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The ReGen Brands Weekly - Volume 18

The ReGen Brands Weekly - Volume 18

May 30, 2023

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

Brought to you by The ReGen Brands Podcast

This Week’s Episode:

Highlights:

🌊 Pat’s deep family ties in conservation + journey in seafood
💰 Why we need brands to drive demand for kelp farming
🤔 Why they started with kelp chips
🧺 Developing their first products through farmers markets
➕ Why kelp farming is the only net-positive aquaculture
🤩 Helping reverse the loss of natural kelp habitat
🙅 Why they don’t use a co-manufacturer
⭐ Designing products around sustaining consumer trends
🦸 How to build a set of superfans at every store
🔥 The imperative for regen brands to cross-promote

“I saw two ways of doing that. One was to try to make these horrifying industries a little less bad. Or, two, pursue this idea of regenerative ocean farming, producing nutrient-dense food with zero inputs and having a net positive impact on the surrounding marine ecosystems. And while regenerative was in its infancy and maybe a longer road to change, I thought that was more compelling for me than kind of the ‘do less bad‘ notion.”

Pat Schnettler

Recap:

Don’t have time for the full episode? 😵‍💫
Check out the recap! 🙃
Everything you need to know (+ funny GIFs) in less than 5 minutes. 🥳

ReGen Brands Recap #33

These Kelp Chips Regenerate The Ocean

A Dearth of Dollars (A Tale In 3 Parts):

📉 Part 1: Early-stage CPG VC is trending down BIG this year

Capital invested is expected to drop by 41% and deal count by 34%. Capital invested into food is expected to drop significantly to the tune of 49%.

Credit: CPGD

🙅‍♀️ Part 2: The VC Playbook Won’t Work For Regen – So What Will?

“Regenerative agriculture has become an inescapable buzzword in CPG over the past few years. Venture money, already in short supply, seems even harder to come by for the emerging regen space.”

Credit: Me 😙

🙋‍♂️ Part 3: Someone Is Starting A Fund To Invest In ReGen Brands

I’ll give you a hint…

➡️ Updates on our progress building the team and thesis!

ReGen Brand News:

📞 Kiss The Ground surveyed 1,100 adults about regenerative agriculture
- While 20% of US adults are familiar with the term “regenerative agriculture,” only 4% grasp its true significance.
- My take: Huge opportunity for brands to connect the numbers on the right with the one on the left to grow it exponentially. (graphic below)

Credit: Kiss The Ground

🥩 Verde Farms Announces Relaunch and First-Ever Consumer-Focused Brand Campaign, “Beef From a Better Place”
- Verde is now supporting 47 verified regenerative land bases, including more than 100,000 hectares (or 247,105 acres).
🍾 Moët Hennessy awarded new organic certifications
- One of the brand’s vineyards in France has achieved organic certification and two vineyards in Argentina are now Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC).
🥥 Wildway refines its ESG strategy via direct sourcing, carbon neutral initiatives
- This includes partnering with the Regenerative Organic Alliance which has recently certified Wildway’s coconut products.
🎯 Regenerative agriculture efforts need CPG industry help
- During the transition period farmers should expect a loss of nearly $40 per acre due to decreased crop yields and capital outlays for equipment. Support options include cost-share programs, sustainable leases, improved insurance terms, regenerative crop warranties, government subsidies, price premiums and lending programs.
- Consumer packaged goods companies could work with their suppliers to offer a price premium to farmers.
✍️ After resisting “defining” regenerative agriculture for many years, the Savory Institute has released their thoughts on the matter…
- “Regenerative agriculture is the production of food and fiber from the biological life of the world’s land and waters through managing simultaneously the indivisible complexity of human organizations, economy, and nature to sustain all businesses, economies, and civilization.”

But wait there’s more!!

(Same headlines as last week but with more info)

ReGen Brand Jobs:

🥖 Wildfarmed is looking for a New Product Development Manager in the UK
🐓 The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance is hiring a Farm Enterprise & Engagement Director
🌊 Atlantic Sea Farms is looking for a Chief Growth Officer
🍄 Ancient Nutrition is hiring a Social Media Designer
🥛 Danone is looking for a Project Manager for regen ag implementation
🦬 Force of Nature is hiring for 4 new roles: VP of Marketing, Senior Accountant, Staff Accountant, & AR / AP Specialist
🍚 Lundberg Family Farms is looking for a Project & Process Engineer, Systems Engineer, Safety Coordinator, & Staff Accountant

Fun Stuff:

Me after interviewing our second kelp-based brand 😂