| Click to view this email in a browser | News & Events | April 2008 |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Food Fights - Growing Conflicts
Impact You & Your Portfolio All-time high oil prices (US$120 per barrel; US$4 per gallon) increase the cost of delivering food from farm to fork – and up the tab for many petroleum-based agricultural inputs, including fertilizers and farm equipment fuel.
Increased planting of corn to sell for biofuels has constrained other crops. It has also caused a dramatic increase in the price of corn that's used to feed livestock - impacting everything from milk to beef. Overall, supply is squeezed and prices rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that during the 2007 calendar year, U.S. food prices increased by 4.9% - nearly 1% higher than 2007 inflation rates and nearly 3% higher than in 2006. And, internationally, increases in the prices of dairy and grains the food price index rose by almost 40% last year.
In the U.S., rapid price increases on rice have caused a run on the commodity at big-box stores. Although USA Rice Federation spokesman David Coia has said there is no rice shortage in the United States, consumers were purchasing so much (most likely in anticipation of future price increases) that Costco and Sam's Club have set limits on the number of bags consumers can buy.
The increase in organic feed prices has even caused some organic dairy farmers to switch back to conventional milk production. What’s more, prices for non-organic corn, soybeans and wheat are now so high that there's little incentive for farmers to go organic. (Read more about the situation here.) Globally, price increases are causing "food riots" as lower-income citizens rebel against an increasing share of wallet for eating, while higher-income consumers may shy away from organic premium-priced foodstuffs, though 73% of food consumers say they want to know the carbon footprint of what they eat.
"Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is"
Fair Trade, Organic Food & Beverage
Join the HIP Roundtable on May 13, 2008 as we'll hear from innovative entrepreneurs selling organic juices and coffees, energy bars and granola, and even sustainable beef:
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
6pm: Enjoy a free glass of wine and sustainable snacks
REGISTER BY MAY 2
April Roundtable Roundup: Microfinance Dishes Up Food for Thought On April 8, the HIP Roundtable profiled the latest innovations in Microfinance, and featured Chris Larsen of Prosper and Tracey Pettengill Turner, CEO of Microplace. A deeply interactive discussion included hedge-fund managers, private-wealth advisors, foundation heads and everyday investors - all of whom contributed to deeper insight. Provocatively, HIP investors thought differently about how microfinance might fit in their portfolio. Investors classified microfinance into different asset classes:
Please join us every 2nd Tuesday of the month for the HIP Roundtable, including the next one on May 13: SIGN UP HERE.
HIP Beefs Up!
WANT TO BE A HIP INVESTOR?
Learn more about HIP's services for Investors (individuals, endowments, instititions) and for Companies seeking sustainable, profitable growth -- contact Jessica@HIPInvestor.com to help you, your portfolio or your organization be even more HIP!
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Sylvia Gibson is a candidate in Dominican University's GreenMBA program. Working with HIP since February, Sylvia is leading HIP's Scorecard project with the United Nations. Sylvia worked as a school teacher for 10 years and continues to dedicate time to advising for-profit and non-profit education systems. Based in Alameda, California, Sylvia has also lived in Hamburg, Germany, and Quito, Ecuador.
Dana Roytenberg joined HIP this month as the Executive Assistant to founder and CEO Paul Herman. Dana graduated from Georgetown U.'s School of Foreign Service and worked in New York City as a brand-management coordinator for clients like Ford Motor and Andy Warhol. During school, she interned at non-profits and even at the U.S. State Department. Dana is committed to social entrepreneurship, and is involved with innovative ventures like Kiva.org and SparkSF.org (who HIP owes a big thank-you for referring Dana!)
Jamie Chomas graduated from Duke University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature & Documentary Photography. After experiencing first-hand the challenges inherent in balancing artistic ideals and business in the photography industry for more than a decade, she aspires to implement ideals rather than compromise them to pursue business, this time with an eye for sustainability. After completing her internship with HIP, Jamie expects to pursue an MBA at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. Jamie is leading the HIP Roundtable on Renewable Energy on June 10 (
Lee Coker has had a life-long interest in sustainability and joined HIP Investor in February to move into the sustainable business field. He has worked in environmental education and service learning for the past 5 years in Alabama, Mississippi, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. He currently teaches in the Marin Headlands and is looking to integrate his background in environmental education into the business world. At the University of Alabama, Lee created an interdisciplinary course of study focused on environmental issues, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Community in 2002. Lee is heading up a HIP analysis of the retail food industry.
Stephanie Parent earned her master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University. She brings to HIP Investor research, writing and public education expertise, as well as cross-sector experience from the corporate world, non-profits and government. When Stephanie isn’t working with HIP or writing and editing for a leading yoga magazine, she can be found enjoying the outdoors, practicing yoga, or learning to sail. Stephanie is evaluating the HIP-ness of airlines, from Virgin to Nature Air to Southwest.
