However, as shoppers look to find products that fit their budget, lifestyle and needs, many are also looking for items that align with their values.

Now more than ever, we’re seeing shoppers turn to labels like organic, single-origin, ethically sourced and Fairtrade to trust that the items in their shopping carts are sourced with both people and planet in mind.

These informed choices show it’s not just about quality ingredients for consumers: it’s about transparency.

At 78 years old, spice farmer A.G. Nandasena attributes part of his good health to the “peaceful and supportive life” made possible by the benefits afforded to farmers through Fairtrade.

He grows household spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper and turmeric in his forest garden farmland in Sri Lanka, where the crops are interspersed among wild native plants to preserve biodiversity, prevent soil erosion and increase much needed shade for the wildlife that inhabits it.

For more than 20 years, Nandasena has exclusively implemented organic practices through Fairtrade certification, which not only benefits the native plants and animal species on his land, but it also offers him the opportunity to earn higher profits for his crops, which has helped Nandasena educate his children and access housing, furniture, and healthcare.

Farmers stories like Nandasena’s prove what’s possible when we center the needs of smallholder farmers through fairer farming practices.

And customers see this value: research conducted in 2025 by independent firm Globescan showed that 72 percent of American consumers who have seen the Fairtrade Mark are willing to pay more to ensure the farmers behind their favorite products are paid a fairer price.

Yet, for decades we’ve seen small-scale farmers behind the products that Americans know and love struggling to receive fair and sustainable prices for their goods and labor.

Fairtrade helps ensure farmers are paid fairly for their products by identifying a minimum price, which includes meeting high standards for labor practices and environmental and human safety. This price protects farmers when global market rates drop to help ensure that they’re able to maintain responsible practices.

In addition, Fairtrade Premiums are added to the price of the commodity. These funds go directly to a network of producers, who democratically decide how to use that money to support their community.

However, not every product has a fixed Fairtrade minimum price and premium yet; spices are a prime example. In some cases, the Fairtrade Premium varies not just by crop, but by country.

To address this, Frontier Co-op and Fairtrade America partnered on a pilot program to establish Fairtrade pricing for three key spices grown by our partners in Guatemala: organic cardamom, turmeric, and allspice. This is important because spice prices fluctuate often between extreme highs and lows, and unlike other commodities, pricing is not publicly available. Lack of transparent pricing puts farmers at a disadvantage. The initiative is designed to improve farmers’ stability and resilience in the face of socioeconomic and climate-related challenges outside of their control.

If successful, this program can be scaled to prove a more stable global market demand for their fairtrade products, expand the availability of Fairtrade spices in the United States for consumers, and change the way we understand Fairtrade premiums.

As global markets grow even more unpredictable due to geopolitical issues, shifting weather patterns, and increasing climate-related natural disasters, it’s clear that small-scale farmers are facing monumental challenges.

That’s why Fairtrade is such a vital linchpin in ensuring farmers are paid a fair price for their goods and sets a high standard that prohibits child labor, protects workers’ rights, and promotes sustainable farming practices that improve the environment.

In November 2025, Fairtrade Month, Fairtrade America commissioned local murals across the country to depict Fairtrade farmers, including Nandasena, to share their stories and entice shoppers to learn more about products that are sustainably sourced and work to increase fairness and equity in our global food supply chain.

When shoppers understand what that label represents—fairer pay, safe working conditions, and community investment—it becomes much more tangible how their purchasing decisions directly impact farmer livelihoods. By choosing products with the Fairtrade Mark, we can ensure smallholder farmers earn a fairer price for their goods and help strengthen their communities.

As consumers, brands, and cooperatives standing with and supporting Fairtrade, we can move beyond a profit-over-people model to build a food system that works for everyone.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Avery Shrader

The post Op-Ed | Fairtrade Holiday Spices: Supporting Global Farming Communities, One Season at a Time appeared first on Food Tank.

The script, presented by Food Tank for a special invitation-only event on Sept. 23, was written by Bernard Pollack with dramaturgy by Elena Morris. 

“Catalyst Coffee” pulls back the curtain on the nuanced realities of worker organizing, corporate and legal tactics used to oppose unionization drives, and the deeply personal stories behind people’s choices to support or oppose the formation of a union. And it’s immersive: Everyone in the audience is a barista and gets to participate in the climactic union vote from their seats, which affects the play’s final minutes—and the characters’ futures. 

“(Characters) on both sides individualize these arguments and make them about themselves when, really, it’s much bigger than that,” Forbes journalist Chloe Sorvino said during a post-show talkback discussion. “That individual versus the collective, seeing how that tension played out was really powerful.”

The cast for the staged reading included accomplished Broadway, theatrical, television, and film actors Stacey Sargeant, Kalyne Coleman, Keshav Molidar, Erin Neufer, Alex Morf, Brooks Brantly, and Lakisha May. May also directed the reading, which received a standing ovation.

For Sorvino’s book “Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat,” she conducted deep research into meatpacking labor issues, and she shared reflections during the talkback.

“These unions are really keeping people safe and protected in ways no one else is,” Sorvino says. “There’s really a human cost to all that we eat. These workers need to be protected, and I’m really glad we can experience that in a way that sheds light on the humanity.”

Throughout Food Tank’s programming at Climate Week NYC, the arts have taken center stage in discussions of food and environmental justice. “Catalyst Coffee” was named “one of the best new shows of 2024” by The Arts Fuse. 

Food Tank’s first original theatrical production, called “WeCameToDance,” featured original music by Grammy-nominated Ghanaian artist Rocky Dawuni, Broadway artist-created dance, language consulting by “Game of Thrones” linguist David J. Peterson, and choreography production in partnership with award-winning House of Jack Studio in Leith, Edinburgh. The show debuted for a sold-out run at the 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was featured in the New York Times and BBC and performed live on Good Morning Britain.

During the Sept. 23 Climate Week NYC reading of “Catalyst Coffee,” a majority of the ‘barista’ audience members voted in support of the union, making the characters’ organizing efforts successful within the context of the play.

“I was blown away by the voting at the end,” said May, also a Broadway and TV actress and food justice advocate, during the post-reading talkback discussion. “I love being an artist because I get to live in the questions and explore different sides that I wouldn’t necessarily explore. Great works of art allow us to see the breadth of our humanity.”

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo by Ryan Rose for Food Tank.

The post Immersive ‘Catalyst Coffee’ Reading During Climate Week Takes Attendees Inside Barista Union Campaign appeared first on Food Tank.

“There’s a big need and opportunity to evolve the food system to be more sustainable, everything from agriculture practices to (consumer packaged goods) chains to ingredients to restaurants,” says Jackson Morrow of Green Economy Banking Team at J.P. Morgan.

During the event, attendees tasted two cakes made by Ron Ben-Israel, celebrity cake maker and television judge, using strawberries from Oishii. In fact, as he told the crowd, he used the same recipe he’d used for his own recent wedding cake.

“When we talk about new products, it’s so hard to come up with something new, but this for us was a really nice adventure,” Ben-Israel said. “One thing I learn from events like this is to reuse food in different ways; it’s a different way to look at products.”

Businesses, especially ones led by mission-driven entrepreneurs, can be effective drivers of sustainable practices across entire industries. And sustainability is not just better for the planet—it’s better for business, too.

“It makes good business sense to have sustainable business models,” says Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO of Gotham Greens. “Being able to revitalize and take non-arable, non-habitable land and turn it into productive green space and build jobs is a really cool part of our story.”

But at the end of the day, a business is a business, panelists said. And while new entrepreneurs might feel like focusing on the bottom line means neglecting a company’s social mission, panelists said a focus on capital and financial sustainability can actually be in service of more altruistic goals.

“If you’re driven by the desire to make change, you’re going to make it happen,” says Anna Hammond, Founder of Matriark Foods. At the same time, she says, “if it’s not going to work as a business, then you’re not going to be able to make the change you want to make.”

