Wild Wings, World’s First Certified Organic Backyard Bird Food, on a Mission to Protect Declining Wild Bird Populations
Declines in wild bird populations worldwide are being linked to overuse of herbicides such as glyphosate. Now, more backyard bird lovers are saying no to bird-killing pesticides with Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods, the first premium certified organic outdoor bird food.
Brentwood, TN (November 13, 2018) – National Geographic dubbed 2018 the Year of the Bird, and the news about our feathered friends in the wild isn’t good. Bird populations in agricultural regions in France have dropped by 33 percent, the magazine reported recently, and many believe widespread use of herbicides such as glyphosate may be a contributing factor. In the United States, the U.S. Migratory Bird Council estimates that 10 percent of the 672 million birds exposed to pesticides on U.S. agricultural lands—the canaries in the chemical coal mine, so to speak—die.
Unwittingly, bird lovers may be contributing to the problem by feeding backyard birds seeds soaked with glyphosate and other pesticides.
“Ironically, it is often the same sunflower and/or other grains intended to feed backyard birds that may have been sprayed with lethal pesticides to keep pests (often including birds) at bay,” said Greg Harrison, DVM, a renowned avian health expert and founder of Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods. “Just like human health, birds and animals are affected by widespread usage of glyphosate and other toxic, synthetic pesticides. We created Wild Wings to give bird lovers an alternative to feeding the finches glyphosate.”
Harrison founded Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods and its parent company, Harrison’s Bird Foods, which also makes a veterinary line of organic bird foods for pets. His goals are: 1) to promote the highest standard of care for companion and wild birds through education; 2) to make available quality, certified organic bird foods and other products worldwide; and 3) to protect the environment and create a market for organic grain farmers in the U.S. A disruptor in the $6.3 billion wild bird food and feeder category, Wild Wings makes its wild bird seeds and blends with certified organic grains through a close partnership with Grain Place Foods, a pioneering, 350-acre certified organic farm in eastern Nebraska, and other producers.
“Wild Wings seeds are better for birds, and they know it,” Harrison said. “Studies have shown birds choose organic over non-organic and Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods contain many of the same high quality certified organic items used in our veterinary pet bird formulas, which have been keeping pet birds extremely healthy and happy for many years.”
Just Say No in Your Backyard Birdfeeder
Sales of organic and natural pet foods are booming in the United States, reaching $8.2 billion (making up 25 percent of the pet food market) in 2016 and expected to reach $14 billion by 2021 as people discover the difference chemical-free, non-GMO food can make for their pets. “Like pet bird owners, wild bird lovers also need to have the option of feeding birds organic seeds,” Harrison said. “And more and more people are understanding what a difference it makes for the birds they love and the environment that sustains them.”
In 2014, Dutch researchers warned of an alarming trend between declines in bird populations in the Netherlands and higher concentration of imidaclopris, a common neonicotinoid pesticide, according to Smithsonian magazine.(Neonicotinoids are powerful insect neurotoxins and one of the world’s most commonly used pesticides.) Organochlorine pesticides such as the miticide dicofol cause eggshell thinning and can be extremely toxic to birds, according to a McGill University report.
“Fish, birds, and wildlife that live in direct contact with environments subject to pesticide exposure are sentinel species that may be predictive of our own fate,” the Pesticide Action Network states in a report. “With pesticides now found routinely in drinking water, on food, and in the air, we are all taking part in an experiment in pesticide exposure on a global scale.”
In your backyard bird feeders, at least, you can just say no to continuing the chemical cycle.
Wild Wings premium certified organic wild bird seeds and blends are Non-GMO Project Verified and are available at Wild Wings’ online store and on Amazon.com. For wholesale inquiries, please contact Jean Coffinberry, tel 615.221.9919, jean@harrisonsbirdfoods.com.
About Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods
Brentwood, TN-based Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods was founded by Greg Harrison, DVM, a recognized leader in avian health who created The Bird Hospital, the first all-bird veterinary practice in Lake Worth, FL, in the 1970s and Harrison’s Bird Foods, the first commercially available certified organic pet food, in the 1980s. HBD International, Inc. (Harrison’s Bird Foods) promotes the highest standard of care for companion and wild birds through education and the availability of quality, certified organic bird foods and other products worldwide. Visit www.HarrisonsBirdFoods.comand follow Harrison’s Bird Foods and Wild Wings Organic Wild Bird Foods on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact
Jean Coffinberry, Harrison’s Bird Foods, 615.221.9919, jean@harrisonsbirdfoods.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Photo: Wild Wings
Midterm Election Update: What’s Impacting the Natural Products Industry?
