What’s Next? “Transparelocalicious”

 

Photo source: California Milk Advisory Board

Transparelocalicious. This is a term coined by Morgan Spurlock, the documentary filmmaker of the 2004 film: Supersize Me. It’s also a term that’s about five years old, but its significance accelerated with the pandemic. 

Ah, the pandemic. What a difference a year makes! Right? We must all be patient as many of us take baby steps when we reenter a mask-free, in-person world at the gym, shopping, dining and eventually, travel and trade shows. 

Speaking of trade shows, I’ve purchased my ticket and booked my hotel for Anuga, the biennial food exposition hosted by Koelnmesse GmbH. The 2021 installment is scheduled as a hybrid event taking place October 9 to 13 in Cologne, Germany. The digital Anuga@home event will enhance the physical platform, allowing more food industry professionals than ever before to participate in the world’s largest trade fair for foods and beverages. Hopefully, you will plan to attend. 

For more information, link HERE. 

THE LARGEST GLOBAL TRADE FAIR--ANUGA--takes place Oct. 9-13 in Cologne, Germany.

Back to the moment and how we can build on what we learned this past year. Let’s not forget about the toilet paper shortage one year ago, along with the milk that got dumped and the crops that were buried. 

Michael Pollan wrote in an article in the Washington Post: 

“The first teachable moment of the pandemic, for me, had to do with the supply chain…It became clear that we have two distinct supply chains for toilet paper, as we do for food…As one sector (schools, offices, etc.) collapsed, the other (retail) came under extraordinary pressure. You might think a company could say, ‘We’ll move all this toilet paper over from institutions to supermarkets.’ The companies just couldn’t adjust. Efficiency is a wonderful thing. It can result in benefits such as lower prices and better uses of resources. But a hyperspecialized system is more vulnerable to disruption; it is not resilient. This is also the case with our food supply.”

He concludes with: 

“The (food) system was incredibly specialized and efficient, but that made it not resilient enough to adapt during a crisis…One of the positives that came out of last year was that many consumers realized that local farms and food producers that were detached from this hyper-efficient food supply chain are great alternatives.”

Link HERE to read the entire article.

Now, while many of you are part of this hyper-efficient food chain, many are not. And, at the same time, you big players are doing a great job of investing in start-ups through incubator programs. Thank you. But that might not be enough. 

Let the COVID-19 pandemic serve as a warning sign of what the world will continue to face with climate change. Farmers and ranchers must act now, and they need the support of all players in the supply chain. 

Here’s a very informative VIDEO on why “Eating Less Meat Won’t Save the Planet.” It’s equally relevant to milk and dairy products. 

Infographic Source: HealthFocus International 

“Brands Sourcing Ethical Animal Proteins” is an excellent read by Jennifer Barney, who I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago at the inaugural California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) innovation competition incubator. (There’s a call for entries to the third incubator. Information below.)

Jennifer Barney, who owns an advisory company for ag producers and startups, writes: 

“The mania for plant-based equivalents has resulted in grocery store sets being way oversubscribed on these products. There’s only so much real estate on store shelves and retail buyers are recognizing they’ve gone overboard. A correction is impending at the next reset.”

I fully agree! 

“Conscious consumers are calling the shots. They buy natural/premium products. They are the most influential and vocal in food.”

I fully agree!

She writes about meeting with Stephanie Alexandre of Alexandre Family Farms, the first certified regenerative and organic dairy in the U.S. To learn more, link HERE.

Regenerative dairy farming is not just necessary for the manufacture of “regenerative” dairy foods, but it is also necessary for manufacturers that rely on dairy ingredients, namely whey and milk proteins. We want the innovators of sports nutrition products, energy bars, beverages, etc., who want to include sustainable ingredient sourcing in their marketing campaigns to keep dairy ingredients in their products.  

To read Jennifer’s article, link HERE. 

And formulating with dairy is a bright spot for the future of innovation. The CMAB is ready for the return of its annual dairy innovation competition. It has a new name and increased focus on advancing excellence in functional dairy product development. 

The Real California Milk Excelerator, the 3rd edition of the CMAB dairy product innovation competition with innovation consultancy VentureFuel, will award up to $650,000 in prizes for new dairy products that support performance and recovery benefits.

The 2021 Real California Milk Excelerator taps into the thriving functional foods market, a market that has grown significantly over the past year and is projected to reach over $275 billion globally by 2025, according to Grandview Research.

With consumers prioritizing personal health and wellness in response to the pandemic, the competition will seek out early-stage startups that utilize two of California’s great resources: an abundant supply of sustainably sourced California milk and the state’s entrepreneurial spirit.

One of the biggest dairy competitions in the world, the competition seeks early-stage, potential for high-growth applicants with a cow’s milk-based product or working prototype that plays a critical role in personal performance (e.g., focus, energy, exercise, strength, etc.) and/or recovery (e.g., rejuvenation, relaxation, gut health, sleep, etc.).  

Up to twelve applicants will be selected to join the RCM Excelerator program with each receiving a $10,000 stipend and support to refine and scale their individual business as well as benefit from group resources including the development of sales and marketing tools. They will also be entered into the CMAB/VentureFuel Mentor Program, which includes elite counsel from successful founders, investors, leading corporate executives, and experts across design, marketing, sales, manufacturing, distribution, farming and processing industries. The first place Excelerator winner will receive up to $150,000 worth of additional marketing support from CMAB to accelerate their product growth in the marketplace. Second place will receive $100,000 of marketing supports from CMAB. To further advance opportunities for finalists, a private, Buyer/Investor Day event will be hosted for finalists to pitch actual clients to drive business development and secure financing. The value of the competition awards is $650,000.

For the first time, CMAB and VentureFuel also will be awarding up to three companies entry into the new Real California Milk Incubator Boot Camp, an option for companies that have great ideas but are too early for the competition. Led by executives at CMAB, VentureFuel and the California Dairy Innovation Center, Boot Camp participants also will gain entry into the VentureFuel Mentor program as well as review of products, tweaking of pitch, introductions to food labs, nutritionists, etc. (a value of $50,000).

“Consumers are redefining what health and wellness means and looking for foods that provide not only flavor but functionality to help them achieve optimal health. Whether to maximize daily performance or replenishment after physical activity, dairy is the ultimate functional food supplying quality protein plus several vital nutrients that translate to the products consumers are looking for today,” says John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “With the Excelerator and Incubator platforms, we will be able to support companies as they innovate with dairy to bring more of these products featuring milk from California dairy farmers to market.”

Competition rules and application documents are available HERE. The deadline for application is June 25, 2021.

Dairy can be transparent, local and delicious, otherwise known as “transparelocalicious.”