And when one business is financially strong, company leaders can use that success to elevate other food system stakeholders, too. Regenerative organic ingredient company SIMPLi, for example, works with 5,500 farmers across 13 countries.

“Long-term partnerships provide resilience in the good and the bad times,” says SIMPLi Co-Founder Sarela Herrada. “It’s incredible to see the power women hold on the farm and in communities.”

Similarly, Wholecain Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer Mark Kaplan said, “the biggest incentive for sustainable practices is to bolster [the farmers’] livelihoods and support them in market access.”

Customers also play a major role in the food business landscape, in ways that bring both opportunities and challenges. For example, Michael Fox, Founder & CEO of Fable Food, said businesses like his have to push back against a public perception that a food product labelled “sustainable” might not taste good.

As Cecilia Chang, Chief Business Officer of Mission Barns, said, “People just aren’t willing to compromise for sustainability or ethics if the products don’t taste good.”

However, this is not to say that businesses should hide the positive work they do—customers are interested in it, but businesses need to be strategic in how messages are structured.

“We have to lead with nutrient density in the product attributes and what’s in it for me, rather than the incredible work we’re doing behind the scenes,” Herrada says. 

But soon, says Jay McEntire, CEO of Arva, “hopefully we’ll start to see a regenerative brand on the shelves soon and we can start to vote with our feet.”

As Julia Collins, Founder of Planet FWD, says, a joyful new perspective on food is key to successful sustainable businesses.

“The future that we need will not be won on a platform of sacrifice and austerity,” Collins says. “It’ll be one where sustainability tastes so irresistible that we demand it. Deliciousness is not a bonus—it is a design imperative.”

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo by Ryan Rose for Food Tank.

The post Sustainable Foods Showcase Highlights The Power Of Food Entrepreneurship appeared first on Food Tank.

“The private sector, with the help of advocates and other changemakers, can help us envision the kind of food future we want to see,” says Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg. “We need to make the business case for sustainability.”

However, big food companies like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have retreated from climate commitments within the last year. According to a 2024 Accenture analysis, only 16% of the world’s largest companies are on track to meet their 2050 net-zero goals, with close to half continuing to increase carbon emissions. 

“CSOs are facing so many challenges, and often are alone in doing this work. Now is not the time to lower our ambitions. Now is the time to up our game,” says Nierenberg. 

Helena Bottemiller Evich, Founder and Editor‑in‑Chief of Food Fix, sat down with Nierenberg to discuss the rapidly increasing consumer interest in food and agricultural issues.

“All of a sudden, everyone’s talking about food, agriculture, health, and wellness,” says Bottemiller Evich. “In some ways, the folks who are in food maybe shouldn’t be surprised; we’ve seen more and more people asking about food…it’s entered the zeitgeist in a way that’s been slowly growing over time.”

While food is increasingly a part of mainstream headlines, Bottemiller Evich notes that agricultural lobbying has not slowed down: “What I’ve seen in the last six months is just an astonishing recognition of how powerful the agriculture industry is in Washington, and how less powerful the food industry is.”

Bottemiller Evich underscored the need to look at not just what the U.S. administration is saying but also what it is doing. For example, a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report raised concerns about pesticides in May 2025, yet its September 2025 strategy report notably omitted new regulations on pesticides.

“There is a big gap right now between the rhetoric of MAHA and the actual priorities of this administration,” says Bottemiller Evich.

Marion Nestle, Professor Emerita at New York University, sees four challenges facing the food industry right now: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “because you have no idea what he’s going to do”; ultra-processed foods, “because they’re the big profit center of food companies”; GLP-1 drugs, “because we’ve already seen people buying less as a result of people taking these drugs”; and food prices, “which are staggering right now.”

In recent months, major food companies have agreed to remove artificial dyes from their products by 2027. The HHS is also taking steps to close the “generally recognized as safe” loophole, which currently allows food and chemical companies to declare their own ingredients safe for consumption without approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nestle says these are big wins for food and health, but she wants to see much larger changes made. 

“If you take the color additives out of Froot Loops, they’re still Froot Loops. If you replace the high fructose corn syrup in Coca-Cola with cane sugar, it’s still Coca-Cola. I don’t see the MAHA movement focusing on what I think are issues that will make a real difference,” says Nestle. “In terms of the 20 to 30 percent of American kids who are overweight or obese, it’s trivial. It doesn’t do anything. I’m happy about it, but I want something bigger,” such as restrictions on marketing junk foods to kids.

The Sustainability Leadership Summit also included an open conversation with food brands about their challenges and how to navigate rapidly evolving current events. Attendees discussed issues ranging from the responsible use of artificial intelligence to reducing food waste in supply chains, uncertainty around global trade and tariffs, and rebuilding trust between brands and consumers.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

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“Chefs are on the frontlines of climate every day, sourcing from farmers, shaping what diners eat, and influencing how communities understand food. Their voices carry far beyond the plate,” says Anne E. McBride, Vice President of Impact at the James Beard Foundation. “That’s why bringing chefs into the climate conversation isn’t optional. It’s essential if we want real solutions that resonate with both policymakers and the public.”

“Independent restaurants alone employ nearly 4 million workers, generate US$75 billion in wages, and bring in more than US$209 billion in revenue, all while operating on the slimmest of margins. Climate change is already disrupting supply chains and driving up costs, threatening the survival of these businesses and the communities they sustain. Chefs’ leadership can help ensure that survival becomes resilience and growth,” says McBride.

Panel discussions will range from “Hearing Directly From Chefs” to “From Soil to City: Farmers, Chefs, and Food Justice,” exploring how chefs have the power to shape not only what we eat but also how we reimagine the future of food.

Held in the Greene Space at WNYC-NPR Studios, the event will feature breakfast at 9am and programming from 9:30am to 12:20pm, followed by lunch.

Confirmed speakers, moderators, and performers include Ruth Reichl, food writer and editor; former restaurant critic (Los Angeles Times and The New York Times), Editor‑in‑Chief at Gourmet magazine, and six‑time James Beard Award winner; Florence Fabricant, food and wine writer, The New York Times; Eric Adjepong, chef, television personality, and author best known for his standout appearances on Top Chef and as the host of shows on Food Network and HGTV; Priya Krishna, Journalist, The New York Times; Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation; Sheryll Durrant, urban farmer, educator, and food-justice leader; Board President, Just Food and NYC New Roots; Melissa Clark, food writer, cookbook author, and New York Times columnist; Miguel Guerra, Chef at Mita, committed to celebrating Mexican culinary traditions while advancing sustainable and community-rooted food systems; Joshua McFadden, James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur known for seasonal cooking and sustainable food practices; Priyanka Naik, Food Network champion and sustainability advocate known for her globally inspired cooking; Anne McBride, Vice President of Programs, James Beard Foundation; Geoffrey Kie, Indigenous chef and founder of Kie’s Pies from the Pueblo of Laguna; Samantha Sackin, Organic Valley; Rob Rubba, Chef & Co-Owner, Oyster Oyster; Abbie Corse, sixth-generation organic dairy farmer at The Corse Farm Dairy in Whitingham, Vermont; and Ingrid Hoffmann, chef and host of Top Chef Estrellas (Telemundo/NBC), Simply Delicioso (Cooking Channel), and Delicioso (Univision), and Advisor to “The Humans Who Feed Us.”

“Chefs Change the World” will include a special musical performance by Brandon Burks, currently performing in the Broadway revival of Gypsy, alongside fellow vocal group Penthouse IV members James Caleb Grice, whose credits include the national tours of The Prom and Aladdin and the 2025 Off-Broadway revival of Heathers: The Musical; Mel Haygood, who has performed in Legally Blonde: The Musical at Stumptown Stages and in cabaret shows at 54 Below in New York; and Brandon J. Large, who appeared on Broadway in The Great Gatsby (2024) and in the national tours of The Prom and Aladdin. They will be accompanied on piano by Adam Cole Klepper, Associate Music Director, Associate Conductor, and pianist for the Broadway revival of Gypsy.

