After two days at Expo East: Part 2: What’s new in food.

I am old enough that I always think of this as the Natural Foods Show; and that’s where I spend most of my time. I appreciate that there is lots of creative activity in Supplements and Health and Beauty Aids; but I glaze over when the next new exotic ingredient from Africa, Asia or South America is touted as the answer to my well-being or appearance.

In a difficult economy, innovation takes a hit, even in a still growing industry. So, I didn’t see much new (except for a few weird things). Line extensions were definitely in vogue; but, unless you are already a dominant brand, this strategy rarely proves to be helpful (read Harvard Business School case studies). So, in no particular order, here is what I saw (and my totally subjective reaction):

Tea is hot: They had special symposia and a defined section of booths. I love tea, and I wish the many, many companies well as they try to differentiate themselves from each other. I still don’t know how the smaller coffee companies do it as they try to explain why their organic, fair trade, shade grown is different.

Less water: There seemed to be less bottled water. Is this because consumers have shown they don’t care about the subtle additives, or is it because the purveyors are terrified of the impending plastic bottle backlash (a good thing)? I think it’s a category soon to implode, and Coke and Pepsi will take the biggest hit- yay! Coconut water is trendy. Coconut has never been to my taste unless it is in cream pie or ice cream.

Can anything be a chip/crisp: There were naan ones, falafel ones, lentil ones, ones with Omega 3, two booths with thin (and indeed tasty) rice/wheat cakes that exploded from guns (really!). Enough!

Yogurt Extensions: With Fage and Stonyfield so strong in Greek yogurt (disclosure: I am in a separate business with the CEO of Stonyfield), all the smaller companies are on that bandwagon: Greek, Swiss, kids variants. All are tasty. Organic Valley has new, large bottles of yummy drinkable yogurt, easier to “swallow” than kefir, which has never really caught on. The Stonyfield/Grandy Oats granola display for self-serve at colleges looked like a winner (shameless plug for both, but I really mean it).

Probiotics everywhere: Not just in yogurt, but in all sorts of products. I would hate to have a real “need” because the range is daunting.

Is Acai diminishing? This was hot last year. At  retail this miracle subtance is quite expensive and even more so when positioned as a supplement rather than a beverage. I love the stuff but buy it only occasionally due to price. I saw line extensions featuring “mangosteen” and “yumberry.” Huh?

Home Meal Replacement For those disinclined to cook, these are actually getting better. My particular favorites were those form Putney Pasta. But I am also a great fan of many of the small entrepreneurial “local” companies, in this case from New England.

I could go on, but I just wanted to give a “bite-sized” commentary. Love to hear your thoughts.

Read Full Post »

After two days at Expo East: Part 1: Overview

This is the second year it has been in Boston, convenient for those of us who live in New England. Given the state of the planet and our individual health (at least those of us in the developed world), this is such an important event. As we get inundated on TV or radio with the next special deal at some fast food or casual dining restaurant chain, knowing it will make us and the planet sicker, at Expo one can see clearly that there are options.

That being said, I would rate the show somewhere between hopeful and nervous. Hopeful because everyone there knows that the evidence of what we put in and on our bodies points in only one direction. Nervous because exhibitor and buyer attendance was definitely down (late signing buyers used to pay a fee, but that was canceled at the last minute to ensure that it wasn’t  a barrier to attendance). Was it down because of the economy or because it was in Boston? Large multi-booth companies definitely down-sized their space. Maybe Boston is not as central and convenient as Baltimore. And I kept on hearing that “Expo West” is great- but for me it is in the never charming Anaheim.

Innovation took a hit (see mynext post). Line extension, the easy way out, was the order of the day.

New England is an epicenter (especially VT) for small startups. I must admit that while the industry is never going to succeed without larger companies who can take on the major mainstream brands, the smaller, more local specialty purveyors remain what makes the industry dynamic and interesting (and tasty).

A couple complaints: first, how can anyone in this category foreground as a differentiator that they are “eco-friendly?’ If they aren’t, why are they here in the first place? Second, when are a few of the HBA vendors going to understand that in this world having a lithe, scantily clad young woman giving away samples and smiles is not going to sell a damned thing and a turnoff except to a few leering males?

