partners, an investment firm dedicated to improving human health through nutrition with forward-thinking strategies that make a global impact.
About Robyn O’Brien
Internationally acclaimed by the New York Times and Bloomberg, Robyn O’Brien was recently recognized by Forbes Magazine on its Impact 50 List for her work in food and agriculture. O’Brien’s TEDx talk (based on her book, The Unhealthy Truth, Random House) exposes the shortcomings in the food system. It has been watched by millions, translated into dozens of languages, and influenced policy, legislation, and product formulation in the food industry.
Prior to founding rePlant Capital, Robyn advised CEOs and executives at multinational CPG companies, startups, and farm organizations and worked on a team managing $20 billion in assets.
About Pam Shepherd
Pam Shepherd, Managing Director, Manna Tree Partners, spent eight years in investment finance, on the buy-side as a Vice President at Greenmont Capital Partners, working with healthy living companies like Eco-Products, Madhava, and EcoSmart. She also worked on the sell-side at St. Charles Capital, where she closed over $300 million in total transaction value. Most recently, Pam served as the COO and CFO of The Boppy Company for six years, a global consumer products company supporting mothers.
As a former operator, Pam has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by growth-stage companies. In addition, as a former investor, she understands how to best drive and support shareholder value creation for Manna Tree investors.
About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.
VIEW OUR PAST COMPASS COFFEE TALK EPISODES ON YOUTUBE
Diversity, Inclusion and the Natural Products Industry
Photo: Pixabay
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s May 2021 Industry Newsletter and New Hope Network’s IdeaXchange
By Steven Hoffman
This month’s news items focus on recent efforts in the natural and specialty foods industry to advance and integrate diversity and inclusion in America’s food system. You can learn more and explore how to get involved in these efforts by visiting the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, www.jedicollaborative.com.
J.E.D.I. Collaborative Seeks to Expand Diversity in the Natural Products Industry
In a Compass Coffee Talk conversation in April, Carlotta Mast, Co-founder of the J.E.D.I. Collaborative, announced that the organization – dedicated to expanding Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the natural and organic products industry, will soon be appointing a new Executive Director. The organization recently engaged Ryan Pintado-Vertner, Founder of Smoketown, a Chicago-based agency dedicated to expanding diversity and social impact in the CPG industry, to help further J.E.D.I.’s reach, focus and influence in the natural products market. “We’re standing on the shoulders of a lot of effort and work, and with the Black Lives Matter movement, we’ve hit an inflection point. The 15% pledge is the reason companies like Target and Fresh Market have taken these initiatives,” said Pintado-Vertner, referring to an initiative launched in 2020 calling on major retailers to commit to a minimum of 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. The J.E.D.I. Collaborative was founded by One Step Closer (OSC), an industry organization dedicated to zero waste packaging, reversing climate change, conscious leadership and a just and regenerative society. Compass Coffee Talk is produced by Compass Natural Marketing and sponsored by Presence Marketing / Dynamic Presence.
How Natural Companies Can Turn Societal Upheaval Into Better Branding
In the recent issue of Nutrition Business Journal, featuring guest editor Emerald-Jane Hunter of the myWHY Agency, writer Rick Polito outlined lessons marketers and brand executives learned in the past year that they are taking into the future. One is to commit to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) (see above). “If you don’t have a diversity strategy, you don’t have a growth strategy,” one industry veteran said. For the natural products industry, that means “figuring out how to move beyond a primarily white and affluent audience, how to support Black-owned businesses and how to embrace diversity within its own corporate teams,” he wrote. According to a Natural and Organic Industry Benchmarking Survey, in the boardrooms of natural products brands, only 2% of leadership positions are occupied by Black professionals. Samantha Flynn, who works with the myWHY Agency, emphasized that authenticity means more than posting supportive messages, especially to Gen Z. “They believe in the power of their dollar and no purchase is too small for them to be examining what the company stands for,” she said.