This summit will be streamed live on FoodTank.com and Food Tank’s YouTube Channel, here. Join the Food Tank newsletter list for reminders, and click here for Food Tank’s full lineup of events at Climate Week NYC 2025.

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The invite-only event will gather sustainability leaders, food industry executives, and bold changemakers for a morning of food and dialogue around climate solutions across retail, food service, hospitality, and beyond.

“Building a more just and climate-resilient food system requires the collective effort of all of us,” says Suzanne McDowell, Vice President of Impact at King Arthur Baking Company. “As an Employee-Owned, Vermont Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp, King Arthur is committed to working alongside farmers, companies, advocates, and consumers to grow a movement rooted in shared learning and bold collaboration. The Sustainability Leadership Summit is a powerful moment to come together and accelerate that collective impact.”

“Applegate has long, proudly, been a sustainability leader. As a mission-driven brand, we rely on partnerships and cooperation to change the food system. This gathering of changemakers offers the opportunity to share stories and collaborate for the greater good,” says Carolyn Gahn, Applegate’s Senior Director of Mission and Advocacy.

“The future of food depends on bold collaboration across sectors. Food Tank’s Sustainability Leadership Summit provides a platform for founders, scientists, and changemakers to exchange ideas and challenge conventional thinking. At Nature’s Fynd, we believe smarter protein, grown through fermentation and discovered in Yellowstone’s extreme environments, can help feed the world with fewer resources. We hope attendees leave inspired to rethink how we nourish people and the planet,” says Thomas Jonas, Co-Founder and CEO of Nature’s Fynd.

The morning will focus on collaborative action, breaking down silos across sectors to accelerate scalable climate solutions in food production, distribution, and consumption.

“As someone who works at the intersection of food, health, and environmental impact, I know we can’t solve these complex challenges in a silo. At ButcherBox, we know no single company has all the answers, and we’ve seen firsthand how powerful collective action can be through our recent advocacy work. The Summit is a great opportunity to continue moving beyond individual sustainability efforts and toward the collaborative action that actually drives change,” says Kelly Hilovsky, Senior Director of Impact and Sustainability at ButcherBox.

Discussions will also highlight strategies for fostering long-term partnerships that drive systemic change in food and agricultural systems.

“I hope attendees leave with not just new insights, but new relationships, new opportunities, and a shared commitment to tackle the work together, whether regenerative agriculture, equitable food access, or climate resilience. The solutions for the future will only come when we stop competing on mission and start collaborating for impact,” says Hilovsky.

“Our hope is that every attendee leaves inspired to take measurable steps in their businesses—whether that’s adopting more responsible sourcing practices, supporting farmers, finding new ways to reduce their carbon footprint, or investing in social initiatives. Not individualism but true collective leadership is what will drive systemic change,” says Giovanni Quaratesi, Head of Corporate Global Affairs at Certified Origins.

Held in the Greene Space at WNYC-NPR Studios, the event will feature breakfast at 9am, followed by programming from 9:30am to 12pm, and lunch.

Confirmed speakers include: Marion Nestle, Professor Emerita at New York University; Sean Carlson, journalist and the host of WNYC’s All Things Considered weekday radio broadcast; Helena Bottemiller Evich, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Food Fix; Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer at Whole Foods Market; Stephanie Grotta, VP, Responsible Sourcing & Sustainable Capabilities, Target; Thomas Jonas, Co-founder and CEO of Nature’s Fynd; Carolyn Gahn, Senior Director, Mission & Advocacy, Applegate; Amy Keister, Global Director of Sustainability, Compass Group; Justina Nixon-Saintil, Vice President & Global Chief Impact Officer, IBM; Kelly Hilovsky, Head of Impact and Strategy, ButcherBox; and Giovanni Quaratesi, Head Of Corporate Global Affairs, Certified Origins.

“The Sustainability Leadership Summit” will also include a special performance from Jennafer Newberry, an American actor and singer best known as the standby for Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked, having previously played the role full-time on the National Tour. She will be accompanied by Cullen Curth, a New York–based pianist and music director whose credits include the pre-Broadway production of The Karate Kid: The Musical and An Evening with Ben Platt at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

Click here for Food Tank’s full lineup of events at Climate Week NYC 2025.

The post Leading with Purpose: Food Tank’s Summit Bridges Sectors for Climate Action appeared first on Food Tank.

Farm workers report they are being “hunted like animals.” And more than 530,000 immigrants have had their work permits terminated, including hundreds of thousands of people who work on farms, in hotels and restaurants, and in food processing facilities. Adding to the increasingly hostile environment, the government recently announced they will cut access to basic healthcare provided by federally funded clinics to undocumented people. 

New research from UC Merced reveals that noncitizens are doing their best to stay at home out of fear of raids from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and deportation threats. California alone has seen more than a 3 percent dip in the state’s workforce as a result—comparable only to drops seen during the first year of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In some cases, the consequences are already clear. Michele Corigliano, the Executive Director of the Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association states that policy decisions have “messed up our industry.” And a Florida farmer says the government is “killing farming.”

A report from the American Immigration Council states, “Stories around the country already suggest that chilling effects are not only making immigrants themselves afraid to participate in public life, but affecting the institutions with which they interact.” But, the say,  “It will take longer than six months to fully understand the impact of this chaos on American communities.”

The food system will grind to a halt without our immigrant neighbors and friends. But at the same time, we cannot reduce immigrants to being valuable only for their labor. People are people, wherever they were born and wherever they live.

With Labor Day approaching in the U.S., read a new piece on Forbes by clicking HERE as we use this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the invaluable lives of all people, across every stage in the food chain.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Mollerus 

The post Immigrant Workers Need Us to Recognize Their Humanity, Not Just Their Labor appeared first on Food Tank.

The “A Blueprint for Employer-Led Food as Health Strategies“ report is part of the Institute’s Feeding Change initiative and marks the third in a series exploring the intersection of food, finance, and health.

According to research from the U.S. Burden of Disease Collaboration, poor diet is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, with diet-related chronic diseases resulting in 1 million deaths per year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that half of all adults in the U.S. have one or more preventable chronic diseases—including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and some cancers. 

Research from the Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute reveals that failing to address poor nutrition costs the economy US$1.1 trillion per year in lost productivity and healthcare expenses.

“The timing of Feeding Change’s new blueprint is essential, as employers are searching for a step-by-step guide to integrating food as health strategies to combat the chronic disease epidemic and support the wellbeing of their employees, communities, and beyond,” Holly Freishtat, Senior Director of Feeding Change at the Milken Institute, tells Food Tank.

The report emphasizes that improving employee well-being is in the best interest of employers. Employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) is the primary form of coverage in the U.S.–analysis conducted by the Commonwealth Fund finds that ESI covers 63 percent of working-age U.S. adults. Despite steadily rising healthcare costs, a lack of improved health outcomes has prompted employers to explore new solutions to engage employees and improve whole-person health via food and nutrition. 

In addition, the report encourages employers to consider their employees holistically, viewing food as health strategies as an essential component of creative, impactful well-being in the workplace. To achieve this, the blueprint offers employers step-by-step guidance on selecting nutrition programs that align with employee needs and organizational goals. Examples include produce prescriptions, nutrition education and counseling, workplace teaching kitchens, and subsidized grocery delivery. 

These examples of food as health solutions originate from the growing Food is Medicine (FIM) or Food as Medicine (FAM) movement that aims to integrate food-based wellness into the traditional healthcare industry. The report argues that “food as health strategies can complement traditional health-care services,” especially by focusing “on the whole person by restoring health, promoting resilience, and preventing diseases across the lifespan” rather than just treating specific conditions.

