USDA Pilots Online Food Stamps, Farmigo Sells Bay Area Operations + More

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to.

Last week’s top stories are both in the retail sector. The USDA put out a call for e-grocery companies to join its online food stamp pilot, and Farmigo announced that it is selling its Bay Area operations and is looking for buyers in NYC and Seattle, following the online farmers market’s sudden shut down earlier this summer.

Other headlines include: how the tech boom has nearly eradicated traditional restaurants in Silicon Valley, France passes the most extensive plastic ban globally, and a $10M new agtech accelerator launches in Australia.

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. Is Your Firm Ready for 3 Waves of Disruptive Food Innovation? – Food Navigator

In the next 10 years, the food industry will be profoundly changed by the ‘Uberisation’ of food, smart kitchens and smart food.

2. USDA Takes a Step Toward Letting People Use Food Stamps Online – CNN Money

Following Thrive Market’s petition to bring food stamps online, which received 300k+ signatures, the USDA put out a call for companies to apply for an upcoming online grocery food stamp pilot.

3. Farmigo Sells Its Bay Area Operation After July’s Surprise Shutdown – New Food Economy

Following the shuttering of Farmigo’s online farmers market, it is selling its Bay Area operations to Eating With the Seasons and is shopping its NYC and Seattle operations to other potential buyers.

4. How Tech Companies Disrupted Silicon Valley’s Restaurant Scene – New York Times

Tech behemoths like Apple, Facebook and Google are hiring away Silicon Valley restaurants’ best employees with wages, benefits and perks that operators simply cannot match.

5. Dutch Food Delivery Company Takeaway.com is Going Public at a €1B Valuation – Business Insider

The food delivery giant gave its price range per share between €20.5 to €26.5, with a post-IPO market cap of up to $1.2B. The listing is expected to take place on September 30.

6. Australia: SproutX Launches $10M Agriculture Tech Fund and Start-up Accelerator – Australia Financial Review

A collaboration between The National Farmers’ Federation and Findex, SproutX’d pre-accelerator will accept 100 Australia-based ag tech applicants for an eight-week mentorship program.

7. We’re All Guinea Pigs in a Failed Decades-Long Diet Experiment – Vice

How U.S. government dietary guidelines could have shaped the current state of diet related disease globally.

8. France Becomes the First Country to Ban Plastic Plates and Cutlery – The Washington Post

The most extensive plastic ban globally, the law will go into effect in 2020. Exceptions will be made for compostable, biosourced materials.