Read Full Post »

Another glorious day at the Common Ground Fair

Having just returned from the Natural Products Show in Boston, Kate and I had the perfect way to balance the urban with the rural. For those who have never been, you must go next year (third weekend (?) after Labor Day in Unity, Maine. Tens of thousands of happy people soaking up the most fabulous organic food (burgers lamb-not just yummy hippie veggie food), exhibits, animals in the most exquisite setting.

I just have one question: while it is clear that this staggering amount of like-minded people at this incredible event is hopeful, what hasn’t it by now started a transformative revolution? I will work for the rest of my life to help that day happen.

Read Full Post »

Sustainable Business, the four legged stool

“Sustainability” is one of those words that is showing up everywhere, as frequently as “natural” did a decade ago. And like natural it is one of those words that has as many definitions as folks to define it (some from institutions with fancy names and some from the man/woman in the street). What I am most interested in is exploring the notion that it is NOT JUST GREEN. It is a wholistic model with several key components. As both a consultant and entrepreneur for 20+ years in the Sustainable Business world (what we used to call the socially responsible business world), this is what I think it is. I would love to hear what you think.

1. There used to just be business (the first leg). If you were a good patriotic American, you believed in the capitalist model and that, if the business was successful, then all other aspects of life would naturally fall into place.

2. In the late 80s, a group of people started talking about socially responsible business and the importance of the Double Bottom Line (now we have two legs). A company needed to make money AND it needed to take care of its employees and be concerned for the planet. There were icons like Ben Cohen and Anita Roddick, and doing the right thing felt great and drew lots of enthusiastic young people into the business world. There was lots of recycling, post-consumer paper and a range of other behaviors which confirmed that as an entrepreneur, you were a true believer. Business may be part of the problem, but there remained a belief system that business could be part of the solution.

3. As the movement matured, some folks said, “We have to split the environmental and the social.” That made three legs. Environmental behaviors were becoming more mainstream, but care for one’s employees (and indeed one’s consumers and maybe even one’s community) became more important. The measuring tool was now the triple bottom line.

4. As the new century has begun and as we finally admit that the planet is terrifyingly fragile, companies, especially emerging ones, have a responsibility in four arenas: business success, environmental impact, impact on people and impact on their community (the four legs of the stool). To develop an incredibly green product and not care about where it is made or the conditions under which it is being made is not sustainable. To open a business and not include the full spectrum of your new community in your workforce is not sustainable. To be fair to your employees while making a product that damages the environment is not sustainable. To be so mission-driven that you do not prioritize making money is not sustainable.

One of the hardest jobs in the world is to be an entrepreneur. And to have to bow to all four of these mandates- especially when some conflict with others- makes the job even harder. But we have no choice. More thoughts to follow.

Read Full Post »

Looking forward to Natural Products Expo East this week

I will spend two days there. I am truly wondering how folks are holding up and if there is actually anything new. I will issue a commentary on my return.

Read Full Post »

Stacking Wood

Hibbett Drew, master purveyor of high quality firewood, dumped a long cord in our driveway last week. Hibbett is the real thing: a real Maine name, a real Maine logger and hauler.

While it took two days to stack (thinking of the “heating twice” saying), I realized how much I love doing this. Makes me ready for the soon to arrive fresh apple cider, chilly and refreshing or warm and comforting.

Read Full Post »

The beautiful view at the top of this page

This is the view from our living room overlooking Winnegance Bay. It is only a seasonal cottage, so we close it with melancholy in the fall and return to it with joy in the spring. It is the ideal spot for my cerebral wife to do her research and writing- and she is the most frequent swimmer in these chilly waters- I in turn am not.

Maine is an exquisite part of the planet. We have our own unique set of challenges: fragile economy, aging population, too big a landmass with too small a relative population, not enough to keep enough young people here.

But it is a true patch of heaven, and I- the optimist- have confidence that we will figure out a wonderful future that is a model of community and sustainability.

Read Full Post »

Thanks to Bethany

Rather than starting with a thoughtful piece of commentary, let me start off with a thank you. While I could have figured this all out myself, I took the shorthand route and asked Bethany to help me. And now we have heard that this older advisee/younger mentor relationship is actually going to get some press. If it happens, we will of course share it enthusiastically with the readers of this blog.

But, in the meantime, Bethany, you were a great and patient teacher

Read Full Post »