Photo: Pexels
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, November 2018
By Steven Hoffman
Originally appeared in the Nov. 2018 edition of Presence Marketing News and New Hope's IdeaXchange
As we approach the 2018 midterm elections, we asked a number of industry leaders, whose job it is in part to track and influence political, legislative and regulatory affairs that affect the natural, nutritional and organic products industry, to give us their views on the upcoming federal and state elections, as well as the issues we face in this election cycle. We were pleased to receive the comments and perspectives below from the following individuals:
Loren Israelsen, President, United Natural Products Alliance
Laura Batcha, CEO, Organic Trade Association
Corinne Shindelar, CEO, Independent Natural Products Association
Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association
Todd Runestad, Senior Editor, Informa/New Hope Network
Michele Simon, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Association
Morris Beegle, Producer, Let’s Talk Hemp
Bob Hoban, Hoban Law Group, a leading hemp-centric legal firm
Loren Israelsen, President, United Natural Products Alliance
Tariffs and Nutritional Products
Due to the trade imbalance with China, the current administration has decided to use tariffs as a primary tool in an attempt to balance the scales. The nutrition industry has largely escaped the first two rounds of tariffs imposed this year on Chinese goods entering the U.S. The next scheduled tariff round is Jan. 1, 2019, and as we are all hearing, they would essentially cover the rest of all Chinese goods coming into the U.S., suggesting that this time around we’ll be hit directly.
Virtually all dietary ingredients, as we would call them – they would also include food ingredients, food additives, cosmetic ingredients, pet food ingredients, etc. – this class of goods would likely be subject to 25% tariffs. That’s a big deal. We know that many nutrition and dietary supplements companies are trying to forecast if they should buy now to get ahead of the tariffs. However, forward buying skews the market. Also, if there is pushback of those January deadlines, then businesses could be holding on to a whole lot of inventory that won’t be moving as forecasted, so a lot of cash could get tied up in inventory.
Here are my concerns: If tariffs are imposed on dietary ingredients, it will be a price shock to the market, which potentially could lead to cheating and mislabeled, misbranded and possibly adulterated ingredients. Vigilance will be required at a whole new level. The brands that go into the health food retail market are already feeling stressed by Amazon and others; would they suffer more due to pricing pressures due to a possible tariff hike? They don’t have much room to spread the cost.
Yet, ultimately, we believe it is important to engage with China and we will keep the industry updated about our efforts. UNPA has been working with the China Chamber of Commerce for import/export of health products and the China Nutrition Health Food Association (CNHFA), plus the China International Import Expo, scheduled for November in Shanghai is a response to the feeling around the world that China is a closed market. This enormous, first-time international expo is a response to that criticism.
Hemp and CBD
The thing to consider is how important hemp/CBD has become to the independent health food retail channel, as the larger big box natural retailers have decided to stand off and not offer hemp and CBD products. They’re understandably concerned about risk and liability, but for smaller stores, this category has been a lifeline for them as they battle to maintain foot traffic in the stores as online sales continue to grow.
We’ve also been in active discussions with Greenwich Biosciences, the drug holder for Epidiolex, the approved CBD drug. The question is, because CBD hemp extracts currently are technically not lawfully sold ingredients – and that, of course, is subject to further discussion and debate – what position will Epidiolex take with regard to pushing or trying to force CBD hemp extract products off the market - or not?
We believe that Greenwich Biosciences doesn’t want to be the bad guy in all of this. There are an untold number of consumers who are currently using this class of product and many are satisfied with great benefits. This would certainly be an issue they would talk to Congress about, and Greenwich is not looking for a fight. The question is can they find a middle ground, and the same is true for FDA. The outcome of the farm bill will affect DEA’s position on hemp and CBD, but that does not resolve the FDA issue regarding CBD.
By the way, the approval of Epidiolex is significant in that it has full recognition as a drug by FDA – that’s a first. As far as DEA is concerned, CBD is Epidiolex and is now a schedule 5 drug. At the moment, that is how we should be thinking about it. Whether other products would be recognized as Schedule 5? I urge caution.
Depending on how the midterm elections go, the Farm Bill, which has provisions for legalizing hemp, could be passed as soon as December. However, depending on the election outcome, passage of the Farm Bill could be delayed and pushed into 2019, which affects the hemp market’s sense of risk.
Importance of the Independent Retailer
The midterm elections may lead to a change in control in government, and the tensions of this split in government could be more acute. How will that affect sales natural products, such as for sleep, anxiety and depression? Will people need community? We could see the health food retailer be a place of refuge, information exchange and gathering. Passage of the Farm Bill could open up the sales of hemp and CBD products, which are one of the fastest growing categories for independent natural food retailers. Another key Farm Bill provision important to independent health food retailers is the SNAP program, previously known as food stamps, which would allow recipients to purchase multivitamins. The program, added as an amendment to the House version of the Farm Bill, would make multivitamins available to millions of lower income Americans dependent on the SNAP program. Whether the multivitamin amendment will end up in a final bill passed by Congress remains to be seen, and UNPA will be tracking this important issue for its constituents.
