#31 - Our Biggest Problems & Solutions, Vital Farms Becomes RegenifiedTM, & An All-In-One Tool 4 Impact

Weekly episodes, news, and insights from the world of regenerative CPG

Brought to you by The ReGen Brands Podcast

This Week’s Episode:

Highlights:

• 🤯 The biggest differences between regen brands and conventional CPG

• 👏 How regen brands go beyond the co-packer

• 👍 How regen brands include the farm in product development

• 🎯 How regen brands are creating new or better market outlets for farmers

• 🥳 Kyle leading a regen panel at SproutsCon

• 😡 The massive costs during manufacturing & “the journey to the shelf”

• 👉 Why and how regenerative isn’t promoted like other product claims

• ➡️ Why and how we think we need to solve that huge problem

• 👎 The lack of investment tools and support for regen brands

• 💯 Why an early-stage VC fund is the best way to start creating that

Recap:

• Don’t have time for the full episode? 😵‍💫 

• Check out the recap! 🙃 

• Everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes. 🥳

ReGen Brands 🤝 Technology & Transparency:

🛠️ The All-In-One Tool For Regenerative Brands To Buy, Sell, & Verify

• 🥳 Ben Adolph shares how Merge Impact is partnering with brands and farmers to provide a raw material sourcing platform, verified farm-level sustainability data, and opportunities to market and monetize ecosystem benefits like carbon and biodiversity.

🙋‍♂️ We are hoping to feature a guest blog post every week.

📧 Drop me a line if you have something to share at the intersection of regenerative agriculture and CPG.

ReGen Brands Insights (ICYMI):

🏅 The Landscape of Regenerative Product Certifications

• While there are more than 6 programs we believe can and should be used as a proxy for regeneration, we asked Kristina to dive into the leading labels that have surfaced in the past 5 years and gained momentum with brands and retailers.

ReGen Brand News:

🥚 Vital Farms Becomes the First National Egg Brand to Earn a Regenified™ Verification

• The third-party verification for the company’s, Restorative Eggs, recognizes the progress made with a core group of farmers using regenerative practices.

• The accompanying Regenified™ seal is a signal of trust to consumers that Vital Farms is a leader in regenerative farming trying to improve soil for future generations.

• Earlier this year, Vital Farms committed to engaging all the egg farms in its network in additional regenerative practices by 2026.

👉 How regenerative agriculture became the latest big buzzword in sustainability

• From major retailers like Walmart and Madewell to big CPGs like General Mills and PepsiCo, countless brands are making pledges to adopt regenerative agriculture practices. While legacy consumer goods conglomerates are transitioning to regenerative farming, new brands are developing and launching lines using the practice from the get-go.

• Anytime Spritz touts itself as a “farm to can cocktail.” The first production run of the spritzes was created with vodka made from regenerative wheat. This October, Anytime Spritz is launching a Regenerative Organic Certified® vodka.

• Alec Jaffe, founder and CEO of Alec’s Ice Cream, said he was inspired to start the brand after visiting a dairy farm run by Blake and Stephanie Alexandre. The company’s ice creams are ROC-certified, and carry the label along with the Land to Market regenerative seal and USDA Organic. “We made the investment to operate our own production facility, which enabled us to control our sourcing from the very start. This was a big risk to take but it has paid off, and allowed us to create an amazing product with ingredients sourced from farmers leading the regenerative movement.”

🪩 Is Dr. Bronner’s the Last Corporation With a Soul?

• “It started as a kooky soap company with a counterculture ethos. Today, the family-run business is an unlikely juggernaut and one of the most outspoken companies in America. Here’s how Dr. Bronner’s is rewriting the playbook for corporate success by doubling down on its vibey values.”

• Check out Episode 8 with CEO David Bronner to learn more about the company’s work in regenerative organic agriculture.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Hits:

🌎 How Danone, one of the world’s biggest food companies, is innovating to fight climate change

🍟 McCain Foods revives 'Stranger Things' character to spotlight regenerative agriculture

👀 Modern Farmer compares Regenerative Organic Certified® & Verified Land To Market™ - the two leading regenerative certification programs that “can’t agree on what, exactly, regenerative farming means”

🥖 UK-based Wildfarmed is expanding its partnership with retailer, M&S, as their Wildfarmed Regenerative Flour is set to become the base ingredient in the retailer’s sourdough offering from their in-store bakery

ReGen Brand Jobs:

• 🍚 Lundberg Family Farms is looking for a Senior Contract Manufacturing and Supply Chain Optimization Manager, Senior Manager, Category Insights & Sales Strategy, Customer Sales Analyst, National Account Manager & Account Manager - Food Service

• 🍷 Bonterra Organic Estates is hiring a Regional Manager - Northern California

• 🧃 Danone is hiring a Program & Methods Manager, Regenerative Agriculture

Fun Stuff:

This “Stories of Regeneration” video from Kiss The Ground featuring Yadi Wang of Oatman Farms & Oatman Flats Ranch is AWESOME!!

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