New vegan yogurt brand Lavva uses pili nuts to create a creamy yogurt

There’s almond-based nondairy yogurt, and coconut-based and soy-based and flax-based. And now, thanks to New York brand Lavva, there’s pili nut-based yogurt coming to select Whole Foods Markets and other grocers. Pili nuts are native to Southeast Asia and are interesting because of their high vitamin E, magnesium and healthy fat content, and the fact that they’re a complete protein. Lavva blends them with plantains, coconut, cassava and fruit to create a no-sugar-added dairy alternative option with 50 billion live probiotics. Now the question is—how does it taste? Read more at Live Kindly…

Derma E, leading natural skincare brand, to join Topix family of brands

Derma E was born out of a small health food store in California in 1984 and now has more than 80 vegan and cruelty-free products spanning facial, body and hair care. Topix Pharmaceuticals, which owns skin care brands like Replenix and ResurFIX, has bought the brand in what it calls a first step into “the increasingly important and high-growth naturals category.” Read more at Business Wire…

New animal-free pet food company aims for ‘worldwide impact’ with algae and clean meat

Because Animals is a new pet food and supplement brand out of Philadelphia that is formulating eco-friendly products without animal ingredients. It’s already released an algae-based supplement that promises better digestion and a shinier coat for pets, and is set to debut pet treats and food made from microalgae and cultured protein in the future. Read more at Plant Based News…

How much of the world’s food do smallholders produce?

How do small farms contribute to global food production and security? Researchers compiled an open source datset that includes 154 crop types in 55 countries to estimate just that. Farms less than 2 hectares in size (just under 5 acres) produce about one-third of the global food supply, according to their analysis. The bigger a farm, the higher percentage of its crop that is wasted and the less species diversity it has. Read more at Science Direct…

Heritage grains are making a comeback and contributing to bread’s resurgence

Simple, straightforward ancient grains like heritage wheat varieties are part of a winning bread recipe for today’s consumer. Read more at Forbes…