Episode 13
Nature’s Path: Pioneers of the Organic Food Movement
Sasha Bricel is the Director of Marketing at Nature’s Path Foods, a pioneer in the organic food movement, and a leader in sustainable food design and development.
Sasha Bricel is the Director of Marketing at Nature’s Path Foods, a pioneer in the organic food movement, and a leader in sustainable food design and development. Sasha is responsible for bringing Nature’s Path brands to the world, growing the Nature’s Path Organic Leadership legacy, and driving leadership effectiveness. Sasha is a Cannes and D&AD award-winning marketer and leader with over 10 years of experience working with some of Canada’s biggest companies to manage and build purpose-led brands that aim to change the way the world works.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Nature’s Path Foods’ longstanding commitment to organic food production
- How organic agriculture promotes sustainability
- Sasha Bricel talks about GMO deregulation and the potential impact on organic farming
- Sasha shares Nature’s Path Foods efforts to reduce plastic use in the supply chain
- Sasha’s suggestion for consumers that want to support natural food producers
In this episode…
Agriculture significantly impacts climate change and human health, as conventional farming methods are the third leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional practices rely on the use of chemical intervention – treating the soil with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and relying on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to grow crops. Organic agriculture addresses many of these climate concerns by relying on natural methods such as composting and biological pest control to revitalize the soil, and avoiding GMOs which can contribute to a loss of biodiversity. And studies have shown that chemical farming uses more energy per unit of production than organic farming. Yet the Canadian government is considering deregulating GMO seed production by allowing private companies to self-regulate the production and labelling of new genetically engineered seeds, jeopardizing the organic food industry and undermining the integrity of organic certifications. How can consumers advocate for the continued practice and regulation of organic farming?
According to Sasha Bricel, GMO crops are becoming resistant to many herbicides, forcing biotechnology companies to use more toxins to repel insects, reducing biodiversity and potentially compromising human health. Nature’s Path collaborates with the Canada Organic Trade Association and the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network to encourage businesses and consumers to advocate for GMO regulations through third-party testing. But even with the appropriate standards in place, accessing organic food remains a challenge for many consumers due to comparatively high prices and limited availability. To help address this, Nature’s Path has committed to donating at least 2 million dollars in food annually to food banks, partners, charities and other causes.