5@5: The problem with organic pork | Target suppliers, not consumers, to effect change

Why it’s difficult to find organic pork

Even as the organic industry overall has made huge strides in terms of expanding its customer base, there is one standout product that simply hasn’t captured the market’s interest—pork. Sales for organic chicken and beef were both up over the 52 weeks ending Oct. 6, 2018, while organic pork sales fell 2.4 percent in the same period. The one “sandwich-shaped bright spot” in the organic pork sector? Applegate Farms’ organic deli ham. Read more at Bloomberg ...

Want to help animals? Focus on corporate decisions, not people’s plates

Convincing the population to make healthier, ecological- and animal-friendly choices in the food retail space is less about campaigning to the consumers and more about targeting suppliers, new research suggests. Demanding that a restaurant chain source its eggs from cage-free hen farms, for example, will likely be more effective than asking someone to change their mind about an industry they already have set preconceptions about. The focus, then, should be on influencing both corporate and government policies to create long-term change. Read more at Vox …

Coca-Cola is in talks to invest in Dirty Lemon

Despite recent buzz over Coca-Cola potentially investing in the CBD beverage market, the company appears to be interested in investing in functional beverage company Dirty Lemon only once their CBD drink is pulled from the market. Dirty Lemon CEO Zak Normandin recently released the news that the popular drink would be discontinued, presumably due to Coca-Cola’s upcoming involvement with the company. Read more at Business Insider  …

The EPA says farmers can keep using weedkiller blamed for vast crop damage

On Halloween evening, the EPA released a statement approving the continued use of the controversial weedkiller dicamba. As glyphosate, another Monsanto product, has been declining in terms of effectiveness, farmers are turning to dicamba and dicamba-resistant seeds as a potential replacement. The chemical is reviled by environmentalists and many farmers because of its tendency to drift and damage nearby plants, wildlife and crops that are not dicamba-resistant. Read more at NPR …

Kellogg takes hit to profits with new bet on single-serve snacks

To cope with raised prices after a long period of low inflation, companies such as Kellogg, Hershey Co., Mondelez International Inc. and Coca-Cola are investing in special flavors and single-serve snack packaging to boost sales. Kellogg CEO Steve Cahillane notes in this article that consumers are more on-the-go than ever before, and that the company had been largely falling behind in terms of catering to this shift in preference. Read more at The Wall Street Journal …