5@5: Dairy Farmers of America makes bid for Dean Foods | Will insect fat replace butter?

Dairy farmers agree to buy 'substantial' part of Dean Foods

Dean Foods, the largest milk processor nationwide, filed for bankruptcy last November. But because it was such a significant customer of the farmer-owned cooperative Dairy Farmers of America, the two entities are currently working on a deal that will keep Dean Foods out of troubled waters. DFA plans to pay $425 million for Dean's delivery opertations and 44 of its facilities. Read more at CNN…

Belgian researchers are using insect fat in baked goods

A new study shows that baked goods with as much as a 50-50 butter-and-insect-fat combination are virtually indistinguishable from their full-butter counterparts. Larvae fat has a far better nutritional profile than butter does–it has been shown to even "eliminate harmless various viruses, bacteria or even fungi in the body." Read more at Vice…

Will Michelob's organic beer really transform American farmland?

Michelob Ultra Pure Gold is the first national, certified-organic beer brand, and the company's recent highly publicized campaign stated that each 6-pack sold will help convert six square feet of farmland to facilitate organic barley production and ultimately contribute $1 million to an organic farming fund. But as one critic succinctly put it, Michelob's initiative ultimately falls flat because it "spent $10 million on a Super Bowl ad to tell [consumers] they'll donate $1 million to farmers if [consumers] spend $450 million buying their beer." Read more at The Counter…

Plant-based diets and regenerative ag have sparked a pea and lentil renaissance

Pulses such as lentils, peas and chickpeas are staples in plant-based diets, which explains why these once-niche crops have gained a phenomenal amount over traction over the last three decades. And growing these relatively uncommon crops has simultaneously allowed U.S. farmers to reinvigorate fallow ground that once played host to single crops such as corn. Read more at Civil Eats…

Animal activism is a boys' club. Silicon Valley could change that

Although around 79% of vegan activists are women, white men continue to take credit for the vast majority of startups, advances and victories in the animal activist space. Companies including JUST, Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Quorn and Memphis Meats are all led by men–which isn't suprising given that women face more challenges raising money in the start-up world in general. One solution that has proven effective is for these women to create their own companies and associations that emphasize inclusivity and diversity. Read more at Quartz…