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Dateline: Anaheim Written by SFPFS member Home of Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and, every March, the good old Natural Products Expo. The 2006 show broke record attendance and man, was it crowded. More importantly, Expo West 2006 revealed a renewed optimism in the face of increasing corporate buyouts of those once little companies we grew up loving. Last year might be best compared to the disappointment of watching the long awaited season premier of a your favorite TV show, only to feel bored, bitter and wondering if you’d ever watch it again. This year was exciting and fun, lots of new products with creativity and style. It was clear that we’ve come a long way, not from the way back when, but more importantly from a few years ago when big corporate players entered the market and we all worried if the spirit of the industry might be doomed. Regardless of corporate buyouts, this year it was clear that, innovation, inspiration, and sustainable principles are alive and well, and still the driving force behind the creation of lots of exciting new products. Friday morning was all about groaning. Yes, by groaning we mean whining and complaining, first about the sale of Tom’s of Maine to Colgate Palmolive and the Body Shop to L’Oreal and then, among the green at heart, about Wal-Mart’s declared intention to add 10,000 natural and organic SKUs to its stores. There was more groaning when people learned that Friday’s USA Today featured a full page advertisement announcing the launch of Wal-Mart’s private label Parent’s Choice Organic baby formula. Yet by mid-afternoon something else was evident. Amidst a preponderance of pomegranate ‘everything’ and lots of new Acai flavors, it was clear that another momentum, contrary to the corporate influence, was all over the show floor. The spirit of the industry was alive and vibrant: picture Judy Andrews singing the Hills Are Alive with the sound of passion and principles. The growth of Fair Trade, the prominence of more and more organic, even from the most unlikely manufacturer’s like Reser's, a company noted for its foodservice potato salads (yuck) and cole slaw (double yuck) to supermarket delis). There was a renewed discussion about what organic means and whether large scale confinement farms meet USDA rules for Organic certification. And all across the show floor there was an increasing number ventures created in order to fund communities and farmers in struggling areas like Senegal, Brazil, Central America and Malawi. Yes, consumer packaged good giants were all over the show. Altria (Kraft/Phillip Morris) was showing off it’s Boca Burger, Balance Bar and cross category line of organic foods under the Back to Nature brand. But the booth was empty and products once interesting seemed dull. Other big players included the world’s largest soda manufacturer, Coca-Cola (Odwalla) the world’s second largest dairy, Dean Foods (Horizon Organic, Silk Soy Milk and TofuTown), Kellogg’s (Kashi) and ConAgra too (LightLife, soy foods manufacturer). And of course there were the companies that have and continue to inspire us. Amy's Kitchen, which launched a remarkable new Thai Coconut Soup . Organic Valley,the powerhouse farmer’s cooperative, Clif Bar which continues to lead corporate stewardship in green issues, the every powerful and expanding Newman’s Own Organic, Reed’s Ginger Brew (which is promoting the sale of its stock via neck-tags on its soda bottles) and Guayaki the powerfully happy leaders in the mate revolution are just a few of the reasons Expo 2006 was inspiring Notable partnerships include Naked Juice’s (and yes the company is owned by a venture capital firm) fairly traded (though not certified) efforts with Acai growers in Central America, local brand Wholesome Sweeteners efforts in several regions growing sugar and agave, among other sweet things Women’s Coffee Cooperatives and even the simple yet so powerful efforts to help conventional farmers make the transition to Organic. Notable new products include a terrific Sol Mate soda . Created in Canada, in great glass bottles that are as fresh as Odwalla’s design once was, this organic mate soda, made with blended green and roasted mate was the star of the show. Other notable new products included Odwalla’s (or should we say Coca-Cola’s) re-entry into the soy milk segment this time with gable topped cartons geared to battle in the dairy case against the market leader Silk (or should we say Dean). Amidst it all there was lots of spirit and even among those who see the natural products world as just another business opportunity, the mantra in the air : organic means gold.
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