5@5: Dietitians predict seeds, avocado, nuts will reign in 2017 | The real price of palm

The violent costs of the global palm-oil boom

The move away from trans fats in processed food is one factor that's contributed to the rise of palm oil in food products, but it also lurks in personal care products, cosmetics and animal feeds. Production has led to deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia that's pushed many species to the brink of extinction, high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and violence against activists and farmers. Read more at The New Yorker... (and then read how one organization is working to promote better practices and a cleaner supply chain)

National survey taps over 1,700 dietitians to predict top 2017 food trends

Clean and mindful eating will trump trends like non-GMO and gluten-free in 2017, according to an annual survey of dietitians conducted by Today's Dietitian. They say seeds, avocados, nuts, fermented foods and ancient grains will be among the top superfoods next year. Read more at PRNewswire...

It's time to get over our fear of dietary fat

Anecdotally, Americans seem to have exited the low-fat era, propelled by science suggesting that the proportion of calories we get from unsaturated fats doesn't affect weight gain or chronic health problems. But surveys show Americans are still confused about fat—how much to eat and what kinds to eat. In an International Food Information Council survey this year, almost one-third of respondents said they were trying to avoid monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—the kind nutrition experts say we're supposed to be eating. Yet 37 percent said they were trying to include omega-3s, which are polyunsaturated, in their diets. Are we talking too much about nutrients and not enough about actual food? Read more at The Washington Post...

Monsanto shareholders approve a $66 billion acquisition by Bayer

The deal still requires regulatory approval but is expected to close late next year. If it does, the result will be a company that controls more than a quarter of the world market for seeds and pesticides. Read more at Fortune...

Why Silicon Valley VCs are giving up on on-demand delivery

Is the delivery bubble about to burst? Investors poured some $9 billion into on-demand delivery companies over the last decade but are slowing their flow. And some investors have become skeptical of the sector, which faces operational challenges and low margins. Read more at Fortune...