Laura Batcha, CEO, Organic Trade Association
The midterm elections are hugely important. At OTA, we have a policy to provide time off for staff to vote. The House is likely to shift. When you look at divided government, some things it can do; some things it can’t. Overall, a lot of things won’t change quickly. What would change is the oversight mechanism. Divided government provides an opportunity for oversight. No matter what happens in terms of organic products trade, we see 2019 as the year of congressional oversight.
We are going to need a bipartisan coalition of champions to direct the USDA to follow the lead of the organic industry. The truth is that USDA’s view of its role in organic is very narrow right now. It is doing a decent job on oversight, but it is refusing to advance the standards for the organic industry, and that’s where we need the support of Congress in terms of oversight. The organic seal can’t be set in stone, which is what USDA feels. It needs to keep up with the consumer. USDA has been unwilling to hear from the industry on that, so we will be looking to Congress to support the organic industry.
Issues of concern to the organic industry include the Origin of Livestock rule in the National Organic Program, which allows conventional animals to be transitioned to organic, but is being taken advantage of. While the rule may have helped support transition in the early days, its time has passed.
Also, despite USDA’s objections, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently announced that it will hear OTA’s case against USDA’s failure to put into effect new organic animal welfare standards. We are also encouraged that the court will hear our challenge to the entire, year-long pattern of unlawful conduct by USDA. The Organic Trade Association believes that beginning with the first delay that was undertaken without an opportunity for public notice and comment shortly after the current administration took office, until the final withdrawal of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Production rule in March 2018, that USDA has engaged in a pattern of misconduct that can only be corrected by a federal court.
The organic industry also wants USDA to put out better guidance on continuous improvement in soil health. Also, we want more clear requirements on testing for residues of pesticides, GMOs and heavy metals. Methods need to be improved and laboratories need better direction on how and when to prevent fraud. We need Congress to remind USDA of the continuous improvement language in the original law governing organic production standards and that the agency should be responsive to the industry wanting to move forward with these things.
Regarding the Farm Bill, the Senate bill and the House bill are friendly to organic. However, can committee leaders reach an agreement to sign into law before year end or will it defer to the next Congress, which means the process would start all over again? Getting the Farm Bill done allows funding to support organic. As long as the Farm Bill is delayed, there is no funding for organic research, data collection, certification cost-share support for small farmers to help defray the cost of organic certification, and other key programs.
Lastly, OTA has a small Political Action Committee (PAC), and it is fully supporting Montana Senator Jon Tester in his hotly contested reelection bid. We are very proud to have an organic farmer in the U.S. Senate and we don’t want that to change.
OTA has worked hard to build bipartisan relations in Congress. We have emerging champions and we will continue to engage with both parties. We see younger members of Congress understand the value of organic. We will carry on regardless of the outcome of the midterms to make the case that organic is worth supporting for any member of Congress.
Corinne Shindelar, CEO, Independent Natural Products Association
Farm Bill
The Mid Term elections have an impact on all of us, including the business landscape. The Farm bill is significant, as access to product is becoming a real issue for independent natural food retailers. What is allocated for subsidies and support of organic farming and faster conversion to sustainable agriculture practices will impact the natural products industry. Demand is outpacing supply, and the Farm Bill sets the future of the country’s position in supporting what consumers are really saying they want.
Climate Change
Climate change aligns with the Farm Bill. The recognition of our leaders to understand that agricultural practices are one of the biggest contributors to climate change is huge. How one votes in November will give a voice to our elected leaders that we are retailers willing to work with our consumers to understand their everyday life choices and how this impacts climate. Yet, if we are not holding our large agricultural production practices accountable for their actions, individual consumers may feel pretty hopeless in “voting with their dollar,” which ultimately impacts independent retailers.
Economic Inequality
Economic inequality is also a concern. We need legislation support that aligns with our values of a rightful living for all. Independently owned businesses tend to be closer to the people that work for them and value being able to pay a livable wage. Yet the playing field needs to be equal as higher wages (livable) drive up cost at shelf, and yet if all are not held accountable to provide this to those who stock our shelves then the competitive advantage can be lost.
Net Neutrality
Net Neutrality is also something that we don’t talk about much and yet, as we enter into a more competitive digital environment, the loss of net neutrality can affect the ability of independent retailers to have a strong enough presence on the internet to compete in that space, as well as in their brick and mortar locations. So, does the midterm election impact our business reality? You bet it does!
Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association
As we approach the midterm elections, the tariffs are already affecting trade – large companies and small that buy herbs and other ingredients from China have informed me of the financial burdens on their companies. But I can’t see the election having any influence on this as the president has stated he’s acting on his own discretion under the law.
And I think the impact of the issue of “health care” as the term is used in the political arena – it mostly means “health insurance” and barely strays into health care choices – is more on companies as employers than as marketers. In other words, when federal law supports more affordable programmatic health insurance options (and of course there are heated arguments about which model is, when all the costs are considered, more affordable) it’s probably more likely that companies that pay all or a portion of their employees’ insurance costs will continue to do so. This is not, however, an issue that affects the natural products industry in any special way and is true for all American employers. But I’m not aware of any product launches or marketing campaigns in our industry that have keyed on this political discussion.
Regarding the Farm Bill, we all want this to pass and it must pass, and the Congress knows that it must pass. Of particular relevance of course are the supports for organic agriculture (already in and non-controversial as far as I know); the potential for allowing purchase of multivitamins with SNAP benefits (in the House bill but not in the Senate version, and complicated by the fact that the SNAP provisions are, by several reports, the most charged detail before the Conference Committee); and the inclusion of the Hemp Farming Act (in the Senate but not the House version; we think this is largely non-controversial and strongly supported by the leadership). Will the election have any effect on this, though? I don’t see how it can, unless it becomes clear that one side just gained the advantage to break the SNAP work requirement logjam – but I don’t see the conference revisiting any of “our” issues whether or not this occurs.
The most significant modifications to my attention (and I think to the other trade associations and the industry) will come about if the Democrats gain control of the House. The historical fact is that industry – not just our industry but many regulated industries – often face a greater challenge when the Democrats are in charge that legislation will be offered, and possibly passed, to create new regulations. For the first time since DSHEA amended the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FDCA), our champions (Senators Hatch and Harkin) are gone, and our critics – notably CSPI – have already announced their intention to work to further amend the law to place greater restrictions on dietary supplements. So, we will need to be attentive and vigilant, and try to lead that conversation, or at least make sure we are part of it. We were able to do that in 2006 when AHPA initiated the discussion, and then gathered broad industry buy-in, to support a reasonable amendment to the FDCA to require submission to FDA of all serious adverse event reports associated with supplements. If anything, the industry is more united now than a decade ago, so I’m optimistic that we’ll work cooperatively for the good of the industry, which is ultimately to the good of consumers.
Todd Runestad, Senior Editor, Ingredients & Supplements, New Hope Network/Informa
Democrats seem to be pitching the most part of their political advertising on healthcare issues, specifically the Medicare-for-all concept. That does not seem to really have anything to do with the supplements market or better nutrition.
Part of the Farm Bill has the proviso to include specific multivitamin formulations as eligible for food stamps under the SNAP program. Another part of the Farm Bill will legislate the Hemp Farming Act. I don’t see how the election will change those two either way, frankly. Multis: no. Hemp: yes. Signed, the House Cynic.
For more on the subject:
https://www.newhope.com/news/multivitamins-cbd-chart-same-course-through-congress
Michele Simon, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Association
Going into the midterm elections, the Plant Based Foods Association is concerned with FDA’s potential regulation of the term “milk” with regard to plant-based alternatives.
While grocery sales are generally flat, sales of plant-based foods have grown at double digits over the past year. American consumers are sophisticated and well informed. Consumers who purchase plant-based foods are keenly aware of why they are making these choices and do so for many reasons, including sustainability, health, allergies, variety and taste.
There is much discussion about the use of the word “milk” to identify plant-based alternatives. For our members, and as the data shows, for many consumers, the word describes the functionality of the product. Our research shows that 78% of cow’s-milk drinkers agree that the word “milk” is the most appropriate term for products such as soymilk and almondmilk.
Our use of the term is not meant to diminish the value of cow’s milk produced by dairy farmers, but rather to use terms that have been understood and accepted in the marketplace as the common and usual name for more than 30 years.
To help ensure a consistent approach among our members, last year, PBFA convened a Standards Committee to establish voluntary standards for the labeling of plant-based milks. We recently shared that finished document, along with the results of a consumer survey, with the FDA. The voluntary standard recommends that labels clearly identify the main ingredient as part of the word “milk” or be labeled as a “plant-based milk,” along with clear disclosure of the main ingredient. We also recommend that the principal display panel contain the words “dairy-free” or “non-dairy.”
Ultimately, the question is whether current regulatory definitions can keep up with innovation. We are living in a time of rapid innovation in food and America is leading the way. Consumers are entitled to the benefits of this innovative American spirit and the delicious new plant-based offerings in the marketplace, from both startups and established brands. We urge the FDA to adopt policies that encourage this innovation, not stifle it, and that will allow consumers to make informed choices. Plant-based food producers offer options that consumers want and recognize. If those foods are forced to be identified by obscure, contrived names that consumers are unfamiliar with, innovation will be stifled, and consumers will be deprived of the choices they deserve. The FDA has the unique opportunity to support this growing industry and the millions of American consumers who are voting with their dollars.