Natural Products Industry Fund to Provide Scholarships, Networking for HBCU Students
The Organic & Natural Health Association (ONHA) recently announced a partnership with the Williams-Franklin Foundation to raise a minimum of $50,000 over the next five years to provide scholarship funds for students attending historically black colleges or universities (HBCU). The Organic & Natural Health Scholarship Fund will support students in financial need, and ONHA also committed to support networking opportunities for HBCU students, graduates and natural health executives with the purposes of creating internships and career opportunities, while helping to create a more diverse and inclusive industry. “This is an Organic & Natural Health initiative, but it’s not ours to own,” said Karen Howard, executive director of ONHA. “We want to make this an industry-wide initiative for diversity and inclusion, and we want it to be as big and as noteworthy as what Vitamin Angels has achieved for dietary supplement distribution to countries in need. Exposure to our industry is the biggest barrier to lack of diversification in our organizations. Together, as an industry, we can proactively work to change this dynamic.” The Williams-Franklin Foundation is a 501(c) 3 incorporated nonprofit that provides academic scholarships, business/career networking, and mentoring opportunities to HBCU students with extreme financial need. Led by husband and wife team, Dwight and LaShelle (Williams) Franklin, both HBCU graduates used their own seed money to launch the foundation in 2014. Leaders and companies within the natural products industry who want to donate a tax-deductible gift directly to the Williams-Franklin Foundation’s Organic & Natural Health Scholarship Fund select “Organic & Natural Health Fund” in the dropbox when donating at: https://www.wmsfranklinfoundation.org/donate/.
The Fresh Market Appoints New Head of Diversity
Specialty grocer The Fresh Market has named one of its senior leaders, Gerald Walden, to a newly created position within the retail chain as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Head of Diversity. As Head of Diversity, Walden will oversee The Fresh Market’s efforts to advance and integrate diversity, equity and inclusion values and practices across the company and with business partners and customers, the company said in a statement. Walden previously served as VP, Head of Legal for The Fresh Market, which operates 159 stores in 22 states. Walden currently serves on The Fresh Market’s Diversity Action Board and, for a decade has overseen the retailer’s legal internship program, which provides exclusive opportunities to minority law students. Walden also has an extensive background in inclusive leadership, having served as the Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Minorities in the Profession Committee, the President of the Guilford County Association of Black Lawyers, and currently Walden serves as a Board Member of the National Employment Law Council and two historically Black universities, the company said.
Dr. Bronner’s Issues Statement Against Hate Crimes Toward Asian Americans
Asian-American and Pacific Islander employees at Dr. Bronner’s, together with the company’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) taskforce, have issued a statement against hate toward Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders amid reports that anti-Asian hate crimes rose nearly 150% in America’s largest cities last year. “We have unfortunately seen this over and over again in human history: when a nation struggles with problems, its citizens look for a group to blame, a group they can scapegoat or attack—and often that group is one that is already considered to be outsiders, illegitimate, or somehow less deserving. We recognize that many in the U.S. are truly hurting—devastated by the multiple health and economic crises brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the healing of this pain will never be found in the oppression of other people. It is incumbent on all of us to speak up and intervene if we witness this kind of harassment or racism. It is also imperative that we speak up against the use of phrases like ‘China virus’ or ‘Wuhan virus’ to describe the Covid-19 pandemic, as that sort of language unfairly casts Asians as responsible for the pandemic and creates the conditions for the kind of racist abuse that has been on the rise. This kind of scapegoating of a particular racial group runs directly counter to our grandfather’s All-One vision and is against everything we practice and promote as a company. Dr. Bronner’s speaks out categorically against all harassment or victimization of members of our Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community,” the statement said. Dr. Bronner’s customers can opt in to donate 10% of sales proceeds – at no additional cost – to Asian Americans Advancing Justice through June 30.
Natural Industry Survey: Smaller Companies Are More Diverse than Larger Ones
Leadership teams and boards of directors in the natural products industry lack diversity and are predominately comprised of white men, according to a survey of 220 industry leaders conducted by the J.E.D.I. Collaborative and New Hope Network. According to the benchmark survey, Black and Latinx membership on natural products industry boards is only 2%, while Black and Latinx representation on leadership teams is 2% and 6%, respectively, according to New Hope Network. Smaller companies are more diverse than larger ones: companies with fewer than 10 employees have more women and people of color in management positions, the survey found. According to New Hope Network, today’s natural and organic consumer is primarily white (73%), yet the U.S. population is headed toward a white minority population by 2043. “The U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse and it is imperative that manufacturers and retailers serve the changing population,” the editors of New Hope said. “Becoming a more diverse community will allow us to be able to serve the people who could benefit most from health-promoting food and products and contributes to the long-term costs that all of society pays when we support an unjust food and agricultural system.” Companies can make the J.E.D.I. commitment toward inclusion and diversity here.
