For the last couple years I’ve subscribed to a bunch of different mailing lists, read newsletters, and generally tried to keep up to date on news in the Food System. This post summarizes my current top three go-tos (plus a few honorable mentions) in no particular order.

I love these and will surely keep reading them, but I’m not convinced I really know what’s out there. So, this week I subscribed to pretty much everything I could find related to food, agriculture, AgTech, agribusiness, etc. It’s impossible to read everything out there but I’m going to try for a few weeks. If I do figure out the “best” sources, I’ll be sure to update you. Any suggestions? I’m sure I missed some.

Top Three Newsletters

FoodDive

Who? Food industry news + analysis, mostly focused on manufacturing (products, ingredients, and packaging), with content on topics such as innovation, trends, sustainability, and financial performance.

What? Daily email that includes headlines with brief summaries, as well as references to other people’s content and job postings.

Why? The articles themselves start with high level analysis bullets, then dive into the issue. Articles are short but usually reference research or other ways to dig deeper. Overall a broad perspective on what’s going on in the (big) food industry.

Constructive Criticism? Many of their articles repeat and cross-reference each other so you can get stuck going in circles, and sometimes the “analysis” could be deeper.

Merridian AGree Newsfeed

Who? AGree, a food/agriculture advocacy platform run by the Meridian Institute, is a platform to connect and challenge leaders around food system issues, including policy

What? Newsletter that curates articles of all kinds (academic, news, blogs, etc.) and provides 1 paragraph summaries.

Why? The focus is really broad, covering domestic and international food and agriculture issues across sectors. A+ for usability. I love the short summaries within the email, so I only have to navigate elsewhere when I really want to dig in.

Constructive Criticism? Slightly more ag-focused than food, and definitely deep enough that you won’t enjoy this unless you’re really into this space.

AgFunder News

Who? Delivered by AgFunder, an online marketplace to connect AgTech investors and startups. AgFunder also produces an annual report on investments in AgTech (who, what, how much, etc.).

What? Weekly newsletter that summarizes the headlines of AgFunder’s own articles and other people’s articles, and a list of upcoming global AgTech events.

Why? AgFunder’s own articles are focused on investments and innovation and often feature interviews with (or guest posts by) leading entrepreneurs and investors. They are really the go-to resource for AgTech investments (they don’t focus on food products/CPG).

Constructive Criticism? AgFunder has an investment platform and is launching their own fund, so I never know if there’s a conflict of interest. They definitely get the benefit of the doubt, though, because the content is strong and unique and their guests are the who’s who of AgTech.

Honorable Mentions

• FoodTechConnect- curated collection of articles, by category, that provide a really good overview of what’s going on across the food system from CPG, to restaurants, to agriculture.
• Grist’s food section- sustainability-focused content with less of a food-focused/experienced audience, which helps to go “beyond the choir”. Could say the same for Forbes, WSJ, NYT, etc.
• Global Food for Thought blog from Chicago Council on Global Affairs- I find this a bit hard to use (you have to click around a few times to find the content), but the guest commentaries often provide insights from public-sector and academic thought leaders

By the way, I’m not the first to do this. I’m sure there are many others. What’s your favorite newsletter?