Image Credit: Politico

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.

The agricultural sector faces uncertainty as Trump’s funding freeze disrupts efforts to transition farms to regenerative practices, leaving farmers in financial distress. Meanwhile, the food and beverage industry sees a contrasting success story with Olipop, a prebiotic soda brand, now valued at $$after\; raising\; \$$50 million in its latest funding round.

In other news, we’ve wrapped the first season of our podcast in partnership with AgFunder: New Food Order, a nuanced investigation into the business of tackling our climate and social crises through food and agriculture. Read all about why we launched the podcast, and be sure to subscribe and share!

Our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources to produce. Make a one time or monthly contribution to help us keep it going. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. 

1. Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Chaos and Financial Distress for Farmers – Civil Eats

Efforts to transition farms to regenerative agriculture are stalled, and the path forward is unclear.

2. Prebiotic Soda Brand Olipop Valued At $1.85B in Latest Funding Round – CNBC

The drink brand is now profitable and saw annual sales of more than $400m last year. It raised $50m in its latest funding round.

3. Food Policy Tracker – Civil Eats

USDA and EPA are failing to share details on cancelled contracts; Trump issued an executive order establishing a “Make America Healthy Again Commission”; The Secretary of Ag has signaled more cuts to come at the USDA and more.

4. RFK Jr. Promised to Clean Up the Food Supply – Consumed

RFK Jr., confirmed as HHS Secretary, aims to reform FDA’s GRAS loophole on food additives. Challenges include political resistance, industry influence, and limited resources for regulatory overhaul.

5. Only Politics Can End World Hunger – iPES Food 

Massive political efforts are needed to tackle the causes of hunger – conflict, poverty, and inequality. Without confronting power, the harvest will never reach the hungry.

6. Coke’s $7B Bet on Milk Hits Big, But Wall Street Wants More – Bloomberg

The fast-growing Fairlife brand has become crucial to Coca-Cola’s pivot from sugar, but now the soda giant needs to convince investors there’s more to come.

7. Valentine’s Day Break-up’s. – The Checkout

Food workers face exploitation with low wages, high injury rates, and food insecurity. Addressing hunger requires political will, equity and sustainable practices, not just technological fixes.