Structured around three key phases—design, activate, and evaluate—the report draws on industry research, case studies, and real-world partnership opportunities to help employers understand how food as health strategies could add value to their organization in achievable, measurable ways. One section of the report analyzes each proposed food-as-health strategy, defining it and noting primary benefits employees will experience. For example, the report highlights how offering nutrition education and counseling programs affects workplace morale, rates of health-care utilization, and employee chronic disease. To gauge program success, it recommends sample metrics and data sources–including sick days and clinical lab data—to assess return on investment. 

The authors also note key U.S. laws and healthcare regulations that employers should consider when developing workplace food programs, pointing to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as an example. 

The federal law safeguards individuals’ health information and prohibits discrimination based on preexisting health conditions. And if an employer wants to offer food benefits targeting specific disease states—like diabetes—they must partner with a third party to ensure employees can receive care without revealing sensitive medical information.

The report rejects the idea that there is a single solution that will be a fit for every workplace. By providing ways to determine the needs of an employee population and an array of potential health strategies, the guide emphasizes the importance of flexibility in developing effective, long-lasting health solutions.

“Employers have an opportunity to leverage their unique position to affect millions of lives by serving as catalysts and advocates for solutions linking nutritious food to better health,” says Freishtat.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Dan Gold, Unsplash

The post Milken Institute Report Calls for Employer-Led Nutrition Strategies appeared first on Food Tank.

In 2024, John Deere cut 2,167 jobs at facilities in Iowa and Illinois, including Waterloo, Davenport, Dubuque, Ankeny, Ottumwa, Moline, and East Moline, according to Investigate Midwest. Layoffs have continued into 2025—nearly 200 workers were let go in Iowa during the first week of January alone, and 386 employees have been laid off statewide since the start of the year. At the Ankeny plant, 119 workers out of about 1,500 were laid off between March and April.

Deere has attributed the layoffs to a “weakened farm economy” and a drop in customer demand, stating the job cuts were unrelated to production shifts abroad.

At the same time, John Deere announced in June last year that it was moving its skid steer and track loader manufacturing from a facility in Dubuque, Iowa, to a new facility in Ramos, Mexico, by the end of 2026.

Deere told KCRG, an ABC affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that workers in Dubuque will be affected as some construction and forestry business will go to the Mexican factory. The number of related layoffs in Dubuque, according to Deere, will depend on production levels, attrition, and Deere’s ability to reassign certain workers for other roles by 2026.

In response to the announcement, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200 percent tariff on Deere equipment made in Mexico if the company moved its manufacturing there. He later claimed that Deere canceled its offshoring plans in response, but the company said it had not changed its plans and has shown no signs of backing down.

In November, John Deere confirmed its plans to build a US$55 million plant in Nuevo León, Mexico to manufacture mini track loaders and mini wheel loaders, according to reports from Mexico Now and Mexico Daily News. Gecimar Morini, Deere’s regional manager for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, said the project would move forward “regardless” of political developments in the U.S., with operations scheduled to begin in 2026.

Labor leaders and economists have condemned the layoffs. United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 838 President Tim Cummings urged Deere to bring outsourced jobs “back to our factories,” and the labor union issued an official statement describing the layoffs and job cuts as “an insult to the working class people of Iowa and Illinois.” Economic analyst Nicholas Cocozzelli says that John Deere is selling out Iowans to enhance their bottom line.

Amid criticism, Deere is highlighting its U.S. investments. “Let’s clear the air. John Deere is not shutting down U.S. manufacturing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite,” the company said in a notice on its website. The notice goes on to highlight Deere’s recent commitment to invest US$20 billion into American manufacturing over the next 10 years.

But John Deere’s sweeping changes to its U.S. workforce have sparked both uncertainty and outrage, devastated communities that have been built around the company’s presence, and left hundreds of families questioning how they will pay rent, put food on the table, and find new sources of income.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Yaroslav Muzychenko, Unsplash

The post John Deere Cuts Thousands of U.S. Jobs While Expanding Operations in Mexico appeared first on Food Tank.

“The future is basic,” the report reads. Increasingly, eaters are thinking about the effect of their diets on their health and the planet, and they want products that “keep it real.”

As part of their study, Highlight and The Goods Mart distributed products from seven emerging snack brands to 150 eaters. Participants offered feedback on each snack’s qualities, including taste, texture, uniqueness, and perceived sustainability.

Dana Kim, Founder of Highlight believes this consumer-powered research is particularly impactful because it “helps brands get better, more real, actionable answers.”

Respondents say they are looking to replace artificial dyes and sweeteners with alternatives found in nature. And 85 percent are interested in low-sugar products. The desire to avoid processed foods also came up “over and over again.”

It’s encouraging that consumers increasingly recognize the risks of a high-sugar diet “and even more encouraging to see that so many brands are going to market with products that better serve our health needs,” says Sam Kass, Senior Advisor for nutrition to President Barack Obama and partner at Acre Venture Partners. “At the end of the day, though, a snack still has to taste great. Your consumer knows that flavor is king.”

Texture also matters. The top performing products among respondents “provided a satisfying crunch that taste-testers loved,” the report states.

In addition, eaters are concerned about the environmental impact of their snacks, and that means packaging and presentation matter. Over 90 percent of respondents are interested in sustainable packaging. And they may consider the recyclability of containers, eco-labels, production of ingredients, transparent sourcing, shelf life, or a combination of these traits.

But the bombardment of information can be overwhelming to eaters, Julia Collins, Founder of Planet FWD, says. “This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for brands: to go beyond surface-level signals and engage in real education.” Collins believes that, when done right, companies can empower consumers to make informed decisions.

Now brands are putting the findings of the study to use. “Founders adjusted packaging, rethought positioning, and evolved their storytelling in real time,” Rachel Krupa, Founder of The Goods Mart, tells Food Tank. “It wasn’t just a report, it became a tool for growth.”

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Photo courtesy of Franki Chamaki, Unsplash

The post Less Sugar, More Crunch: A New Report Reveals What Makes a Snack Truly Satisfying for Today’s Eaters appeared first on Food Tank.

A new report from Friends of the Earth sheds light on why we need to rethink one key farming practice frequently lauded as regenerative—no-till. This practice dramatically reduces tillage and plowing. Major corporations are investing in no-till as part of their climate commitments, and state and federal programs have invested in it as climate-smart.

While no-till farming can be done without harmful chemicals as part of truly regenerative agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture data analyzed in the report show that most no-till systems are so heavily dependent on herbicides to manage weeds that a full one-third of the United States total annual pesticide use can be attributed to no-till corn and soy production alone.

The science is clear: these synthetic chemicals devastate the very soil life that is central to regenerative agriculture, harming the soil microbiome and invertebrates like worms and beetles that help build healthy soils that can sequester carbon, conserve water, and cope with droughts and floods. They also come with a significant cost to our health, having been linked to cancer, birth defects, infertility, neurotoxicity, disruption of the gut microbiome, endocrine disruption, and more.

The report found that 93 percent of the 107 million acres of U.S. corn and soy grown in no-till systems use toxic herbicides like Roundup. It also found that no-till corn can be associated with approximately 7.6 billion pounds of synthetic nitrogen use each year. This use of fossil fuel-based fertilizers and pesticides has a major carbon footprint—equivalent to that of 11.4 million cars on the road over an entire year. That’s approximately the number of cars in the top nine no-till states combined.

What’s more, while it’s widely assumed that no-till farming can help combat climate change by pulling carbon down from the atmosphere into the soil, the report summarizes extensive scientific research showing that there’s no clear connection between no-till and soil carbon. That means conventional no-till is not a tool to mitigate climate change.