Target to Spend More than $2 Billion with Black-owned Businesses by 2025
Target Corporation in April announced it has committed to spending more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. In a statement, Target said it is pledging to add products across multiple categories from more than 500 Black-owned companies, and is introducing resources to help its Black-owned vendors grow and successfully scale their businesses in mass retail. Building off of the retailer’s Target Accelerators, a program that supports entrepreneurs to drive innovation, the company is introducing a new program called Forward Founders. This program will engage Black entrepreneurs earlier in their startup journey to help them navigate the critical stages of ideation, product development and scaling for mass retail, Target said. With increased access to subject matter experts and educational workshops earlier in the startup process, Forward Founders is designed to help Black-owned businesses increase their potential for long-term success in retail, said the company. For more information, visit Target’s Supplier Diversity page.
Molson Coors Invests in TRU Colors, Founded by Rival Gang Members
Molson Coors, which has been expanding its portfolio beyond beer to include hard seltzer, spirits, energy drinks and non-alcoholic functional beverages, in April announced it has made an equity investment in TRU Colors Brewery, a Wilmington, NC-based company founded by a tech entrepreneur and rival gang leaders from the Bloods, Crips and GD. TRU stands for Truth, Responsibility and Unity, according to company founders, and the brand has a mission to provide employment and to unify rival gangs, Molson Coors said in a statement. In addition to an equity investment, Molson Coors will serve as a strategic partner to assist the company with distribution strategy, brand positioning, supplier relationships, marketing and advertising consultation, and product formulation. Molson Coors said the move is not only a strategic investment, but also marks the latest in a series of actions designed to foster a more inclusive and diverse culture. The company announced a goal of increasing representation of people of color in its U.S. operations by 25% by the end of 2023 and committed to donating a cumulative $3 million to 26 local and national organizations dedicated to equality, empowerment, justice and community building from 2020-2021.
Campbell Soup Company Flipping the Script on Diversity and Inclusion
By taking a stand on social issues and social justice, companies can attract and maintain talent and investors, said Campbell Soup Company CEO Mark Clouse in a recent webinar. “Our employees want to know where we stand on these things, and it’s also great to see investors starting to ask me those questions,” Clouse said, according to Food Navigator. “The idea of inclusion coming first is really about wiring comprehensively a broad scope plan and strategy that will change culture that make it conducive to attracting and retaining diversity,” he said. According to Clouse, Campbell in October 2020 appointed Camille Pierce as Senior VP and Chief Culture Officer to help ensure its diversity and inclusion efforts become embedded in the company’s leadership and culture. Campbell has developed strategies around three pillars, said Clouse: capabilities & education, advocacy, and accountability. These pillars serve as a framework for metrics – not quotas – he said, and outcomes that “are placed on a time continuum.“ Then Campbell “measures the heck out of them. We may not get it right every time, but we try to be thoughtful” and learn from experiences to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace, he said. For more information, visit here.
Organic & Regenerative Agriculture Has Roots in Black, Native American Farming
Dr. George Washington Carver was one of the founders of the organic and regenerative agriculture movements. A researcher, inventor, scientist and professor at Tuskegee University, Carver was among the first to spread the word about caring for soil and community, inspiring a generation of organic farmers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, writes Leah Penniman in Civil Eats. Penniman is Co-director and Program Manager at Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, NY, a community organization that serves more than 10,000 people each year with food justice initiatives, farm training for BIPOC growers and more. Through “Afro-Indigenous” farming and forestry practices, Soul Fire has been regenerating 80 acres of land, while providing training, workshops and mentorship to underserved communities. “My ancestral grandmothers in West Africa braided seeds of okra, molokhia, and levant cotton into their hair before being forced to board Transatlantic slave ships. They hid sesame, black-eyed peas, rice, and melon seeds in their locks,” writes Penniman. “With the seed, our grandmothers also braided their eco-systemic and cultural knowledge. They braided the wisdom of sharing land, labor, and wealth.” However, Penniman notes, Black farmers once owned 16 million acres of land in the U.S. after emancipation, yet “almost all of that land is now gone,” she said. “In 2010, Soul Fire Farm was born with a mission to reclaim our ancestral belonging to land and to end racism and exploitation in the food system. What began as a small family farm is now a community organization committed to this systemic and ancestral change. And we pray that the words from our mouths, the meditations in our hearts, and the work of our hands are all acceptable to our grandmothers who passed us these seeds.”
