Canadian farmers, companies invest in plant-based protein amid growing demand

A new government-funded incubator will give an expected $150 million or so in funding, plus $400 million in spending commitments from the private sector, to an alliance of 120 companies and organizations that are focused on developing plant-based proteins. The funding could help research on improving farm methods, and the exploration of new possibilities for nutritious ingredients like flax and pulses, and could make Canada a major player in the plant-based food space. Read more at The Globe and Mail…

Silicon Valley wants to give us eggs without chickens and meat without animals. Do we want that?

Just—the company formerly known as Hampton Creek—plans to launch a cultured meat product later this year, likely of the poultry variety. It’s also preparing for the public launch of a mung bean-based egg alternative called Just Scramble, which is being piloted in San Francisco restaurants. But Just is only one of the companies competing in a sort of arms race to disrupt protein in a way that makes cultivating it less resource-intensive and more humane. Within that race are two camps—one that’s developing meat-like products using plant proteins, and another that’s growing real meat in a lab from cultured cells. And the stakes are high. Read more at New Food Economy…

Bit by bit, Whole Foods get an Amazon touch

It’s been six months since Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market. Since then, Whole Foods has made changes. Some are subtle, like signage that includes Whole Foods and Amazon logos, while others are more obvious, like the launch of two-hour home delivery for Whole Foods grocery through Amazon Prime Now. And there’s way more to come. For now, we know the company is working on connecting the Prime membership program with stores and with Whole Foods’ loyalty program. Read more at The New York Times…

Amazon, Walmart and Target are squeezing traditional grocery chains on price

In an analysis of the price of 15 of the most searched-for grocery items across several different stores, Walmart’s prices came in 16 percent cheaper than regional and local grocers. Target’s prices were 14 percent lower, and Amazon Fresh’s were 4 percent less. The data comes from Basket, an app that tracks prices across brick-and-mortar and online retailers. Read more at Recode…

Kohl’s teams up with Aldi to test grocery sales

Kohl’s is shrinking its locations and product mix but adding groceries at 10 of its stores. The goal? Bring in more foot traffic. Read more at Chicago Tribune…