Natural food isn’t a trend, it’s here to stay

The natural food trend is getting more coverage in the mainstream press. Here’s a recent article in Reuters, for example:

Food and drink multinationals spend far less on R&D than their counterparts in many sectors like tech and healthcare. They have been wrongfooted over the past five years by the shifting habits of consumers who are increasingly shunning established brands in favor of small, independent names they regard as healthier, more authentic and original.

This is forcing the companies to take a leaf out of Silicon Valley’s venture capital playbook – and their success or failure in harnessing promising new trends at a very early stage could help determine how well they adjust to the changing landscape, and whether they ultimately emerge as winners or losers.

And this trend is here for the long haul, according to the article, Unilever Ventures has invested in more than 36 startups so far, has contacted more than 2,500 and recently announced $9.2 million in funding for an organic food delivery service called Sun Basket.