With a rapidly warming planet and extensive investments needed to address it, regenerative agriculture remains an essential arena with enormous momentum and possibility. But no-till on its own isn’t the answer. To ensure that investments in this burgeoning field truly meet their ambitious and critical biodiversity and climate goals, companies, investors, and policymakers should:

We need to make agrochemical reduction a central pillar of all regenerative agriculture initiatives. Establish time-bound, measurable goals to phase out toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and transition towards ecological, least-toxic approaches in agricultural supply chains.

And no-till as a standalone practice is not regenerative. Instead, companies and policymakers should provide financial and technical assistance to farmers to support a broad transition to ecological, low-input growing systems—which may use tillage or not, depending on context.

There is a need to expand organic offerings. Decades of research show that organic is a leading form of regenerative agriculture. The organic seal has the benefit of being backed by federal law, unlike other emerging regenerative claims.

And we need to be beware of greenwashing. Because there is no set definition of regenerative agriculture, the term is being applied to degenerative forms of agriculture like chemical-intensive no-till. Companies and policymakers should put appropriate safeguards in place to ensure that investments in regenerative agriculture are effective and impactful.

The public health, biodiversity, and climate crises we are facing threaten humanity’s livelihood, as well as businesses and their investors’ bottom lines. The good news is, we can ensure the growing investment in regenerative agriculture is harnessed in service of robust approaches with positive outcomes for nature, communities, and the economy.

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Photo courtesy of Gaspar Uhas, Unsplash

The post Op-Ed | Defining Regenerative Agriculture with Integrity appeared first on Food Tank.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, agriculture accounts for an estimated 10 to 12 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions globally. Terra Regenerative Capital Founders Tara Smith Swibel and Calla Rose Ostrander believe this can change. “We’re not interested in more of the same system,” Swibel tells Food Tank. “We want the whole system to convert to regenerative, and for that to be the baseline for how we do agriculture.”

Terra Regenerative Capital identifies business leaders and entrepreneurs in the agricultural field who have demonstrated their ability to support on ground agricultural transition by connecting to new and valued-add markets that bring agricultural producers better value. “Securing financing for the transition to regenerative practices is often difficult, and this financial strain can deter farmers from adopting sustainable methods,” writes Laimonas Noreika, CEO and founder of European climate technology firm HeavyFinance. Terra Regenerative Capital believes that by be rewarding farmers for practices they are already doing, they will have the incentive to change.  And according to a report by Boston Consulting Group, regenerative farming can increase profitability for farmers after a transitional period.

“When we look at investing in a business, we look at how they interact with and support farmers in learning new practices. The farmers they source from don’t have to start out as regenerative, we want to start with where [farmers] are and help them move into the future of farming,” Ostrander tells Food Tank. Examples of conventional practices to move away from include using glyphosate to destroy crops after harvest, or leaving soil without vegetation for part of the year.

In addition to using traditional metrics of capital growth, Terra Regenerative Capital tracks soil health, biodiversity, and how the changes are benefiting the socioeconomic ecosystem within which companies and farmers make a living. These metrics help determine whether farmers are meeting the standards that allow them to make transformative changes in the food system.

Tracking these figures helps Terra Regenerative Capital to ensure their funds are creating real change. “I came to this really concerned about carbon sequestration, when I understood the potential of soil to be that carbon sink that we need,” Swibel says.

Cairnspring Mills, an organization supported by Terra Regenerative Capital in Washington’s Skagit Valley, demonstrates this by offering farmers rates above market value if they commit to implementing sustainable practices. After developing a profitable boutique mill in Skagit Valley, Cairnspring Mills is now building a new commercial flour mill deep in wheat country on the land of Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation outside of Pendleton, Oregon.

“I think that’s exciting because it’s shifting these really large-scale conventional wheat growers out of a chem-fallow glyphosate system and into something where we can begin to restore riparian areas around salmon habitat that the tribe is also concerned about,” explains Ostrander. “So we start to bridge between conventional agriculture and traditional biodiversity and soil health.”

Tree-Range Farms, another organization backed by Terra Regenerative Capital, focuses on creating more natural forested habitats for chickens on poultry farms. In forested pastures, chickens can freely forage on plants, sprouted grain, and bugs and don’t rely on antibiotics, according to the organization. Chickens are processed in a facility owned by partner non-profit organization The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance and then brought to market by Tree-Range Farms.  This partnership ensures farmers have everything from technical assistance, to processing, and a secure buyer for their birds.

“That means of aggregation by Tree Range is everything because that singular chicken farmer cannot reach the marketplace without Tree Range,” Swibel tells Food Tank. “It’s exciting—a different strategy for scaling within the Midwest, but a highly regenerative system that is really thought out from the very beginning.”

Terra Regenerative Capital’s funding is being distributed at a time when the Trump-Vance administration is committing to reduction in or elimination of federal funding for climate-smart policies. Farmers recently expressed concern over the recent pause in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Some of Terra Regenerative Capital’s partners rely on federal grants, and Swibel and Ostrander admit there is some uncertainty regarding the future of funding sources. Still, they believe Terra Regenerative Capital is right on track to time the wave of investments in regenerative agriculture. According to Swibel, “I just don’t think there’s been a better time to invest.”

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The post Terra Regenerative Capital: A Venture Capital Firm that Believes in a Sustainable Future for Farming appeared first on Food Tank.

DBI grants are housed by four regional hubs, which distribute funds to over 400 dairy businesses nationwide. In the Midwest, this hub is called the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), administered by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research in the Midwest. At the time of the funding freeze, the DBIA had 88 DBI awards in process including over US$6.5 million in outstanding promised reimbursements, according to the WCMA. Nationwide, dairy businesses have lost access to an estimated US$28.6 million in promised funds.

Alissa Vieira owns and runs Swanky Scoops, a small ice creamery in Toledo, OH. She had hoped to use her DBI award of about US$75,000 to purchase a new batch freezer, add and advertise a retail component, and hire and train new employees. While she was able to purchase some equipment, she says plans for retail may need to be pushed back due to the freeze.

“When I got the email, it was really shocking that this was now going to be affecting me, personally, and my business,” Vieira tells Food Tank. “You put all of these plans in place to grow your business and forecast and think about what the future holds. And then when you’re not able to grow the way you were expecting to, it’s just really disheartening.”

Sara Bornick, CEO of streetpops in Cincinnati, is in a different position: she had already spent most of her US$100,000 grant and is now unsure whether she will be receiving the promised reimbursement.

“We operated in good faith, trusting that the funds promised to us would be available as outlined,” Bornick wrote in a letter to the DBIA. “Now, with US$65,000 already spent out of pocket and no reimbursement, we’re left with outstanding financial obligations and no clarity on when or if the remaining US$35,000 will come through.”

Both Vieira and Bornick had hoped to use the grant money to strengthen local economies. “A key part of our plan was to source dairy directly from Ohio dairy farmers, strengthening the local supply chain while ensuring the highest quality ingredients for our pops,” says Bornick. “By doing so, we aimed to support regional agriculture, create economic opportunities for farmers, and provide consumers with delicious, farm-fresh frozen treats.”

“I really try to spend my money in ways that keep it as close to home as possible. I see a lot of other small businesses in Toledo do the same,” Vieira echoes. “Losing this grant funding is going to have a trickle-down effect on the money that I would be spending on my vendors that are here in this area. They’re losing my sales, potentially, in the future as well.”

Job creation is another key concern for both business owners. The WCMA reports that nearly 90 percent of DBIA funds have been awarded to businesses employing fewer than 50 people. Swanky Scoops, Vieira’s ice creamery, has only two year-round employees, expanding to about five employees in the summer months.

“It affects our ability to add more staff members,” Vieira explains. “One of the things I wrote about in my grant application was about looking forward to the opportunity to create jobs, and that would be impacted for sure.” Bornick also says streetpops’ ability to sustain jobs is at risk. 

