Chew Relaunches Pilotworks as Nursery, Kroger to Sell Groceries in Walgreens + More

Source: The Kroger Co.

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines.

A new report called Refresh: Food and Tech, from Soil to Supper, highlights more than 20 digital platforms and artificial intelligence algorithms being adopted across the U.S. food supply chain by farmers, distributors, grocers, retailers, and consumers.

Campbell’s has completed the sale of Bolthouse Farms, continuing its retreat from the fresh food industry. CBD companies are gearing up for the official legalization of hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill. Boston-based Chew Innovation acquired Pilotworks and is relaunching as Nursery in its Brooklyn space this week.

And finally, Kroger recently added produce and meal kits to Walgreens stores near the grocer’s Cincinnati headquarters.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

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1. The Growth of AI and the U.S. Food System

A new report called Refresh: Food and Tech, from Soil to Supper, highlights more than 20 digital platforms and artificial intelligence algorithms being adopted across the U.S. food supply chain by farmers, distributors, grocers, retailers, and consumers.

2. Campbell Launches Sale of Bolthouse Farms Business – CNBC

Campbell Soup will send out the financial books for carrot and smoothie company Bolthouse Farms to potential buyers Monday. Prospective buyers are looking to see if expertise in fresh food can help them turn Bolthouse around.

3. Kroger to Sell Groceries in Walgreens Stores – Wall Street Journal

The 4k-square-foot Kroger Express sections will open by early next year in 13 Walgreens stores near the grocer’s Cincinnati headquarters.

4. Can We Grow More Food on Less Land? We’ll Have To, a New Study Finds – New York Times

To make meaningful progress on climate change, cows and wheat fields will have to become radically more efficient.

5. France: Agricool Raises Another $28M to Grow Fruits in Containers – TechCrunch

Bpifrance, Danone Manifesto Ventures, Marbeuf Capital, Solomon Hykes and other business angels participated. The company is working on containers to grow fruits and vegetables in urban areas, starting with strawberries.

6. Meal Kit Sales Will Slow in the Coming Years – Grocery Dive

The meal kit industry will continue to expand through 2023 but growth will slowly decline. In-store and non-subscription online order meal kits will be preferred, going from being a premium product to a convenience item.

7. CBD Companies Prepare for Hemp Legalization in Farm Bill – Forbes

Despite the delay in this year’s farm bill, one thing is clear: hemp and hemp-derived CBD is likely to become federally legal in the US.

8. Pilotworks’ NY Space Re-born as Nursery, Invites Former Tenants Back – The Spoon

The team at Chew announced today that is is opening a new food and beverage incubator called Nursery in the former Pilotworks Brooklyn location.

9. Israeli Food Tech Firm InnovoPro Raises $4.25M for Chickpea Protein Innovation – Food Ingredients First

Migros and Erel Margalit of Jerusalem Venture Partners led the round. InnovoPro will use the new capital to scale its production, support sales and expand into strategic global markets.

10. Kroger to Sell Groceries in Walgreens Stores – Wall Street Journal

The 4k-square-foot Kroger Express sections will open by early next year in 13 Walgreens stores near the grocer’s Cincinnati headquarters.

11. Sweetgreen Is Opening Up Order-Ahead Locations Inside WeWork – TechCrunch

Sweetgreen is expanding on a pilot program with WeWork that provides free delivery to WeWork members.

12. Amazon Tests Its Cashierless Technology for Bigger Stores – Wall Street Journal

The online giant is attempting to overcome challenges caused by retail spaces with higher ceilings and more products.

13. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database

We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood

14. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community

We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.

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