8 food & beverage predictions for 2016
Regenerative agriculture
The term “regenerative” rocketed to buzz-worthy status in 2015 as brands, natural industry thought leaders and farmers turned their focus to rebuilding soil health.
Why the collective shift to the ground over the stuff that grows out of it? Climate change is a big reason. “Because reaching zero emissions is a fine, lofty goal, but it’s already too late for that alone to cool our warming world,” writes Steven Hoffman, managing director of Compass Natural. “The only way to do that now, according to experts in regenerative agriculture and research from the Rodale Institute and others, is to draw carbon out of the atmosphere and put it back where it belongs: in healthy organic soils.”
Myriad brands, such as Natural Vitality, EPIC, Patagonia Provisions, Back to the Roots and more are echoing this sentiment by partnering with organizations that support responsible land management and sourcing practices, as well as remineralizing the soil.
We think more biodynamically grown foods, like Nello’s Biodynamic Marinara Sauce, will crop up on store shelves as shoppers continue to seek out foods touted as “better than organic,” given that farmers regard their whole farm as one holistic ecosystem.
Brands doing it right: