Musings

Five years ago, I had an idea that changed the course of my life—bee-free honey. What started as a simple thought grew into a mission to make a real impact, and it ultimately led me to leave my home in Serbia and move to the United States. This week, I had the honor of sharing that journey in an interview with Musings by Susan Rockefeller. Reflecting on those early days, I’m reminded of the uncertainty, excitement, and belief that something better was possible, for bees and for humans. It wasn’t just about creating a new product—it was about making a difference in how we think about food and our planet. That idea became MeliBio and later Mellody®, and every step since has been filled with challenges, growth, and an unwavering passion for change. I’m deeply grateful for the support I’ve received along the way—from my Co-Founder Aaron M. Schaller, PhD, team: Katie U., Grant Manley and others, mentors: Maha Tahiri, Maja Toft and many others, partners, investors and friends. This journey has been so much more than a career; it’s been a life-changing adventure. Thank you, Susan Rockefeller, for giving me the opportunity to reflect on this milestone and to share my story with your audience. Here’s to the continuing to build a future where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. 🌍🐝

"Growing up in Serbia, I was always close to nature,” says Darko Mandich, “but my professional experience in the honey industry exposed me to the systemic issues threatening biodiversity.” Darko did a deep dive into the many issues that native bee species are up against: climate change, pesticide exposure and more. Throughout several years of research and development, his team at MeliBio came up with a bee-free honey formula with the exact molecular composition of traditional honey. Using precision fermentation, they’ve matched the taste, texture and nutritional content so well that several companies including Aldi and Better Foodie began using MeliBio honey under a private label. There is even a limited edition product with NYC’s three-Michelin-star restaurant Eleven Madison Park. MeliBio also launched its own honey label called Mellody®, which currently features two flavors: Golden Clover and Spicy Habanero.

As an avid sailor, Francis Zoet has spent a lot of her time on the water. After continuously coming across plastic pollution, she became motivated to do something about it and knew that rivers are a major source of plastic waste in our oceans. That’s when Francis and her co-founders (Anne Marieke Eveleens and Philip Ehrhorn) came up with The Great Bubble Barrier®. They pump compressed air through a perforated tube that runs diagonally across the bottom of a river, which creates a curtain of bubbles with an upward current directing plastic to the surface. Once it’s at the surface, the plastic—as small as one millimeter and as large as one meter—is pushed toward the catchment system. From there, it’s sorted and analyzed in collaboration with the Plastic Soup Foundation. The first long-term Bubble Barrier was installed in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2019, and currently captures 15,536 pieces of inorganic waste every month. They also have Bubble Barriers in Katwijk, Netherlands, Vila do Conde, Portugal, and Harlingen, Netherlands with many other projects in the pipeline for Europe and abroad. Visit the below link for our full interview with Francis!

"Boomitra’s technology has the ability to measure, report and verify soil carbon credits, and helps farmers optimize soil management; minimize their use of resources like water and fertilizers; and receive additional income through the soil carbon credits."    Working with Boomitra helps farmers and ranchers become resilient to climate change, become better stewards of their lands, and gain additional income from carbon credits. But that's not all.    Our remote sensing soil measuring technology:   🚰 Unlocks precision farming to minimize input costs, like water and fertilizer  🛰 Optimizes soil management, through data-driven insights accessible through the Boomitra farmers app    Learn more about our tech and our company from Aadith Moorthy's Musings interview: https://lnkd.in/gHdCZB5j 

Sam Elsom grew up camping and surfing in Australia where he quickly developed a love for the ocean and wildlife. In 2004, he launched one of Australia’s first sustainable apparel houses, which later led him to consulting for companies like Kering and Quiksilver on improving the social and environmental impacts of their supply chains. After reading a 2017 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Sam was inspired to find a way to create larger impact. During this time, he came across research conducted by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on feeding a variety of seaweeds to livestock to measure the impact on methane production. One seaweed, Asparagopsis, significantly outperformed the rest with a very small amount resulting in the elimination of almost all emissions. Shortly after this discovery, in 2018, Sam founded Sea Forest, a company that has taken those early findings and brought it to market at scale. Their product, SeaFeed™, is a seaweed-infused feed supplement for all ruminant (animals with four stomachs) livestock. They use both marine and land-based aquaculture to farm the Asparagopsis, and “have the capacity to reduce approximately 10 million tons of CO2e per year from livestock production,” says Sam. While headquarters is located in Tasmania, and Australian farmers have been using SeaFeed since 2020, the company has since expanded to Europe with plans to eventually supply every continent.

