Dr. Bronner’s has partnered withEcosia, the search engine that plants trees, to finance the expansion of dynamic agroforestry in Ghana. This project, which is coordinated with support fromSerendipalm, Dr. Bronner’s sister company in Ghana, will convert 200 acres of arable land in Ghana to a mixed dynamic agroforestry model for product and full-scale demonstration of the concept to farmers and visitors, according to a press release. The land will be used to cultivate cocoa, palm trees, and other crops to fair trade and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) standards. The effort also will help equip and empower the rural community near Asuom, Ghana, with the tools to diversify their crops, expand farmer incomes, and improve food security in the community while sequestering carbon in soil and trees, thus helping mitigate climate change impacts, Dr. Bronner's shared.
Rodale Instituteannounced that Pocono Organicswill become its fifth Regional Resource Center, joining other centers in Georgia, Iowa, California, and Italy, and that it has been christened the Rodale Institute Pocono Organic Center at Pocono Organics. According to a press release, Pocono Organics is the largest Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) vegetable farm in North America, with over 380 acres of farmland. Pocono Organics has been a research partner of Rodale Institute since its groundbreaking in July of 2018.
Savor by Suziecelebrates Autism Awareness Month by donating a grant of $4,444 to an autistic entrepreneur along with a mentorship program with a team of entrepreneurs with autism or entrepreneurs who are linked to autism. This grant amount reflects the opportunity to overcome challenges and take on opportunities.
Rumiano Cheese Company announced its full transition to organic, along with the launch of a new direct-to-consumer ecommerce website. Rumiano’s dairy is USDA Certified Organic and American Humane Certified. The company is additionally Non-GMO Project Verified and free from pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Ingredients are sourced from 27 farms in California.
Hickory Nut Gap launched its “unofficial burger of earth day.” The announcement states that customers can win a wood pellet grill and hickory nut gap meats grilling box. To enter, participants can visit their local Earth Fare Healthy supermarket meat department where their grass fed ground beef is available. The ground beef is available in 1lb retail packages or fresh behind store counters. The next step to enter is to pick up a pound or two, Hickory Nut Gap instructs. Finally, look for displays with the QR code and scan to enter for a chance to win.
Sweegen has introduced its stevia to Latin America. Colombia has approved Sweegen’s stevia sweeteners, which are crafted through bioconversion, to produce clean, non-GMO ingredients. Sweegen’s Rebaudiosides D and M have already been approved and Rebaudiosides E and I now join the list.
From June 9-10, 2022,The Plant Protein Innovation Center (PPIC)at the University of Minnesotawill host its first “Plant Protein Products Commercialization" workshop. The workshop, taking place in person in St. Paul, MN, will guide businesses in taking a new plant-based product from idea conception to the store shelf. Among the topics that will be addressed: technology scale-up, co-manufacturer selection, project management, regulatory matters, and marketing launch. There also will be time set aside for networking. Confirmed speakers include representatives from Oatly, Campbells, Cargill, and Symrise. Attendees also have the opportunity to attend a networking dinner with Seth Tibbott, founder of the Tofurky company. Registerhere(space is limited, so early registration is suggested).
SunOpta has unveiled its new 65,000 square-foot sustainably designed, eco-friendly global headquarters and innovation center in Eden Prairie, MN. The space was designed to accelerate the speed of innovation, foster collaboration, and model the company’s sustainability heritage to positively impact people and the planet, according to a press release. It features a pilot plant and an R&D center that is eight times the size of its previous location. SunOpta added that the new workplace will enable further expansion of its co-manufacturing, private label, ingredient, and branded product offerings across all categories, and is a key investment to achieving strategic business and growth goals, including doubling the plant-based business by 2025.
Nexira announced that its acacia processing capacity has increased by more than 20% at its site located in Normandy, France. The company has three acacia fiber processing lines on its French site, and can produce more than 35,000 tons of acacia fiber yearly to meet the rapidly growing global demand for nutritional ingredients. Nexira added in a press release that it has made an investment of more than $10 million on its industrial facilities, including a new spray dryer to enhance productivity and energy performance. Further investments are planned for 2022 and 2023.
Canyon Labs has opened a 17,000-square-foot laboratory in Salt Lake City, offering services for lab testing, scientific and technical consulting, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) clinical support. The company plans to partner with health science organizations nationwide to perform these services for dietary supplements, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and food and beverage. Canyon Labs is led by two Johns Hopkins University instructors: Dr. Haven McCall, with more than 20 years of laboratory, clinical, and regulatory background; and Dr. David Locke, also with 20-plus years of medical, clinical, and regulatory affairs experience. “We are filling a need for companies who experience challenges working with testing laboratories who are slow to respond, lose customer samples and provide poor customer service,” said Andy Kawamoto, Canyon Labs Chief Business Development Officer. “Canyon Labs was built to remedy each of those issues, especially for companies in the supplement, nutrition, cosmetic, and pharma space. A comprehensive, one-stop laboratory, such as Canyon Labs, fills a void in the health and wellness category and will be a welcome solution.”
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