(Adapted from Oral Remarks by PBFA at an FDA hearing in July 2018)
Morris Beegle, Producer and Host, Let’s Talk Hemp
On the Colorado ballot in the midterm elections is Amendment X, meant to align Colorado’s definition of hemp to federal government definitions as the feds relax their own rules for growing hemp. The ballot question reads: “Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning changing the industrial hemp definition from a constitutional definition to a statutory definition?”
Regardless of whether Amendment X passes, in the end, this particular bill isn’t going to mean anything to where hemp stands federally or across the board in all states. It gives the state legislature the ability to update and modify the definition of industrial hemp to match the federal definition in terms of allowed percentages of THC. Currently, in Colorado, hemp is a cannabis plant with a THC level of no more than 0.3 percent. However, the U.S. Congress could take hemp off the Controlled Substances Act in this year’s pending Farm Bill and change its federal definition. If they do that and raise the allowed THC level higher than Colorado’s, it could put other states at a better advantage if Colorado’s definition remains the same because they could grow more without worrying about trying to keep the THC level as low.
Hence, the ballot measure asks voters to kick the current definition out of the state Constitution and give it to state lawmakers who could more quickly adjust it to react to federal changes. In Colorado, the only way to change the state Constitution is by asking voters to do so at the ballot box every four years. Amendment X gives us a tool to keep up with the federal definition, immediately allowing us to change our state definition to align with the feds. Otherwise, being stuck in the state constitution like it is, we couldn’t do anything until 2020.
A number of hemp industry leaders are saying they are voting yes on Amendment X. The upside is it would give us a tool to help strengthen the definition of hemp and not weaken it. However, there are others making valid arguments that it could risk constitutional protections for hemp. I see both sides, but in the end, it’s not going to matter because hemp products and hemp derived cannabinoid supplements are going to line the shelves of natural product stores across the country.
Bob Hoban, CEO, Hoban Law Group, a Hemp-centric Legal Firm
The intention when we wrote the language for Amendment X for Colorado state Senator Vicky Marble was if we want to change the level of THC allowed in industrial hemp, for example, from the currently allowed 0.3 percent to 1 percent, we would now be able to do it in the statute and not in the constitution. If the federal government and/or Kentucky changes the allowed level of THC to 1%, Colorado farmers would be hamstrung.
The industry spoke and it wanted to consider higher THC percentages allowance for hemp. We heard that and responded and this is the first step toward that. Amendment X is good policy because it enables the state of Colorado to remain competitive in an ever-changing industrial hemp industry that has quickly established a global presence. It allows Colorado to remain competitive as the hemp industry evolves.
NaturColor’s Innovative, Herbal-Based Hair Colors Featured on Worldwide Business with kathy ireland®
NAPA, CA (October 18, 2018) – From top supermodel to a global entrepreneur today with a $2.6-billion dollar brand, Kathy Ireland’s mission is to celebrate products that “make our world better,” she told Fast Company in September 2018. As part of this commitment to serving brands that are better for people and the planet, Worldwide Business with kathy ireland® is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with NaturColor Brand Ambassador Angela White to discuss safe, eco-friendly hair color gels.
NaturColor is an herbal-based permanent hair color gel that's designed to change or enhance one's existing hair color while blending in gray. It was formulated for those who are ecologically minded and may be coloring their hair for the first time. NaturColor can be used to complement natural hair color while covering gray. It can also be used to add subtle highlights or dramatically change existing hair color. NaturColor is intended for both men and women to discreetly color their hair at home. The product was created for the busy, value-conscious consumer or traveler, male or female, young or young at heart. A complete application takes less than one hour. NaturColor is headquartered in Napa, California.
White shares with Kathy Ireland in the interview segment that NaturColor has ingredients that make it better for our hair and the environment. She explains, "NaturColor uses plants and botanicals as the base, so we use every part of the plant -- the root, the stem, the leaf -- and we break that down and make extracts and oils to help moisturize the hair. It's a gentler coloring process."
Available in 31 blendable colors, NaturColor permanent hair color gels are handcrafted with the finest Italian pigments derived from botanicals. All NaturColor products are cruelty free and contain no ammonia, resorcinol or parabens. They can be used repeatedly without damaging the hair, unlike many commercial chemical hair colors.