Biomanufacturing uses fermentation, enzymes and microorganisms instead of energy-intensive, synthetic processes to make many of the products used every day: pharmaceuticals, raw materials (plastics, paper and textiles), chemicals to develop soaps and detergents, food fortification, and more. Synonym, a strategic partner for biomanufacturing companies, predicts that it will become a $200 billion market over the next decade. We spoke with Co-Founder Joshua Lachter to learn more about this trajectory and how Synonym supports what they believe to be the “next manufacturing revolution.”

SIMPLi spotted in Musings Magazine! 👀 Our co-founder Sarela Herrada had a chance to sit down with Musings Magazine and had an opportunity to share more about our distinct supply chains, our sourcing standards, and how we are supporting our farming partners around the world. Did you know that we started our Regenerative Pathways Program (RPP) to expand farmers’ potential to grow the regenerative organic movement? The RPP supports farmers with resources to achieve Regenerative Organic Certification® (ROC) and empowers them with education, financing, and community-building. We’re so proud to not just work with, but empower indigenous farmers as they grow their businesses and help their communities flourish. Thank you to Musings Magazine and Susan Rockefeller for a wonderful feature! ⭐ Check out the full interview with SIMPLi co-founder Sarela Herrada here: https://lnkd.in/eZ-HSC4R Read more about our RPP: https://lnkd.in/eZ-HSC4R #EatSIMPLi #MusingsMagazine #PressFeature #PR #SustainableFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateAction #EthicalSourcing #SupplyChains #SoilHealth #OrganicFood #SupportYourFarmers

"Growing up in Lima, Peru on my family’s organic chicken farm, I always felt a strong connection to the land and our duty to protect and preserve it. We worked closely with farming communities in the Amazon and I was raised to respect the sacred trust between farmer and land,” says Sarela Herrada. Years later, after garnering experience in food management and the supply chain, Sarela co-founded SIMPLi with her husband Matthew Cohen. Their first product, launched in 2020, was quinoa sourced from Indigenous farmers in Puno, Peru. Since then, they’ve expanded to other locations in South America as well as Europe, offering grains, beans, oils, salt blends and more—all produced following Regenerative Organic Certification standards. SIMPLi’s model cuts out the middle man so that they can work directly with farmers and ensure that they are paid fairly. Exploitation is still a common occurrence around the world in many industries. Consumers with accessibility and the benefit of choosing what they buy hold a lot of power as each dollar spent can help or hurt communities. Visit the link for our full Q&A with Sarela! Regenerative Organic Alliance

While growing up in Mexico, brothers Alexis and Axel Gómez-Ortigoza became fascinated by technology and nature, and how the two could intersect. In 2016, their company, Polybion, founded the first vertically integrated pilot plant for mycelium materials in Latin America. After a couple years working with mycelium, their team began experimenting with bacterial fermentation and recognized the opportunity in bacterial cellulose as a sustainable alternative to materials like leather and polyester. From this, their first product, Celium™, was born. Celium™, which officially launched this month, is a unique, versatile fabric created from the breakdown of fruit waste by bacteria. Most recently, it was used by Ganni A/S to create three pieces—a crop top, miniskirt, and signature Bou bag—in their autumn/winter 2024 collection.

Spanning more than 4,000 miles, the Andes are the longest above-water mountain range on Earth and home to some of the most diverse plant and animal species. Among those endemic to the region are the Queuña or Polylepis forests, which are at the core of Acción Andina, an initiative created by non-profits Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos - ECOAN and Global Forest Generation. Though the Andes currently face many threats, one of the most prominent is deforestation leading to biodiversity loss, water scarcity, soil degradation, and food insecurity. Since 2018, Acción Andina has planted almost 10 million native trees across five countries in the Andes. Their work is celebrated annually at the Queuña Raymi (festival of planting Polylepis trees) when communities throughout the region come together to plant in degraded areas—in accordance with the ancient practice of communal work called Ayni and Minka. The roots of this organization run deep and stretch far beyond planting. They are upholding conservation efforts and sustainable land management while respecting indigenous practices, and presenting local communities with additional income and employment opportunities. The ultimate goal: restore one million hectares of high Andean native forest across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela by 2045.