Workshops

Keep the conversation going with our keynote speaker in an intimate, conversation-style setting!   Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder of Alaffia and Ayéya  

This 90-minute workshop offers a collaborative exploration of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) and the Non-GMO Project’s emerging Non-UPF Verified Program. Together, we’ll explore the rise of UPF in modern diets, the role of retailers in the natural products space, and review brand new market research exploring shopper trends in the U.S. and Canada with a focus on attitudes toward processed foods. Additionally, participants will learn more about the Non-GMO Project’s upcoming Non-UPF Verified Standard, which aims to help consumers navigate the [Read More]

“Oregon’s food scene should be proud to be at the forefront of the regenerative aquaculture movement. Come learn about regenerative aquaculture and the story of seaweed as a “climate cuisine”. Get a look into how sea vegetables are being grown around the Pacific Northwest and what makes them so special. Discover the versatility of Pacific dulse seaweed and how it can be introduced to consumer packaged goods and retail shelves all while tasting some samples of seaweed prepared in various [Read More]

How can mission-driven business founders retire while ensuring company intent and values live on? How can they honor the people who are creating the value, including workers and communities in which they operate, also share in the benefits? How can they invest in growth without “selling out,” and enshrine their values for the long-term? A growing number of retiring business owners are deciding against “business as usual” and instead pivoting to an innovative model for business transition: Perpetual Purpose Trusts. [Read More]

In the U.S., retail food co-ops have often been synonymous with natural and organic products. That’s changing. Many 1970s-era food co-ops are carrying more conventional foods and there is a notable revival of interest in the co-op model from a wider diversity of people. This year marks the most active in recent decades of food co-op openings and ground-breakings, and many of these efforts are in rural communities with zero access to grocery stores or in Low-Income, Low-Access (LILA) food [Read More]