5@5: Dicamba is no longer legal | Koia's Maia French reflects on bias

Controversial herbicide dicamba no longer legal, federal court rules

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has outlawed notorious herbicide dicamba, which farmers across the South and Midwest regions have used for years to grow genetically modified soybean and cotton crops. The lawsuit was filed by organizations including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety and alleged that Environmental Protection Agency had violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act by not adequately studying dicamba's effects on other farmers and the natural world. Read more at The Counter...

Reflections on bias: Koia's female founder–and only black employee–has a recipe for change

Maia French cofounded vegan protein drink brand Koia with her white, male best friend, and she often felt as though the barriers were higher for her to feel accepted and trusted by investors in the space because of her race. But now that the conversation surrounding how black people are treated in professional spheres has been brought to the fore of the national conversation, French has a clear vision for what the inclusive workplaces of tomorrow should look like. Having one-on-one conversations with black employees, being sensitive to the struggles of black founders and owning up to one's mistakes are all key to moving forward in a positive direction. Read more at Forbes...

Packaged foods are seeing a spike in demand that could continue for years

Public spaces may be opening back up, but consumers still aren't comfortable being out and about without a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. And reduced budgets on the part of many Americans will likely keep sales for cheaper, shelf-stable foods from companies such as Smuckers and Campbells high. Unilever CEO Alan Jope predicts that consumers' affinity for established brands to last up to several years. Read more at AdWeek...

10 wellness warriors on the front lines of Black Lives Matter

Black women represent a huge part of the health and wellness world, but rarely get the attention they deserve. Fitness coaches, medical doctors, chefs and therapists alike, they admirably use their expertise to convey how race impacts one's physical, mental and emotional health in addition to underscoring the whitewashing that still occurs throughout the natural products and wellness industries. Read more at Health...

Impossible Foods will sell to consumers as plant-based meat market skyrockets

Impossible Foods is meeting the demand for alternative meat by offering its plant-based burgers online to consumers with free shipping and two-day delivery. Sales of fresh meat alternatives shot up 178.5% in the week ended May 23, far surpassing sales of fresh meat. Read more at New York Post...