Welcome to VITAMIN C ®, the newsletter exploring topics in food innovation, climate and everything in between. If you missed the last editions, check them out here.
Read time today: 2 minutes 54 seconds
Hi friend,
It’s Friday morning. You are reading VITAMIN C 🍋.
What started as a small idea earlier this year has now grown to 25 newsletter editions and over 1,000 subscribers. Pretty wild.
But I’m not done yet. I want this newsletter to be as useful to YOU as possible.
Got ideas? Questions? Hate something I wrote? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response.
Now, grab your coffee (or mulled wine if you’re channeling cozy German Christmas vibes 🍷) and let’s get into it.
1. [Humans & Tech] 👨🌾 Secret to winning farmers? Start with their hearts, not their wallets.
Farmers understand agtech. They see the upside—higher yields, less waste, and a better shot at surviving climate chaos. So, why the adoption still so slow? 🤔
It’s not cost. It’s not infrastructure. It’s emotions.
BCG’s new report reveals farmers aren’t just analyzing spreadsheets; they’re weighing trust, tradition, and pride. The study identifies seven farmer archetypes—from forward-thinking “Next-Gen Greens” to deeply rooted “Legacy Builders.”
The insight? If you’re selling agtech, you’ve got to speak to their fears, hopes, and values.
Want to understand how to win farmers over? Dive into BCG’s full report here. 🌱
2. [True Crime Food] 🎙️🤥 UK’s No. 1 Podcast Is Under Fire.
Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO is the UK’s No. 1 podcast—but it’s facing serious backlash. A BBC investigation uncovered unchallenged health misinformation, from keto diets as “cancer cures” to anti-vax rhetoric.
Bartlett calls it “exploring the other side,” but experts say this approach risks public health. With millions of listeners, when does “open dialogue” cross into dangerous territory?
The BBC’s full exposé breaks it all down—read it here.
3. [Food for Thought] 🎄 Skip the steak, not the Christmas tree.
Beef or Christmas tree: Which would you give up to save the planet?
Here’s the thing: one of these makes a huge impact, and the other? Not so much. (Spoiler: It’s the beef that matters most.)
Forkranger’s research breaks it down:
Steak for four? 6x the carbon footprint of a Christmas tree.
Cheese fondue for four? 4x the footprint of a Christmas tree.
The takeaway? Small efforts like choosing a sustainable tree are great, but the biggest wins come from your food choices. This is what can move the needle.
4. [Inspiration] 🚀 The Four Work Types: Which One Are You?
Ever feel stuck in your job or unsure of your next move? Maybe it’s time to rethink your role using the Four Work Types:
💡 Thinkers are the visionaries—scientists, academics, and strategists who dream up the big ideas that could transform industries.
🏗️ Builders take those ideas and make them real. Think startup entrepreneurs thriving in fast-paced, chaotic environments.
🔍 Improvers are operational leaders who step in during rapid growth or maturity phases. These are the executives who focus on efficiency, scaling, and navigating organizational change.
💪 Producers are steady, results-driven leaders who thrive in mature or declining companies. They ensure operations run smoothly, meet quarterly targets, and maintain high performance. Producers may not disrupt industries, but they keep the wheels turning
Each archetype plays a crucial role in a company’s lifecycle—and in solving big challenges like fixing our food system and fighting climate change.
So, which one sounds like you?
5. [Good News] 🧀 Vegan cheese that actually tastes like cheese?
Startups—New Culture, Climax Foods or Formo —are taking plant-based cheese to the next level.
Using cutting-edge tech like precision fermentation and AI, they are cracking down the code on vegan cheeses that stretch, melt, and taste so good they’re even landing on Michelin-starred menus ⭐️.
Why it matters:
Cheese is a holiday favorite—but it’s also a carbon bomb, trailing only red meat in emissions.
New Culture’s mozzarella, Climax’s blue cheese and Formo’s creme cheese prove that there is no trade off between taste and Co2-reduction.
So, as you plan your Christmas feast, maybe it’s time to give these vegan cheese a try?!
Happy holidays! See you in your inbox in 2025
Cheers, Lia
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