Swanky Scoops’ marketing director Lindsay Williams emphasizes the scale of the impact. “It’s my livelihood. But it’s 88 farmers in the Midwest, to the tune of US$6.5 million dollars, 400-plus across the country,” Williams tells Food Tank. “And you think about that ripple effect. If we can’t buy that new piece of machinery, that’s a salesperson that doesn’t get their cut, that’s a delivery driver that doesn’t get to drive the machine over. It’s bigger. It’s way bigger.”

After hearing about the freeze, Vieira and Bornick both took action. Swanky Scoops created a petition for their customers and invited community members to a letter-writing event. Bornick wrote a letter to the DBIA urging them to release the funds. The WCMA also created a petition and wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. 

“The funds provided through DBIs empower dairy farmers and processors to grow their capacity, explore new innovations, and become more resilient,” said Rebekah Sweeney, WCMA Senior Director of Programs & Policy. “These programs are much more than money—they strengthen the fabric of America’s dairy industry.”

The business owners hope to spread the word and connect with other affected grant recipients. “I hope that other businesses that are being affected will also make it public knowledge,” Vieira says. “So that we all know we’re not alone in this.”

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Photo courtesy of Alissa Vieira, Swanky Scoops

The post The Ripple Effects of Federal Grant Freezes: Small Business Owners Share Their Stories appeared first on Food Tank.

“Understanding the main sources of methane from surplus food helps us identify those solutions that can do the most to reduce those sources,” Minnie Ringland, a Climate Analyst with ReFED and a co-author on the report, tells Food Tank.

ReFED finds that solutions to divert food scraps from landfills and sewers, such as organic waste bans, can do the most to reduce methane emissions from surplus food. These strategies “address the largest volume of material,” Ringland explains.

But date label standardization and other strategies that prevent food from being wasted in the first place offer the highest methane reduction potential.

ReFED groups their proposed solutions into three categories: Recycling infrastructure that diverts organic material from landfill and sewer, consumer facing education and intervention, and food business efficiency and utilization.

Accurate emissions measurements are key in creating change, ReFED emphasizes. According to the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics released by the Biden-Harris Administration, “Data gaps and limitations make it difficult to understand the extent and consequences of food loss and waste, track progress toward the national and international goals, and measure success.”

“What gets measured, gets managed,” Ringland says, adding that business executives find solutions when they see the “sources and volume of food waste in their operations.”

Methane is 86 times more potent than CO2, according to the Global Methane Hub, but it also stays in the atmosphere for 12 years. Because of this short lifespan, Ringland calls methane reduction an “emergency brake” action against climate change. “If we can slash methane emissions today, the warming effect of those molecules in the atmosphere will be dramatically reduced within the next two decades,” she tells Food Tank.

ReFED’s new data adds methane-specific emissions information to the organization’s impact calculator. The calculator provides food businesses, policymakers, advocates, and funders with information on emissions. According to the report, this can allow them to “take decisive action and drive meaningful progress,” equipped with knowledge on the benefits they can gain from reducing emissions.

Consumers and eaters can make a difference too, by “only buying and preparing as much as you really need, storing ingredients to maximize their shelf-life, and finding ways to use every part of the ingredient,” Ringland says. “While many individual actions can often feel powerless in the face of the climate crisis, the food system in particular is highly driven by consumer purchasing power,” she tells Food Tank. “I personally think that collective awareness and behavior change can ultimately lead to systemic positive impact.”

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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The post ReFED Reveals Methane Hotspots and Food Waste Solutions appeared first on Food Tank.

Justin Herber, Griffin Barkley, and Justin Schneir started FHF in Ojai, California to support farmers who want to use more sustainable practices, but may not know where to start. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 1 percent of farmland in the United States is organic.

Herber tells Food Tank there is a “willingness” among farmers “to go organic, for the sake of the land, their families.” But he explains that yield loss and administrative work can discourage them from transitioning.

“Farmers face a mountain of challenges in transitioning to organic or regenerative practices, from figuring out certification to covering costs,” Barkley tells Food Tank.

Making the switch from conventional farming practices to organic is a three-year process, and comes with a series of steps. Growers must meet the USDA’s Organic Standards, and may need to learn a variety of new farming techniques, according to SARE Outreach.

Farmhand Foundation hopes to provide support to farmers on the front end that can help them navigate the transition. They will launch the first cohort in 2025 with three farms. Barkley says this, “feels like the right size to give each participant personalized support.”

Schneir says that practical skills, like access to mentors, workshops, and tools for regenerative practices are an important part of the work, but not the entire goal.  “More than that, we’re creating a space for [farmers] to connect, share, and feel empowered to carry these sustainable practices forward…We want them to walk away knowing they’re part of a community that’s got their back,” he tells Food Tank.

Before launching the Foundation, Schneir and Barkley started Tractor Beverage Company in 2015. Herber was among Tractor’s first advisors, and came on full time as Chief Brand Officer in 2021.

“We always wanted to do something more with the brand, and we always believed that business could be used as a tool for good,” Herber tells Food Tank. FHF will start with citrus and berry growers in the Ojai area—what Herber calls their own “backyard”—because these are ingredients in Tractor Beverage products.

FHF’s approach is unique, Herber believes. “We’re thinking about it almost as a brand, rather than how a traditional organization might. Really working to promote the need for organic, the meaning of organic,” he tells Food Tank.

Starting Tractor, and creating an organic impact tracker, showcased a need for more consumer education, Herber says. “There’s a huge consumer misconception about what organic means. People weren’t associating organic with lack of chemical exposure,” he tells Food Tank. “So, what we wanted to do [with the tracker] was measure how many pesticides we were actually preventing from going into the food system by sourcing organically.”

While Tractor Beverage and the Farmhand Foundation are distinct operations, the two are working towards the same goals. And the founders say what’s good for one is good for the other. Barkley says that FHF’s efforts can “strengthen Tractor’s supply chain” through relationship building with growers. He tells Food Tank that this helps to ensure quality sourcing. Tractor also participates in 1% for the Planet, using those funds to support FHF. As Herber says, “the better Tractor does, the more impact Farmhand can make and vice versa.”

The Farmhand Foundation hopes to expand. “Once we’re well established with our model in Ojai, we’re planning to expand into other regions…It’s about creating a ripple effect, empowering growers to make a living while stewarding the land,” Herber explains.

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Photo courtesy of Justin Herber. 

The post Farmhand Foundation: Cultivating Organic Change in Southern California appeared first on Food Tank.

Vertical Harvest, which grows a variety of greens and lettuces, is guided by three primary tenets: Work Well＋Be Well＋Do Well, according to the company’s Co-Founder and CEO Nona Yehia. This refers to the combined effort to prioritize workforce development, improve the personal wellness of each employee, and strengthen the company’s position as a positive actor within its community.    

The company’s mission and its Grow Well model were initially inspired by Yehia, who saw firsthand how few economic opportunities were awarded to her brother, a person with developmental disabilities. This led to Yehia and her Co-Founder Caroline Croft Estay—a disability advocate and former case manager—seeking to foster a more “human-centered approach” to business, Yehia tells Food Tank.

Within Wyoming, the rate of unemployment for those with a disability is twice that of those without, according to the ADA Participatory Action Research Consortium (ADA-PARC).

The Grow Well model uses a multidimensional framework to address this disparity. The design offers increased workplace productivity whilst also centering practices that promote individual welfare, especially related to the professional and personal development of each employee. 

It is “meant to offer a bridge into adulthood with a disability—for those who need it,” Yehia tells Food Tank.

A job at Vertical Harvest is, for many workers, their first introduction into complex vertical farming, according to Yehia, which means the company is responsible for helping staff develop technical skills.

She emphasizes that it is important “to customize each person’s role for where they’re at today, agree upon any accommodations or supports the employee may need, and then develop a plan for where they want to grow in the future” in order to facilitate a culture of inclusion and equity. 

