Image Credit: Snaxshot
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 food industry faces contrasting challenges, from high-profile failures in tech-driven agriculture to policy pressures under a potential Trump administration. Bowery Farming, once valued at $2.3 billion, joins Smallhold in folding despite massive investment, reflecting volatility in the ag-tech sector. Meanwhile, Errol Schweizer’s analysis in The Checkout highlights potential economic and labor strains, including mass deportations and Project 2025’s impacts on workers, underscoring how policies and market forces are reshaping food supply chains.
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!
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1. Tech Valuations Lead to More Farm to Failures – Snaxshot
Once valued at $2.3b,Bowery Farming will be ceasing all operations. The company would have turned 10 years next year, it raised a total of $700M and at its peak employed around 500 employees. The news follows Smallhold’s bankruptcy earlier this year.
2. Notes On a Trump Food Economy. – The Checkout
Errol Schweizer critiques economic and policy challenges impacting food supply, labor, and retail, highlighting mass deportations, economic strain, Project 2025’s worker impacts, and Target’s grocery success.
3. Don’t Be Fooled By ‘Make America Healthy Again’ – The Hill
During his term as president, Trump sold out the health of the American people and the livelihoods of family farmers to pad the profits of his cronies in the junk food, factory farming, pharmaceutical and pesticide industries.
4. How Will Trump and Harris’ Diverging Agendas Impact Food, Trade and Public Health? – AFN
Both candidates could have far-reaching impacts on food cos, from Trump’s plans to let RFK ‘go wild’ to Harris’ corporate tax rate increase.
5. Trump’s Immigration Policy Would Make Food Inflation Even Worse – Bloomberg
If the US were to deport the 1.7m undocumented workers who help power its food system, trips to the supermarket will only get more expensive.
6. Under Six Months and No Term Sheet? SCiFi Foods’ Guide to a ‘Graceful Exit’ – AFN
SCiFi Foods’ founders highlight lessons from their failed startup: prepare for acquisitions early, manage stakeholders transparently, prioritize deep early cuts, budget closure, and consider strategic alternatives.
7. Food Delivery Firm Swiggy Eyes $1.35B IPO Next Week – Bloomberg
Indian food-delivery platform Swiggy is seeking to sell shares for as much as 390 rupees each in an initial public offering that may raise $1.35b.
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