JL Haber, Vice President of Programming for Worldwide Business with kathy ireland®, is happy to feature NaturColor. "It's so important for many people to look and feel their best every day. Sometimes, that includes coloring our hair. But so many hair color gels are bad for our hair or bad for the environment. Not NaturColor! This innovative product is easy to use, safe for our bodies and ecological. We're delighted to have NaturColor on our show,” he says.
Tune In on October 20 and 21
For more information about NaturColor's herbal-based hair colors, visit NaturColor.comand tune in to Fox Business Network as sponsored content on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 5:00pm EST and Bloomberg International on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 7:00pm GMT and Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 10:00am D.F. and 2:30pm HKT. Viewers can also watch the video clip here.
About Worldwide Business with kathy ireland®
Worldwide Business with kathy ireland® is a weekly half-hour show featuring global executives sharing their business insights and framing the opportunities shaping their industries. Hosted by a business mogul, Kathy Ireland interviews some of the brightest minds in business today. The show broadcasts on Fox Business Network as part of their sponsored content line up and globally on Bloomberg International. Worldwide Business with kathy ireland® extends beyond the weekly on-air program with digital content delivered on various video platforms and across social media. Visit www.tvwwb.com for detailed airing schedules or check local listings. For more up to date information visit Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland® on Twitter and Facebook.
About NaturColor
NaturColor™ is a botanical-based permanent hair color gel designed to change or enhance one's existing hair color while blending in gray. This high-quality botanical product line represents a new generation of hair colorings, formulated for those who are ecologically minded. In addition, NaturColor offers shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products. NaturColor is a brand offering of Herbaceuticals International, based in Napa. CA. Visit www.NaturColor.com and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Contact
Eric Gustafson, NaturColor, eric@herbaceuticals.biz, 707.259.6266
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com, 303.807.1042
Twenty-five Years Later, Consumers Are “Grossed Out” by GMO Foods
Photo: Pexels
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, October 2018
By Steven Hoffman
After nearly 25 years since the introduction of genetically engineered foods into the American diet – and despite the fact that nearly half of all U.S. cropland is dedicated to GMO agriculture – consumers have largely remained skeptical, even to the point of being “grossed out” by the idea, says Sidney Scott, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Scott is lead author of a research paper titled “An Overview of Attitudes Toward Genetically Engineered Foods,” published in the August 2018 Annual Review of Nutrition.
“In some contexts, people view nature and naturalness as sacred and genetically engineered food as a violation of naturalness,” the authors wrote. What the research overview doesn’t address, however, is why some consumers seem to be fine with heavily processed foods — Hamburger Helper, frozen microwave dinners, or maple-flavored “pancake syrup” — but cannot abide genetically engineered foods such as weed-resistant soybeans, vitamin A-enriched rice, or fast-growing salmon, reports the University of Washington’s The Source. “Consumers seem to be saying it’s not OK to poke into the DNA. That’s yucky,” Scott said. “People are grossed out by that.”
According to the study’s authors, the U.S. tends to have a permissive approach to regulating genetically modified crops and “generally recognizes them as safe.” The European Union, on the other hand, is more restrictive, allowing only two genetically engineered crops to be grown commercially: potatoes and maize. A key aim of the research team’s work was to expose the gap between advocates of genetically engineered foods and opponents, writes Food Dive. “What we’re trying to figure out now is what will allow people to reach a better consensus," said Scott. "I don’t think it’s insurmountable.”
OTA Fires Back at Organic Critics with Full-page Ad in Wall Street Journal
For Presence Marketing Newsletter, October 2018
By Steven Hoffman
Responding to an Op-Ed titled “The Organic Industry is Lying to You,” written by anti-organic and pro-GMO provocateur Henry Miller and published in the Aug. 5, 2018, edition of the Wall Street Journal, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) said enough is enough. Adding insult to injury, on August 7, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb followed up on Miller’s op-ed with a series of tweets essentially agreeing with the misinformation and pledging to review organic claims.
On September 12, OTA put its money where its mouth is, placing a full-page, black and white ad in the Journal’s Washington, D.C./Baltimore regional edition titled, “Here’s a long list of chemicals you should never have to read.” The advertisement, a push-back by OTA against what it calls misleading and disparaging attacks on organic food, calls out the hundreds of chemicals that are prohibited in organic farming, production and processing.
“We will not let these charges go unanswered,” OTA CEO Laura Batcha told Sustainable Food News, adding that its full-page ad is “an aggressive push-back against misleading and derogatory attacks on organic. It is the mission of the Organic Trade Association to protect and promote organic, and it is our responsibility to get the facts out. It’s critically important to push back against these attacks,” Batcha said in a statement.
“Consumers deserve to know the truth,” Batcha added. “Organic’s strength is its transparency, and organic farmers and businesses work hard every day to uphold the standards of organic and to honor the trust that we’ve earned from consumers everywhere.
