TikTok is killing matcha farms 🍵

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Read time today: 2:10 min

Hi friend,

It’s Friday morning. You are reading VITAMIN C 🍋. 

Berlin is on fire this week — 37°C and counting. Sadly, this is climate change in action.

My brain is foggy, and I’m battling the flu.

Nonetheless, I bundled all my energy to curate these 5 wonderful posts that truly deserve your attention this week.

Let’s dive in 👇

1. [Report] 💉 GLP-1: The tiny shot disrupting billion-dollar industries.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are reshaping more than waistlines.

In the US alone, over 16 million adults are using GLP-1, mostly for weightloss.

These drugs are changing how much we eat and what we buy. This will also heavily influence how brands market their products.

Mintel’s GLP-1 Impact Report breaks it down:

↳ Supplements are pivoting fast

↳ Food brands are testing “GLP-1-friendly” labels

↳ Beauty is fighting “Ozempic face” with collagen claims

↳ Hospitality and fashion are next

If you work for a food brand and this isn't on your radar yet, it’s about time!

Read the full report here.

2. [Nerdy Food Stuff] 🌸👂How flowers and bees are having real conversations.

What if nature had a soundtrack - and plants were tuned in?

New research from University of Turin (Italy) shows that flowers produce sweeter, more attractive nectar when they hear their favorite pollinators buzz nearby.

It’s not magic, it’s called vibroacoustics.

The team behind the study believes this could help reshape farming by encouraging crop growth through sound.

Let that buzz sink in. 🐝

More here.

3. [Report] 🧾 Your ingredient list is now your brand story.

If we want a sustainable and fair food system, we have to understand the people moving it.

The EIT Food Consumer Trends Report explores exactly that.

What are the new values shaping how we eat, shop, and trust?

What does personalisation really mean in nutrition?

How can we respond — not react — to these changes?

A must-read for anyone designing the future of food.

Download the report here.

4. [Food for Thought] 🐗 A sustainability myth gets debunked.

Some people think the sustainable answer to factory farming is wild meat.

"Why not just eat deer or wild boar?"

Here's the reality: if the UK ate every single deer, it would cover… three days of meat.

Globally? If we ate every wild mammal on Earth, land and sea, we’d get just five weeks of meat - then nothing.

Wild meat might work for some. But for 8 billion people?

The solution? Still the same: eat less meat.

Full article here.

 5. [Food for Thought] 🍵 Matcha is booming - and breaking.

What happens when a centuries-old tradition meets TikTok?

The answer is matcha — and it’s not pretty.

Japan’s iconic green tea is facing a big storm of global demand, tourism, social media hype, and strained supply chains.

While influencers sip pastel lattes and lip balm brands launch matcha flavors, prices are soaring and Japanese farmers are burning out.

There simply aren’t enough young farmers, mills, or hands to keep up the labor-intense work.

Some producers are raising prices by 150%, while low-grade alternatives flood in.

Others might sacrifice craftsmanship for industrial production.

Matcha is more popular than ever. But its future — and its quality? Uncertain.

Check ot the full article here.

Stay awesome,
Lia

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