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CVS CBD
FEATURED
Bill Gates Invests in Soil, CVS Starts Selling CBD Products + More (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cccfc3ab5e&e=2715c96b29)
Our round-up of this week's top food innovation news.
Slow Food's Database Catalogues Thousands of Endangered Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=4631dab110&e=2715c96b29)
Slow Food USA Executive Director Richard McCarthy talks to us The Ark of Taste database, which catalogues 5,000 endangered foods, and relocalizing our food.
RePlant Capital on Investing from Soil to Shelf (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c2917a47a4&e=2715c96b29)
RePlant Capital's Robyn O'Brien talks about how the impact investment firm works with American farmers & companies tackling issues created by climate change.
How Vertical Farming Startup Bowery Approaches Biodiversity (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8424d69eeb&e=2715c96b29)
Bowery's Susan MacIsaac explain how the vertical farming company is utilizing previously unusable industrial space to grow over 100 crop varieties.
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hungry root
CPG
Alpha Foods Raises $7M to in Quest to Become Plant-Based Leader (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2d92068d6d&e=2715c96b29) - Nosh
New Crop Capital and AccelFoods led the round. The current round will help the company staff up and invest in marketing programs.
DTC Healthy Food Brand Hungryroot Launches New York Popup (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=46a7a39c5f&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
New York residents who are looking for nutrient-rich, often vegan friendly, ready-made meal solutions can now get their Hungryroot goods at a 'modern convenience store'.
The Age of Disruption in an Industry Turned Upside Down (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=22d3beb939&e=2715c96b29) - Just-Food
Disruption of big, legacy brands is now the rule, not the exception. It's a brave new world where big can be as much of a liability as it was once was an advantage.
Consumer Packaged Goods Employers Plan 10% Wage Hikes Across Sectors (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=330300d66f&e=2715c96b29) - HR Dive
The question is whether employers in other industries will feel compelled to match these increases to stay competitive.
How This Entrepreneur Turned a $10K Startup Investment into a $600M Acquisition (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b595df63b1&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
Peter Rahal took an authentic approach to bootstrap a food and nutrition startup. The result was an acquisition that saw Kellogg's snap up the company for $600m just five years after launching.
microfulfillment
RETAIL
Small, But Fierce: Why Micro-Fulfillment Centers Are Gaining Traction In Retail (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2430bc827c&e=2715c96b29) - CB Insights
Warehousing and micro-fulfillment are crucial for retailers to procure, produce and distribute products to consumers.
Instacart Rolls Out an Instant Cashout Feature for Shoppers (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7899c4c611&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
Instant Cashout was built in partnership with payments platform Stripe and is being made available to shoppers in-app for instant transfers to a debit card. The feature allows shoppers to access their earnings more quickly.
What The Ugly Produce Debate Gets Wrong And What It Gets Right (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9a24718373&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
Debate about whether the ugly produce movement in fact addresses food waste has raised larger questions about what kinds of solutions are needed.
A New Sticker That You Put on Fruit Claims to Keep It Fresh for Up to 2 Weeks — See How It Works (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=20bc309be3&e=2715c96b29) - Insider
Food innovation company StixFresh has created stickers that claim to keep fruit fresh for up to 14 days longer.
How Brandless's Creative Chief Built an Anti-Brand from Scratch (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8d07fcf309&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Jen Tank has arguably one of the hardest jobs in design: branding a brand that eschews branding. Here's how she works through the challenge.
The 2019 Drunk Shopping Census (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9a0c45ed6e&e=2715c96b29) - The Hustle
Drunk shopping is an estimated $45b per year industry. An average spend is $444, and Amazon is the drunk shopping platform of choice.
Truebird Bringing Its Robot-Barista Coffee to NYC (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=4a38889a1c&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
Truebird creates automated micro-cafes, similar to Briggo and Cafe X. It piloted its prototype for three months at New Lab in Brooklyn, and will now arrive at select NYC locations after this year.
mcdonalds
RESTAURANTS
McDonald's Is Acquiring Dynamic Yield to Create a More Customized Drive-Thru (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=508cdb83e8&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
McDonald's is announcing an agreement to acquire personalization company Dynamic Yield. Financial terms were not disclosed, but a source states the deal is more than $300m. This is the fast food chain's largest acquisition in 20 years.
McDonald's Halts Lobbying Against Minimum Wage Hikes (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5d0050ffa2&e=2715c96b29) - Politico
McDonald's boosted congressional Democrats' efforts to hike the minimum wage by telling the NRA that it will no longer participate in lobby efforts against minimum wage hikes at the federal, state or local level.
UK: Travis Kalanick's New Venture Buys UK 'Dark Kitchens' Business (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=455e8fc4ee&e=2715c96b29) - The Telegraph
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick's City Storage Systems has acquired FoodStars, which runs more than 100 commercial kitchens across six different states in London. Financial terms were undisclosed.
Meet San Francisco's New, Giant, Smoothie-Making Robot (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2c695f1943&e=2715c96b29) - San Francisco Chronicle
Fully autonomous, the kiosk has refrigeration systems, blenders, robotic arms and 20 temperature-controlled dispensers for its fresh produce and liquids. It works around the clock, remembers everyone's smoothie preferences and can make an order in 2 minutes.
