Living Maxwell
Company Stories
On the last few days of my trip to Costa Rica, I was in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
Populated by many European and American ex-pats, Puerto Viejo is a really cool surfing town on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.
A message from E3Live
The best testimonial that I can give is that I drink this every single day, as it impacts my mood in an incredibly positive way.
E3Live + BrainON is certified organic, fresh-frozen AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) with a concentrated, aqueous, organic extract of Phenylethylamine and Phycocyanin.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
The lawsuits against industrial food companies just keep piling up.
First, it was Wesson Oils who got sued for using GMOs in its products that the company claimed were “100% Natural”.
Then, Kashi got sued for using prescription drugs, irradiated substances, pesticides that are a by-product of uranium mining, and federally declared hazardous substances in products that it claimed were “All-Natural” and contained “Nothing Artificial”.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
As a result of living in NYC but having grown up in Boston, I am quite aware of the difference between the two cities, in terms of the organic food and pressed juice offerings.
NYC has a ton and Boston has very little.
But with the recent opening of Cocobeet, ironically located between a Subway and Dunkin’ Donuts, it is an understatement to say that Bostonians are thrilled to have them there.
“On our second day of business, we sold 270 bottles of juice and had to close our doors because there was nothing left to sell,” Co-Founder Onur Ozkoc told me.
Organic Insider
Company Stories
Whenever you start talking about organic food and political affiliations, many people seem to think that organic food advocates are all Democrats. Yet, the answer is not that simple and is much more complex than one might think.
In “The Politics of Organic Farming: Populists, Evangelicals, and the Agriculture of the Middle” (once on the page, click on the link that says “PDF – 786KB”), the amazing food magazine Gastronomica delves into this question and explores the matter from a historical, geographical and cultural context.
As the article points out, organic food supporters have been incredibly betrayed by President Obama. So, does that mean that Republicans are now the big proponents of organic food? Well, yes and no.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
Last week in Costa Rica, I visited with some women entrepreneurs who are receiving microloans from the Whole Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization of Whole Foods.
I have written about the Whole Planet Foundation before and the amazing job that it is doing around the world but meeting the loan recipients in-person gave me a much greater appreciation for the impact that this program is having.
Women entrepreneurs from impoverished communities receive loans, starting at a few hundred dollars, to start businesses – baking, sewing, buying animals, running a small store, etc. With a 98% success rate (only 2% of the loans default), this incremental revenue plays an essential role in improving the well-being and welfare of thousands of families.
A message from Tradin Organic
For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.
The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.
Organic Insider
Company Stories
A few months after the DARK Act passed, which many in the industry called a massive betrayal of organic by the Organic Trade Association, the fallout continues.
As I shared the news on Facebook recently, Dr. Bronner’s, one of the leading and most vocal GMO-labeling advocates in the country, has quit the Organic Trade Association in protest.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
Serial entrepreneur Sheryl O’Loughlin has just come out with a phenomenal new book called Killing It: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart, and it should be at the top of the reading list for all founders of organic food companies, regardless of whether you’re in start-up mode or well on your way to generating $100 million in revenues.
Aside from the fact that Sheryl O’Loughlin has some serious street cred in the organic food industry – CEO of Clif Bar, Co-Founder of Plum Organics and now CEO of REBBL – and has plenty of experience to draw upon as an entrepreneur, this book focuses on the most important aspect of building a company that rarely gets discussed – the human element.