Henry Miller, formerly with the Hoover Institution and currently a Senior Fellow with the Pacific Research Group, has a history of arguing for deregulation of hazardous products and taking positions outside the scientific mainstream, reports Gary Ruskin, Director of U.S. Right to Know. “He has claimed nicotine ‘is not particularly bad for you,’ argued that low levels of radiation may be beneficial to health, and has repeatedly called for the re-introduction of the insecticide DDT. He is perhaps the most prolific and best-known promoter of genetically engineered foods,” writes Ruskin, who also reported that in August 2017, Forbes deleted all columns authored or co-authored by Miller in the wake of revelations that Monsanto ghostwrote a column that Miller published under his own name in Forbes.
Photo: Organic Trade Association
Photos From the 2018 Southern Hemp Expo, Nashville, TN
Compass Natural was pleased to serve as agency of record at the first annual Southern Hemp Expo, taking place September 28-29, 2018, in Nashville, TN. Every major affiliate television station, The Tennessean, and many other national and local news outlets attended the Expo and produced extensive media coverage. View some of the photos from the inaugural Southern Hemp Expo, and mark your calendar for the NoCo6 Hemp Expo, March 29-30, 2019, in Denver, CO.
Morris Beegle joins Nick Beres and NewsChannel 5 Nashville on their MorningLine Talk Show ahead of the Southern Hemp Expo.
Ari Sherman of Evo Hemp is interviewed by Linda Ong at ABC 2 News in one of the many buzzing exhibition halls.
Pioneering hemp farmer Joe Hickey and John Roulac, founder of Nutiva and Re: Botanicals, share a laugh on stage at the Southern Hemp Expo Business Conference.
GenCanna, a sponsor of Southern Hemp Expo, specializes in hemp genetics and working with farmers in Kentucky to select and cultivate premium CBD hemp cultivars.
The Southern Hemp Expo featured full-day Business Conference and Agriculture Symposiums and more than 150 exhibitors. The first-year event attracted more than 3,500 visitors and featured the latest innovations in hemp products, including CBDs and dietary supplements, hemp food, fiber and fashion, extraction technology, agricultural exhibitors and others.
Warfighter Hemp: Hemp products for veterans, by veterans. The company provides a holistic and natural alternative for recovering United States veterans.
Southern Hemp Expo Co-founder Morris Beegle (right) and hemp expert and author Doug Fine (center) present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Kentucky hemp producer Craig Lee (left).
Hemp enthusiasts walk the streets of downtown Nashville following the conclusion of the Southern Hemp Expo. Join us next year as the Expo will make a return to Nashville in 2019!
Year of the Bird: Industrial Farming Causing Bird Populations to Plummet
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For Presence Marketing Newsletter, October 2018
By Steven Hoffman
Humanity may need to add another meaning to the story of the birds and the bees. As industrial-scale farming has come to dominate agricultural regions in the U.S. and the EU, the birds and the bees are disappearing. Since 1980, the number of birds that typically inhabit European farmlands has decreased by 55 percent, and in the past 17 years alone, bird counts in agricultural regions in France have dropped by 33 percent, a “level approaching an ecological catastrophe,” according to a September 2018 report in National Geographic.
According to National Geographic, intensive industrial agriculture, increasingly dependent on the use of toxic, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, is driving the losses of European bird and insect populations. Habitats where birds once bred, nested, and wintered now bear crops, and pesticides have killed off birds’ prey. Even avian species adapted to humans have dwindled on farms, reports National Geographic, suggesting that the land is less able to sustain all kinds of birds. To curb the losses of farmland birds, avian researchers contend that agriculture must be remade in nature’s image, i.e., less dependent on the addition of toxic, synthetic chemicals, more diverse in its flora, and more hospitable to local fauna.
In North America, researchers reported in July 2018 in the Journal of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry that hummingbirds and bumble bees are being exposed to neonicotinoid and other pesticides through “routes that are widespread and complex.”
Scientists studying blueberry fields in British Columbia detected pesticides and related compounds in cloacal fluid and fecal pellets of hummingbirds, revealing for the first time that hummingbirds are exposed to and accumulate pesticides of multiple types. In addition, bumble bees, their pollen, and blueberry flowers contained pesticides, with the highest concentration of the insecticide imidacloprid in pollen from organic farms, according to a release published in Science Daily.
"Hummingbirds and bumble bees are important pollinators of wild and agricultural plants and they survive each day on a razor's edge due to their high energy needs," said lead study author Dr. Christine Bishop, of Environment and Climate Change Canada. "Pesticide exposure in these animals may have impacts on their health and the ecosystem services they provide to humans and wildlife."