These 10 Restaurants Could Be the Next Sweetgreen (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8956fc1b69&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
Fishbowl Analytics released its list of emerging restaurant brands, and this year's list is one of its most diverse. The list includes Little Beet, Dig Inn, Mendocino Farms, Cava Grill and more.
Hawaii Bills Push 1st State Ban on Plastics in Restaurants (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5a4c9ceb56&e=2715c96b29) - Associated Press
Hawaii would be the first state in the US to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean.
DoorDash Launches Kitchens Without Borders to Assist Restaurants Owned by Immigrants and Refugees (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=59ed938de6&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The company announced an initiative that supports restaurants founded by immigrants and refugees. The goal is to highlight the entrepreneurs' stories behind these businesses while also building awareness for what are often resourced-strapped businesses.
bill gates
AGRICULTURE
We Should Discuss Soil As Much As We Talk About Coal (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=75968710f0&e=2715c96b29) - Gates Notes
Nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture.
Singapore Backs Lab-Grown Meat, Robots in $535M Push (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b305d8f7de&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Singapore will invest $535m under a current plan to transform its economy into one that relies more on fields such as research and on companies that create new markets and jobs. Investments will focus on digital tech, cell therapy and food innovation.
A Company Growing Protein on Trees Raises $20M Series D (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c4f2091e55&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Investment was led by Evans Properties, The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust and a group of Florida agricultural family offices. TerViva will use fresh funding to deliver 200k pongamia trees in the coming two years.
Aqua-Spark Invests in 2 Aquaculture Tech Startups: BioFishency's $2.4M Series A & Molofeed (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=654f8d3fe6&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
BioFishency, an aquaculture filtration technology startup, has raised $2.4m in funding from global seafood tech investor Aqua-Spark. The startup will use the funding to develop its China business and continue R&D.
Singapore Airlines Is Redefining Airplane Food with 'Farm-to-Plane' Produce from a Vertical Farm (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a398822840&e=2715c96b29) - Newsweek
The luxury carrier partnered with Aerofarms, which has transformed an abandoned steel mill near Newark International Airport into a vertical farm providing greens for passengers' dishes.
Warren Takes Aim at Farm Programs That Brought You 'Got Milk?' (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7bc427bf64&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
As part of her presidential platform, Elizabeth Warren is not just taking on big agriculture corporations like Bayer AG and Tyson Foods Inc. She's also going after checkoff programs, which do marketing campaigns for commodities.
CBD Is Booming. But US Farmers Struggle to Keep Up with Demand for Industrial Hemp (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a75f849b80&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
Industrial hemp produces such small amounts of CBD that growing it and harvesting it to extract the molecule is incredibly expensive. The current supply chain — from plants, to extraction, to labs — is riddled with issues.
2019 AgFunder AgriFood Tech Innovation Awards Winners Announced (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=936e8010dc&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Winners included Farm Tech, FieldIn, Sound Agriculture, Seed-X and more. Last year's winners have since raised over $420m.
Kapsera Raises €700K for Microbe Encapsulation Technology in Agrinnovation Fund's 1st Investment (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=0279bfca24&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
The investment round will allow Kapsera to scale up its process and complete its product development. The company is focused on the microbe-based biofertilizer and biopesticide markets.
Portland's Ban on Synthetic Pesticides Goes into Effect (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=032fd60b47&e=2715c96b29) - Press Herald
Private property owners can use only organic treatments for gardens and lawns.
Automated Robots Are Picking Apples at an Orchard in New Zealand (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=91dc1fa4a3&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
Abundant Robotics is one of several businesses developing innovative fruit-picking technology. The automated pickers are being used to harvest a variety of apples, which will be sold in New Zealand and around the world.
Salmon and Baby Chard, Brought to You by a Brooklyn Farm (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d929e9849d&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Edenworks, an aquaponics operation in East Williamsburg, already sells salads at a local Whole Foods and is looking to scale up.
Silicon Valley-Based FarmWise Collaborates with Roush to Manufacture Autonomous Weeding Robots (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=92f3e509bf&e=2715c96b29) - Crain's Detroit Business
The Livonia-based company will develop a dozen of the robots this year with additional units in 2020. The autonomous robots are designed to weed farmland around the clock, providing farmers the ability to reduce the use of herbicides while saving costs on labor.
23 and me
EATERS
What My DNA Told Me: Avoid Fast Food, Eat Vegetables (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=41425a068c&e=2715c96b29) - The Washington Post
Research in DNA testing companies is still limited and there's little evidence any small effects from genetic variations can be translated into meaningful dietary advice.
To Curb Kids' Sugary Drink Habits, Pediatricians Now Call for Soda Taxes (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b1263e0a33&e=2715c96b29) - NPR
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, in a joint statement, endorsed taxes on sugary drinks, restrictions on marketing to kids and incentives for healthier purchases.
How It Feels to Give Up Eating, According to Four Hunger Strikers (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1260fdd2bb&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
From protesting false imprisonment, to expressing solidarity with those suffering the effects of climate change, to defending DACA.
Study: 40% of US Consumers Would Try CBD (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=0ee3604cae&e=2715c96b29) - Food Dive
The study found that of the consumers who expressed interest in CBD, 64% are 35 or older, 56% are female and 79% have college experience.
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