USDA Secretary: Creating Equitable Opportunities for Black Farmers Lifts All Boats
Provisions of the recently enacted American Rescue Plan that seek to acknowledge and address systemic racism perpetuated against generations of Black farmers will benefit the entire agriculture sector, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told stakeholders at a House Agriculture Committee hearing held in late March. President Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan earmarked nearly $5 billion for black farmers impacted by decades of discrimination made worse by the pandemic, NBC Washington reported. “Creating more equitable opportunities for Black farmers is a rising tide that can lift all boats,” Vilsack said at the hearing, Food Navigator-USA reported. “As one study found closing racial gaps in wages, housing credit, lending opportunities, and access to higher education would amount to an additional $5 trillion in gross domestic product and six million jobs to the American economy over the next five years,” Vilsack said in defense of “socially disadvantaged farmer provisions in the American Rescue Plan,” that have come under fire by some legislators and critics of the plan. “While Black farmers receive about $60 million in annual commodity subsidies, white farmers annually receive about $10 billion in commodity subsidies,” Vilsack said. He also noted that 97% of coronavirus food assistance payments went to white farmers, Food Navigator-USA reported. “More need to be done to drive our efforts deeper,” Vilsack told the House Agriculture Committee. He emphasized the necessity to “make clear that prosperous farmers of color means a prosperous agriculture sector and a prosperous America.”
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Organic Farming Could Boost Carbon Sequestration by Double Digits, New Study Says
Photo: Pexels
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s April 2021 Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
In a meta-analysis of more than 4,000 studies, researchers found that organic farmers could increase the amount of carbon captured in the soil by double digits by adopting best organic farming practices. The study was published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment by researchers at the University of Maryland in collaboration with The Organic Center, a nonprofit research and education organization based in Washington, D.C. Examining different practices such as the use of organic soil amendments, conservation tillage and cover crops, the researchers found that best practices in organic soil amendments, such as compost and manure, had the biggest and fastest impact on carbon sequestration, by an average of 24%. “The study is the first of its kind – looking within organic management to not only highlight the areas where organic excels at locking greenhouse gas in the soil, but also identifying the areas that have the biggest beneficial impact, enabling organic growers to maximize their ability to fight climate change,” said Jessica Shade, Ph.D., Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center. The study identified four practices that are most critical to good soil health, including planting cover crops; applying combinations of organic inputs; increasing crop rotation diversity and length; and conservation tillage. The Organic Center highlighted the report’s main findings here.
Global Earth Day Live Broadcast, April 22, Includes Focus on Regenerative Agriculture
Photo: Pexels
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s April 2021 Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
The global organizer of Earth Day, Earthday.org, will present its second Earth Day Live digital event on April 22, 2021. The theme of the multi-hour, multi-channel livestream event, beginning at noon Eastern Time, is Restore Our Earth. Topics include regenerative agriculture, climate and environmental literacy, equity and environmental justice, climate restoration technologies and more. “The agriculture sector is one of the largest contributors to climate change, and regenerative agriculture has the power to change that by rehabilitating our soils and enhancing our ecosystem,” Jillian Semann, Earth Day Network’s Food and Environment Director, said in a statement. "This Earth Day, we have an important opportunity to challenge world leaders to see climate change for what it is – a pressing global security threat, one that threatens everyone and everything but particularly our most vulnerable people and places," said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earthday.org. Learn more at www.earthday.org/earth-day-2021.
KISS THE GROUND Documentary Signifies Hemp’s Role in Regenerative Agriculture, Climate Change
By Heather Collins
As wildfires ravage the West, unseasonal snowstorms blanket the Rocky Mountains, and hurricanes pound the South, people everywhere are talking about climate change.
Faced with the reality of a global crisis, hemp industry executives, Hollywood filmmakers, actors, farmers, celebrities, and business leaders collaborated and created KISS THE GROUND. This new full-length groundbreaking documentary gets to the root of the problem, with the solution located right under our feet.
