Living Maxwell
Company Stories
In the organic ingredient world, a significant transaction was announced this morning.
SunOpta, a global company focused on plant-based foods and beverages, sold its organic ingredient sourcing and production business, Tradin Organic, to Amsterdam Commodities N.V. (Acomo) in a debt and cash-free transaction worth €330 million.
A message from Tradin Organic
At Tradin Organic, we believe that regenerative organic farming is key to growing healthy and nutritious food ingredients — for now and for future generations.
And in Sierra Leone, we have grown the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified cacao.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
Last week in New York City, the two biggest trade shows of the summer took place — the 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show and Good Food Mercantile.
Impressive innovation was on display everywhere, and narrowing down the best of what I saw was no easy feat.
Here are my Top 5 Organic Products of the 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show and Good Food Mercantile.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
When I was in California recently to attend Expo West, I made a stop at Erewhon Natural Foods Market in Los Angeles. I first discovered Erewhon last year and it is the most amazing organic market.
As I explain in this video, a few things make it stand apart from the rest — the elixir bar and the massive selection of raw food products.
If you are ever in Los Angeles, make sure you stop by Erewhon. This organic market is truly one of a kind.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
Dr. Bronner’s, the beloved soap brand that donates 8.6% of its revenues to social and environmental causes, has released a limited-edition, cannabis-scented fragrance of its classic bar soap to support a new consumer education and crowdfunding campaign for Sun+Earth Certified.
Founded by the International Cannabis Farmers Association, Cannabis Conservancy and Certified Kind, along with deep support from Dr. Bronner’s, Sun+Earth is a program inspired by and aligned with the Regenerative Organic Certification standard but tailored to the way cannabis is grown and produced.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
When people talk about why they eat organic food, the most common answer is that they don’t want to ingest food that has been sprayed with toxic pesticides. The focus is generally on “me” or “we”.
An answer that does not come up nearly as much as it should is “I don’t want to expose farmers to these toxic pesticides.”
The truth is that most of us are completely in the dark about what takes place on farms, in terms of what kind of chemicals farmers are exposed to and also how farm workers are treated.
A brand new documentary called Food Chains sheds light on this very serious problem and what we see is not pretty.
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
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
For the second year in a row, Natural Products Expo East returned to Philadelphia, and I enjoyed my time in the city much more than I ever anticipated.
Not only was it great to see all of my friends again in the industry, but I ate incredibly well at two phenomenal restaurants — P.S. & Co. and Vedge.
I also saw some fantastic and innovative products at the show, with a few of them in the condiment category.