The Grow Well model also focuses on personal wellness. “We start by looking at social determinants impacting an individual if they’re part of a marginalized community and assess what support an employee might need,” says Yehia. “We focus a lot on self-reflection and listening and learning from different perspectives.”

Yehia believes that in the company’s eight year history, she has been able to witness the positive impact customized employment can have at the individual level. “We’re showing every day that businesses that prioritize diversity are, by all accounts, better businesses,” she tells Food Tank.

Vertical Harvest plans to expand their work with the establishment of two new locations: one in Westbrook, Maine and the other in co-founder Nona Yehia’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

These expansions are expected to work at a greater level of operation, with the Westbrook facility having 15 times the output of Jackson.

“Our buildings are these bright beautiful beacons, right in the heart of the community, demonstrating we care about where our food comes from, the people who grow it, that the health and wealth of our community matters and should include everyone, especially those at the margins,” says Yehia, “health and humanity is what stitches us together and food is one of the most basic expressions of both.”

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Photo courtesy of Vertical Harvest

The post Grow Well: Vertical Harvest’s Inclusive Employment Model Empowers Individuals Experiencing Disabilities in Urban Farming appeared first on Food Tank.

Upcycled foods are made with ingredients that would not have otherwise been consumed by humans, according to the Upcycled Food Association. These foods might have gone to landfills, anaerobic digesters or incinerators, or been converted into animal feed.

Anna Hammond, the CEO of upcycled company Matriark Foods, tells Food Tank that by creating upcycled foods for human consumption, “the food system will change for the better and the positive impact of that will make it possible for us all to exist in a healthier world. I know it’s possible, I’ve seen what we’ve been able to accomplish in just a few years and so I have a lot of hope for this space.”

Food Tank is highlighting 12 companies that upcycle food waste into new products from snacks, to ready-to-eat meals, cooking ingredients, and more.

1. ÄIO, Estonia

ÄIO uses waste streams from the food, agriculture, and wood industries to produce fat substitutes for food and cosmetics. Their products serve as sustainable alternatives to butter, oil, nutritional yeast, and more. ÄIO’s products produce 160 kT less CO2 per year in comparison to the palm oil industry; this is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions per year of over 34,000 passenger vehicles, according to estimates by the EPA. Palm oil is the most commonly traded vegetable oil in the world and has a very large carbon footprint because it is often linked to deforestation or conversion of carbon-rich environments.

2. Bake Me Healthy, United States

Bake Me Healthy founder Kimberle Lau struggled to find healthy baking mixes for her kids, she also became lactose and egg intolerant and was unable to eat soy. These life changes inspired her to create clean plant-based baking mixes. Bake Me Healthy mixes are free from the nine most common allergens and made with fruits and vegetables that do not fit aesthetic standards to be sold in grocery stores and byproducts from fruit and vegetable processing.

3. Barnana, United States

Barnana partners with indigenous-run regenerative farms in Latin America to source bananas and plantains that are diverted from market. Typically, while these fruits are perfectly edible, they are considered too ripe for the journey to market. From these fruits, Barnana makes plantain and banana snacks like chips, bites, and scoops.

4. Cascara Foods, Chile

Cascara Foods rescues fruit pulp and byproducts like peels and stems that hold key nutrients essential to a healthy diet. They transform these materials into nutritional supplements, vegetable protein powders, and even bars and pancake mixes.

5. Crust, Japan

Crust Group operates in Singapore and Japan and partners with restaurants and hotels to help them reduce food waste. The company primarily upcycles surplus bread and other ingredients into beer and surplus fruit peels into non-alcoholic fruit juice. Crust incentivizes partnerships by creating custom branded products with their food surplus partners and is open to upcycling a wide range of food products.

6. Green Bowl, United States

When two food scientists became overwhelmed by the amount of nutritious food going to waste, they created Green Bowl. The company makes ready-to-eat, shelf stable, and preservative free plant-based meals with a mix of fresh and upcycled ingredients. Their complete rice, quinoa and lentil bowls include ingredients like brewer’s spent grains, fruit and vegetable pulp from juice factories, and cereal residue from plant-based milk factories for added nutrition and flavor.

7. I Am Grounded, Australia

From the time coffee is harvested to when it is consumed, research published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology shows that over 95 percent of the plant’s biomass is wasted. This is because there is demand for the seeds, but not the surrounding fruit or other parts of the plant. I Am Grounded has turned coffee fruit into energy bars since 2019, saving over 15,000 kilograms of fruit, or the equivalent weight of about 2.5 African elephants. The company also works with workers along the coffee supply chain to empower them to commercialize coffee byproducts.

8. Matriark Foods, United States

Rather than wasting surplus vegetables from farms or fresh cut remnants, Matriark transforms them into healthy, low-sodium vegetable products like pasta sauce and vegetable broth. According to Matriark, every gallon of their vegetable broth concentrate contains 0.9 pounds of waste diverted from landfills, reduces 2.23 pounds of greenhouse gas, and saves 102 gallons of water. Matriark also works with restaurants, schools, hospitals, and other large institutions to ensure wider access to their sustainable products.

9. Oisix, Japan

Oisix ra Daichi is a Japanese retailer that focuses on selling quality organic and additive free products to consumers. Upcycle by Oisix and Radish Boya are two lines from the company that rescue quality, edible food from the waste stream and return it to consumers. Upcycle by Oisix is a line of products made from ingredients that are considered aesthetically or texturally undesirable, like seaweed with holes in it and brewed coffee grounds, while Fuzoroi Radish by Radish Boya rescues and distributes substandard ingredients like fruits, vegetables and other products.

10. Planetarians, United States

Since it was created in 2013, Planetarians has focused on creating nutritious food products from upcycled ingredients. Over the years, the company’s mission has been to create nutritious, affordable and upcycled food. Currently, Planetarians uses spent yeast and soybeans to create a vegan meat product; they have made the product as cheap as chicken and cheaper than beef and it produces 120 times less greenhouse gas emissions than beef.

11. Pluck, Canada

Toronto-based tea company Pluck was founded in 2012 to produce quality sustainable teas from local ingredients. Pluck sells a wide range of teas, but one of their lines is made with locally produced waste products like fruit peels and cacao shells. Pluck also uses zero waste packaging, locally sourced ingredients that reduce transportation emissions, and small batch production.

12. Rootly, Denmark

Rootly produces plant-based meat products like falafel and steak using surplus beet, carrot, and mushrooms and excess pulp from juice production. Along with these products, the company sells flavored carrot snacks from carrot parts that do not fit traditional standards.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Aaina Sharma, Unsplash

The post 12 Companies Creating Upcycled Food from Waste Products appeared first on Food Tank.

Kate Meier, the Founder of Project Black and Blue, tells Food Tank that her four children, who work in the service industry, inspired her to start the initiative. Realizing that her own son was struggling to pay for medical treatment despite holding a steady job, Meier wanted to find a way to support others facing a similar situation.

“We know this industry so well that we know that they don’t want to ask for help or get support,” Meier tells Food Tank. “So, we wanted it to be a place where they felt comfortable and confident to reach out and get access to it.” 

The project raises funding from a line of products sold through her company BA Craftmade Aprons and from fundraising events. People then nominate themselves or others in the service industry to access that funding to pay for mental and physical health needs or other emergencies. Meier says from the beginning, the goal was to create a fund built and managed by the community. 

The project’s name references the mental and physical bruising workers in the service industry face every day, Meier explains. The fund helps people facing challenges including physical and mental health emergencies, fires, and substance abuse. According to a report by Black Box Intelligence and Snagajob, 62 percent of restaurant workers reported experiencing emotional abuse or disrespect from customers, 49 percent reported emotional abuse from managers and 15 percent reported sexual harassment from customers and managers or co-workers.

