How has the landscape of consumer demand changed?

It’s all part of what we see as the need to completely rethink how we produce our food and get back to more natural ways of growing. For us, that means organic and non-GMO crops and things made from them. We think they’re better for farmers, consumers, and the planet, and at Tractor we want to propel that idea forward. I don’t have any interest in doing things the old way, and I can see how important this work is every time I look at our Organic Impact Tracker, a tool we created to show our customers the difference they’re making. Last year alone, it tells me we kept almost 26 tons of pesticides out of the food system. That’s a big deal.

Sherman: Between Millennials and Gen-Z, there’s a whole new kind of consumer starting to dominate out there. Thanks to the internet, they’re a lot more aware of the issues around food, and they’re trying to replace the synthetic ingredients and conventional products in their lives with cleaner choices.

As just one example, according to a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, 44% of Gen-Z consumers and over half of all Millennials say non-GMO foods are very or somewhat important. And around two-thirds of both groups now regularly or occasionally choose organic options. That’s a huge shift away from business as usual, and it’s the future of the industry.