Kimbal Musk's new accelerator in Brooklyn will train vertical farmers

While one Musk brother is making waves in the technology and automotive industries, the other—along with business partner Tobias Peggs—is trying to remedy the world's food problems. Kimbal Musk's newest project is Square Roots, an accelerator program that will train a new crop of urban farmers on growing plants hydroponically, selling at farmers markets and more. Read more at Co.exist...

Cities hire food systems experts to address obesity, food access

More local governments are creating offices dedicated to food. “Cities have not always taken an active stance in really developing a robust food economy,” according to Blake Angelo, Denver's first food systems manager. “[But] the city may be the only or certainly the best actor in creating an environment that supports the community’s vision for its food future.” Read more at Civil Eats...

New GRAS rule continues the debate over ingredient transparency

The FDA issued a new rule to help clarify when a substance is eligible to be classified as generally recognized as safe, but some say it didn't go far enough and will allow the FDA to continue with a hands-off approach to new ingredients. Read more at Food Dive...

New survey: Vast majority of consumers concerned about farm animal welfare but confused by food labels

For example, in a recent survey by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, nearly half of respondents said they assume that independent inspectors verified the health and welfare of the chickens that laid their eggs. Read more at AlterNet...

Consumer and retail innovation: Where investors look for innovation

We all know retailers and brands attend trade shows, but more and more, private equity investors are making appearances, too. Early stage CPG investing isn't easy. Here, Ryan Caldbeck from CircleUp explains why it might be hard for small brands to get meetings with private equity investors. Read more at Forbes...