Narrated by actor Woody Harrelson, the film features a star-studded line-up and casts a glimpse of how soil might be the clear answer to sequestering carbon out of the atmosphere and help cool a warming planet. Directed by Rebecca Tickell and Josh Tickell, the documentary features well-known celebrities, such as Ian Somerhalder, Gisele Bündchen, Jason Mraz, and David Arquette.
According to KISS THE GROUND’S Executive Producer, Ian Somerhalder, “We can get the Earth back to the Garden of Eden that it once was by regeneration in agriculture.” KISS THE GROUND is in good hands with Big Picture Ranch, a film studio that strives to change the narrative around critical environmental issues.
Save the Date
The movie, KISS THE GROUND, will be available to the world on Tuesday, September 22, at 6:00 pm PDT, on Netflix. Somerhalder is inviting everyone to view the trailer and spend an evening watching the film to learn more about KISS THE GROUND, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit whose mission is to awaken people to the possibilities of regenerative agriculture.
“There’s so much bad news about our planet. Please share the film with your community and with every friend, co-worker, mother, father, sister, brother, and acquaintance,” says Somerhalder. “We are fulfilling our mission in awakening people to the possibility of regeneration. Together, we can do this. Here we go!”
To view the trailer, click HERE or to support the KISS THE GROUND message and movement, visit: https://kisstheground.com/support-the-film/ – socialassets
The Power of Hemp Soil
Hemp business leaders, industry experts, and entrepreneurs publicly acknowledge that hemp could be key in creating solutions to the global climate crisis. “Hemp can be grown more regeneratively as a rotational crop along with cover crops. If you just inject nitrogen fertilizer, though, you miss the point of a better world with hemp. Let’s regenerate with hemp!” said John Roulac, Co-Producer of KISS THE GROUND, Founder of Nutiva, and Founder and Board Member of the Certified Organic CBD brand RE Botanicals.
The Rodale Institute, an organization dedicated to improving humans’ overall health and the planet through organic research, agricultural training, and consumer education, acknowledges that the global “climate crisis is here and regenerative agriculture is the only way to fight it.”
The Rodale Institute is leading research efforts into regenerative hemp, and it applauds the efforts many hemp farmers are making in implementing sustainable farming techniques on their farms. Even though regenerative agriculture is a relatively new concept, the organization works collectively with growers to educate them on the soil carbon solution that further protects farmland for future use.
About KISS THE GROUND 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Film Partner
KISS THE GROUND is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission of creating awareness around the extraordinary potential of healthy soil. KISS THE GROUND has educated and activated millions through its Media Program, Farmland Program, and Stewardship Program. Their Farmland Program supports transitioning farmers and ranchers with training, mentorship, and soil testing and has a robust scholarship program for farmers who need financial assistance to take part. The Stewardship Program is an education platform, community, and resource hub created to educate, inspire, and empower individuals to become powerful and impactful advocates for the regenerative movement. KISS THE GROUND has become a premier online educational hub for regenerative agriculture, offering an online “pathway” for anyone to find resources and their unique way forward in contributing to this expanding global movement.
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Patagonia Takes Lead in Focus on Regenerative Agriculture, Climate Change
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, February 2020
By Steven Hoffman
“We’re losing the planet. We really are,” Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard recently told Emily Stifler Wolfe, a reporter at Explore Big Sky. “And I’m not going to let it go without fighting, so we have to try harder.” Patagonia in 2012 launched its Provisions division that sells organic grains, responsibly caught salmon and other items to help create a market for climate-friendly products. In 2018, it became a charter member of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, and in 2020 the company is introducing its Road to Regenerative line of organic cotton clothing. Made of “100% Regenerative Organic Certification Pilot Cotton from farms working to rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare and improve the lives of farmers” the new tee shirts also are Fair Trade Certified sewn, says the company. Patagonia, with a new mission statement, “We’re in business to save our home planet,” intends to go “carbon neutral and non-extractive by 2025,” reports Explore Big Sky, and it plans to boost support for environmental conservation and go deeper into politics. The company in December 2017 sued the Trump administration for rescinding a million acres of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, and it backed Montana’s Democratic Senator Jon Tester – an organic farmer – in his 2018 reelection. To learn more about regenerative organic agriculture and food and climate, attend Climate Day at Natural Products Expo West, Tuesday, March 5, 2020, and an update from the Regenerative Organic Alliance at Expo West on Friday, March 8.