Each day at 5 p.m. we collect the five top food and supplement headlines of the day, making it easy for you to catch up on today's most important natural products industry news.

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GoodLeaf Farms raises $65M, plans vertical farm expansion across Canada

GoodLeaf Farms announced this week it has raised more than $65 million from food manufacturer McCain Foods and will embark on “an aggressive growth and expansion plan” for its network of vertical farms, according to The Spoon. GoodLeaf grows leafy greens inside a controlled-environment vertical farm via hydroponics and its own proprietary tech setup that controls light, temperature, humidity levels and more. The company expects to serve more grocery outlets and foodservice businesses beyond Ontario with its forthcoming farms.

A common soil pesticide cut wild bee reproduction by 89%

How nondomesticated bees cope with pesticides is largely understudied, despite them making up the vast majority of bee species worldwide. But new research indicates the effects of a widely used group of chemicals neonicotinoids are devastating to this vital wild bee population. And if they aren't protected soon, experts say farm productivity worldwide will suffer. Modern Farmer reports.

AquaBounty's GMO salmon will be available to US consumers 

Amid mounting controversy, it appears as though the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption in the U.S. could be available to consumers as soon as April. AquaBounty CEO Sylvia Wulf said the company is first focusing on a sampling program that allows a few select customers to provide feedback before official sales begin. WBOI has the story.

Maryland plant-based burger company lands Shark Tank deal

Everything Legendary, a Black-owned alternative burger company founded in June 2019, is now backed by "Shark Tank" billionaire Mark Cuban, who invested $300,000 for a 22% stake in the startup. Within just 24 hours of the show airing, the brand sold more than $250,000 worth of its hemp protein patties. Head to CBS for more details.

We need to get food industry dollars out of politics to save our democracy

Over the last decade the largest 20 food industry trade groups spent over $300 million on federal lobbying and almost $34 million in political donations. Three groups—the NRA, the American Beverage Association, and the Consumer Brands Association—made up almost half of the lobbying spending. While this phenomenon isn't confined to the food industry, pausing political giving on the part of corporations and forcing the biggest trade groups to be more transparent would likely have an outsize effect on Americans' ailing health. Civil Eats delves into the details.

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