Among threatened birds living today, industrial agriculture poses the single biggest extinction threat, according to BirdLife International's 2018 State of the World's Birds Report, available as a free .pdf download. To spur a rebound, researchers say that farming practices must change radically to become more sustainable.
“It is estimated that of the roughly 672 million birds exposed annually to pesticides on U.S. agricultural lands, 10 percent, or 67 million, are killed as a result,” said Dr. Greg Harrison, DVM, a renowned avian health expert and founder of Wild Wings organic bird seed. “Ironically it is often the same sunflower and/or other grains intended to feed backyard birds that may have been sprayed with lethal pesticides to keep pests (often including birds) at bay. Just like in human health, birds and animals are affected by widespread usage of glyphosate and other toxic, synthetic pesticides,” he said.
National Geographic, has been reporting on the impact of agricultural pesticides on bird populations and declared 2018 the Year of the Bird to mark the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, “the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed,” and encourages nature lovers to get involved.
Consumers are responding and realizing that, like their own health, animals also benefit from natural and organic food. Natural pet food sales reached $8.2 billion in 2016 and now make up 25 percent of the pet food market in the United States, according to Packaged Facts. Another report, The U.S. Market for Natural Pet Products, predicts the industry will grow by 11 percent to reach $14 billion by 2021. Packaged Facts found that 72 percent of pet owners buy natural and organic pet food because they believe the nutritional quality is better.
After Centuries, George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Farm Is Growing Hemp Again
The father of our country, George Washington, grew hemp on his farm in Mt. Vernon, VA. In the 1760s, Washington predicted that hemp could be a more profitable crop than tobacco and he grew it in commercial quantities on his farm. More than 250 years later, horticulturists at Mt. Vernon and the University of Virginia planted an experimental hemp crop. Telling NPR he is a “hemp patriot,” Charlottesville, VA, farmer Brian Walden hopes growing the crop at Washington’s home farm again could give hemp a public image makeover and “get the message that this is an innocuous plant that has real benefits and our Founding Fathers knew that and they planted it,” Walden told NPR. According to NPR, hemp is still considered a controlled substance by the federal government, although 38 states considered industrial hemp legislation in 2018. According to a June report by the Congressional Research Service, "the global market for hemp consists of more than 25,000 products in nine submarkets." Hemp fibers can be made into yarns, paper, construction materials, even parts for automobiles. Hemp oil can be used in lotions and cosmetics, and full spectrum hemp extract is emerging as a popular dietary supplement. To learn more, attend the Southern Hemp Expo, Sept. 28-29, Nashville, TN, www.southernhempexpo.com.
Bye Bye By-Products: Pet Foods Go Upscale
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Pet care is an anchor to center store as the number two reason consumers leave the house to go to the store, and 75% of U.S. households shop the pet food section, Joe Toscano, VP at Nestle Purina, told Food Dive. And it is driving demand for higher quality, natural and organic pet food, said David Lummis, pet market analyst for Packaged Facts. While larger companies such as Quaker Oats, Mars and Nabisco sold pet foods as early as the 1950s and 1960s, “What is newer is the introduction of specialized ingredients, senior pet food and functional kinds of pet food,” said Lummis. Valued at $26.4 billion in 2016, Packaged Facts estimates the U.S. market for pet food will grow to $30 billion by 2022. According to Packaged Facts analysts, natural pet food sales reached $8.2 billion in 2016 and now make up 25% of the total U.S. pet food market. Natural pet food sales grew by a compound annual growth rate of 12.1% between 2012 and 2016.
Organic Personal Care Market to Grow to $25 Billion by 2025
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Growing demand for organic products is leading to an increase in their availability in natural foods stores, supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, online stores and elsewhere. The growth in e-commerce, in particular has provided consumers opportunity to access products that might not otherwise be available in local stores. This increased accessibility is credited for an expected growth rate in organic personal care products of 9.5% CAGR between now and 2025, when the market for organic personal care products is expected to reach $25.11 billion in sales, says research firm Grand View Research in a new report. North America was the largest market for organic personal care in 2017. Key findings include:
In terms of value, the global revenue for hair care is anticipated to reach $6.62 billion by 2025, rising at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2017 to 2025.
Skin care application dominated the market in terms of revenue in 2017, commanding over one third of the market, owing to ability of organic ingredients to impart antioxidation properties and improve skin health.
The U.S. organic personal care market is poised to exceed $7.7 billion by 2025 owing to presence of various manufacturers of organic personal care products in the country.
The market is highly competitive with presence of a number of multinational companies with wide product portfolios.
Major companies in the market lay high emphasis on expanding their presence in the global market, in an attempt to increase market shares and drive revenues. For instance, Estee Lauder acquired various companies such as BECCA Cosmetics, Too Faced, and Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, over the past few years in order to expand its product portfolio.
Source: Grand View Research