“Just the loss of income sometimes is enough to set someone back to where they can be facing eviction, and you never know when that terrible day might happen where you have a challenge,” Meier tells Food Tank.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median hourly wage for food service workers is US$13.52. But MIT’s Living Wage Calculator estimates that the average living wage—defined as the income necessary to meet a family’s needs without public assistance—in the United States is US$25.02 per hour.  For this reason, Meier says members of the food service industry often don’t have excess funding to support themselves or their families during an emergency.

The power of conversation and community is especially important to Project Black and Blue, Meier says. She explains that one of their goals is to raise awareness of what people in the restaurant and service industry experience. She says the galas and events they put on are an important part of this because they attract people who may not otherwise engage with the Project.

“It’s really eye opening too because I don’t think they realize what’s going on in the back of house,” Meier tells Food Tank. “They know it’s maybe hard work, but I don’t think they realize the pay challenges, lack of insurance, substance abuse, and that a lot of these people may not have resources—meaning family—that is there to support them.”

According to American Addiction Centers (ADC), 10 percent of service industry workers reported being under the influence of drugs while working a majority of the time.

Meier says she has a long-term goal of creating treatment and wellness centers around the country for food service workers. Currently her goals are to promote discussion of mental health and access to preventative care for service workers.

“Let’s make that the norm, that getting help is a good thing and it’s okay,” Meier tells Food Tank.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Sheldon Powell

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Helping to represent the voices of the estimated 20,000 vendors that operate in New York City, SVP provides services that “are very essential to the street condors community as small business owners, as hard working immigrants, veterans, and New Yorkers,” Mohamed Attia, Managing Director of SVP, tells Food Tank. 

SVP, comprised of 2,000 members, works with vendors of all types, including those who sell fresh produce and hot meals. The project helps vendors understand their legal rights, convenes meetings to better understand their needs, and works with these entrepreneurs to grow their business. They also advocate for policy changes that will protect street vendors from fines and other penalties.

In 2021, SVP successfully helped pass legislation to lift the number of full-time permits available to street vendors. Over the next decade the city promises to create more than 4,000 new permits. 

This change is important, Attia explains, because permits are required for vendors to run their business legally. But just over 5,000 permits are available specifically for street food vendors, and that number has not changed since the 1980s. “Sadly, the policies and the legislations and the local laws that were passing were very aggressive and hostile against street vendors,” Attia tells Food Tank. 

When vendors operate without a permit, Attia continues, it is “really difficult and risky. People are taking risks such as getting arrested, getting a US$1,000 ticket, [getting] property confiscated. It is so, so difficult.”

Attia calls the caps “arbitrary” and believes the resistance to street vendors, many of whom are immigrants of color, is rooted in xenophobia. He explains that when SVP began their campaign to increase the number of permits, they looked into the rationale behind the imposed limits. But, he says, “we didn’t find anything.”

What they did find were articles denigrating street vendors. “We’ve seen people making comments like vendors make Fifth Avenue look like Istanbul on a Sunday,” Attia tells Food Tank. But, he asks, “What’s wrong with Istanbul? It’s a sunny, beautiful city. What’s wrong with that?”

Protecting street vendors’ rights is important not only for the economic security of the individual entrepreneurs and their families. Many vendors are also a vital source of affordable produce or hot, prepared foods. 

“In so many areas where people are 30 minutes or more, walking distance, from any supermarket, they’re probably going to run to the food vendor who sells fresh vegetables and fruits around the corner,” Attia says. 

In the future, Attia hopes to see the city’s agencies working with, rather than against, vendors. Formalizing the system and increasing the number of permits is an important step forward, but Attia also wants to see more resources made available. 

“We don’t see anything to support street vendors [to help them] understand the local laws, understand how to comply with the system,” he tells Food Tank. “We don’t see much of workshops or resources being allocated and there is so much need within the community. And the need is so massive, that we just need to make the right investment…and make the right effort to reach out to these vendors and let them know that these services exist and get them to benefit from them.”

Listen to the full conversation with Mohamed Attia on Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg to hear about Attia’s own story as a street vendor, the headway SVP is making with the city’s current administration, and exciting developments that can make street vending more sustainable for the environment.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo Courtesy of Anton, Unsplash

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I’m on my way from Anaheim, California—where I attended the Natural Products Expo, or Expo West—to Austin Texas, where Food Tank will be active at South by Southwest. It’s a busy week for us!

Throughout the years I’ve been attending Expo West, I’ve noticed an interesting trend. The event highlights companies and new products focusing on organics, regenerative practices, plant-based ingredients, and the like. And there’s been a marked increase, over the past few years, in companies proclaiming the ways their products are good for the planet.

To this I say: Great! But words printed on food packages aren’t enough. We have to hold them accountable to meeting realistic climate goals.

At Expo West, I was able to moderate a couple discussions with business leaders thinking about these important questions. One panel focused on how to boost consumer adoption of climate-centered innovations (a mouthful!), and another centered around innovative retail models to improve food access.

I’ve talked before about greenwishing—when businesses appear to take sustainability seriously by making commitments that are, in actual fact, insufficient or completely wishful. Whether we like it or not, our current global food system is organized around big companies, and we can’t simply ignore them. Just as Food Tank does with our Chief Sustainability Officer network, we have to invite food business leaders to the table to showcase the achievable—and very much urgent—goals they should prioritize.

At Expo West, we were able to highlight the companies putting climate impacts at the forefront; brainstorm ways to help consumers better understand environmental, climate, and social impacts of the foods they’re eating; spotlight best practices for socially and environmentally sustainable food procurement; and show large companies how to give smaller entrepreneurs a leg up so they can really show off their world-changing ideas.

This weekend, at SXSW, we’ll be able to highlight food system transformation through a different lens: the arts.

I’m particularly excited for the films and series Food Tank is featuring. We’re showing “Wild Hope: Coffee for Water,” about coffee farmers in Mozambique. A film I’ve mentioned before, “Food 2050,” is created by Media RED and The Rockefeller Foundation to highlight food system visionaries. And “Hope in the Water” is an amazing docu-series from our friends at Fed by Blue, focusing on marine food systems—and afterward, I’ll chat with blue foods expert Jen Bushman, celebrity chef and advocate Andrew Zimmern, and Asif Khan from Picture Motion.

We’ll also be highlighting food policy victories like the Food Donation Improvement Act in an official SXSW panel with chef and advocate Tom Colicchio, Nyeti Shah from WeightWatchers, and Lisa Barden from Keep Austin Fed.

And on Sunday, March 12, is our “All Things Food” Summit, co-hosted with Huston-Tillotson University and Driscoll’s, and you’re invited for FREE! You don’t have to be in Austin to join—we’ll be streaming all day at FoodTank.com.

We’ll be having conversations on Indigenous foodways. How chicken and egg production are changing to be more sustainable. The future of meat and protein. Rethinking urban food systems. A fireside chat with Congressman Earl Blumenauer from Oregon. Mark your calendars to join us at FoodTank.com!

We’re also incredibly excited for the debut at SXSW of Food Tank’s original theatrical production “Little Peasants,” which I talked to you about in last week’s newsletter. The play showcases how workers of a fictional coffee chain called “Mermaid Coffee” are treated during union organizing campaigns. In addition to the performance, we’re convening a panel discussion to highlight how working families are truly at the center of the growing food movement.

The food labor movement that’s gaining power right now is so, so important toward the goal of keeping businesses accountable to people and the planet.

Even though I’m dead tired, weeks like this remind me why talking to people is so important. I know it sounds corny, but it’s genuinely how changes are made: One conversation at a time.

And I want to make sure I’m representing your voice, too, as Food Tank showcases the good food movement. So let’s chat about what you want to see from food businesses, food arts organizations, food procurers, food consumers. Email me any time at danielle@foodtank.com. I look forward to hearing your voice!

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Rob Maxwell, Unsplash

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