Massachusetts
Gaskin: Food technology comes to Massachusetts
There has been an explosion of investment in the food economy over the last few years and the latest food tech developments are as likely to come from MIT as Michigan State. The major developments fall into three main areas: increasing productivity while decreasing waste, increasing sustainability, and making healthier food to reduce rising healthcare costs.
Growing up in farm country, with a half-acre food and vegetable garden in my backyard, gave me a deep connection to the food we eat. My early experiences in 4-H, exhibiting at the county fair, and learning how to grow fruits and vegetables from seed packets shaped my understanding of food. I took a course in college titled “The Political Economy of Food and Nutrition.” My professor argued that many of the world’s most pressing issues — from poverty and regional warfare to the medical-industrial complex and climate change — ultimately connect to food.
In the U.S., we tend to assume that food will always be available on grocery store shelves and in restaurants. However, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a stark reminder of how fragile the food system can be in the face of disruption, with shortages and inflation affecting food availability. The reality is that more shocks to the food system are inevitable, whether from future pandemics, climate change, or other global crises. As we look ahead, three major trends are shaping the future of food:
Increasing Food Availability
Farming has always relied on innovation. To meet the growing global population’s food needs, two primary strategies have emerged: increasing yields and reducing waste. Precision farming technologies are at the forefront of this effort, employing GPS-guided tractors, drones, robotics, and vertical farming. These tools help maximize the use of space, conserve water, and control pests more efficiently than ever before.
Technological advancements extend beyond the farm itself. Supply chain management now benefits from advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), which predict consumer demand more accurately, thereby reducing overproduction. Blockchain technology is also being utilized to ensure transparency, improve food safety, and cut down on waste. Genomics continues to play a significant role in agriculture but is now paired with precision agriculture to optimize crop growth conditions based on genetic potential, leading to increased yields.
However, climate change complicates efforts to boost food productivity. Shifting weather patterns, extreme temperatures, and unpredictable rainfall are likely to make it harder to grow food in many regions, exacerbating food insecurity.
One of the most alarming statistics is that in the U.S., 30–40% of the food supply is wasted. Reducing this waste involves several initiatives, such as upcycling, zero waste food, using parts of food that were previously considered unusable and employing technologies that extend the freshness of produce. Efforts are also underway to redistribute food that would otherwise go to waste, channeling it to food banks and charities.
Enhancing Sustainability
The second major trend in the food industry focuses on producing food in a way that minimizes environmental impact. This includes sourcing insect protein.
One of the biggest shifts in this area is the rise of plant-based and alternative proteins, including lab-grown meat, plant-based seafood, and dairy substitutes. These innovations are designed to reduce the environmental burden of traditional livestock farming, which is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. Animal agriculture, especially meat production, has a substantial impact on deforestation, water use, and overall inefficiency in producing calories.
Sustainable agricultural practices, such as regenerative farming, are becoming increasingly important. Techniques like crop rotation, cover cropping, and reduced tillage help improve soil health while reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Consumers are also seeking products that support carbon sequestration and have minimal ecological footprints.
Companies are also exploring compostable, biodegradable, reusable, and recyclable materials to reduce packaging waste and its environmental impact. These innovations are critical as consumers demand greater transparency and responsibility from food producers.
Sustainable seafood management and more sustainable livestock farming practices are also on the rise, aiming to ensure that both land and marine resources are used in a way that protects ecosystems while meeting the global demand for protein.
Food as Medicine
The concept of “food as medicine” has deep historical roots, with ancient Eastern and Western medical systems both emphasizing the healing properties of food. Today, the “food as medicine” movement is gaining broader recognition thanks to significant research and institutional support.
Institutions such as Tufts University’s School of Nutrition and Kaiser Permanente have published studies showing that food plays a crucial role in preventing and managing diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. This research has helped legitimize the idea that diet can be as powerful as medicine in improving public health.
In 2022, President Biden hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years. The conference aimed to address issues of hunger and diet-related diseases in the U.S., with the ambitious goal of ending hunger and improving diet quality by 2030. This initiative has focused federal attention on how diet can improve health outcomes.
Major organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and the Milken Institute have also thrown their support behind food-as-medicine initiatives. In January 2024, the Rockefeller Foundation committed an additional $80 million in funding for these programs, bringing its total investment to over $100 million since 2019.
However, the concept of “food as medicine” is still evolving, and definitions can vary widely. For example, Rock Health reported that between 2023 and early 2024, $373 million was invested in 22 digital health startups that offered food-as-medicine products or services. Another report mentioned that eight food-as-medicine startups raised $400 million in funding.
Looking forward, we expect to see more personalized, or precision nutrition solutions based on an individual’s genetics. Advances in life sciences, particularly in microbiome research, will likely drive a new generation of nutraceuticals. Gender-specific and life-stage-specific nutritional solutions will also become more prevalent as we continue to learn about the unique dietary needs of different populations.
We’re not in Kansas anymore.
Ed Gaskin is Executive Director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets and founder of Sunday Celebrations.
Massachusetts
Mass. House votes to set new rules for DiZoglio’s audit
Twenty-eight lawmakers dissented Wednesday as the Massachusetts House voted to set new terms around what state Auditor Diana DiZoglio would be able to review in the legislative audit voters authorized her to carry out in 2024.
Almost all House Democrats voted for the measure, which also proposes to make more state government records accessible to the public. Three Democrats — Cambridge Rep. Mike Connolly, Attleboro Rep. Jim Hawkins and Fall River Rep. Alan Silvia — joined the body’s 25 Republicans in voting no.
Speaker Ron Mariano said the bill responds to an ongoing call from voters for more transparency out of Beacon Hill and provides a path forward in lieu of a what he called “politically motivated audit conducted in violation of the Constitution.”
Leaders of the House and Senate have resisted DiZoglio’s audit push, arguing that a probe by the auditor’s office would run afoul of the separation of powers laid out in the state Constitution, bringing the legislative branch under the review of a piece of the executive branch.
“We are not accountable to any constitutional officer,” said Rep. Mindy Domb, an Amherst Democrat. “We are only accountable to our constituents.”
Taunton Rep. Lisa Field, a Democrat in her first term, said she was among the 72% of Massachusetts voters who backed the audit ballot question in 2024.
“Due to legitimate concerns and questions about constitutional privileges and separation of powers, we have been stuck on this audit issue for more than a year,” Field said. “Let’s not be like Washington, D.C. and accept such gridlock — not about the audit and not about public records. Let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good progress.”
The House’s bill would authorize DiZoglio to review what it defines as the “administrative functions” of the Legislature, going back to the 2021 fiscal year. Those areas include the adoption of annual budgets, official audits of the House and Senate by independent firms, spending by both chambers, and the execution of any financial settlements with lawmakers and employees.
It would also newly apply the state’s public records law to the governor’s office, and create a process by which people could request and receive certain legislative files.
Massachusetts is currently the only state where the Legislature, governor and judiciary all claim to be exempt from the public records law.
Warren Republican Rep. Todd Smola described the process that led up to Wednesday’s vote as opaque in and of itself. Mariano last week said the House would take up what he called comprehensive transparency legislation, but did not say when or what, specifically, the bill would do.
The bill was circulated to members of the House Ways and Means Committee around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, and committee members had a little over a half hour to vote on whether to advance it. Smola, the ranking Republican on the committee, said during that 34-minute window, “we had members on both sides of the political aisle that were calling each other back and forth to say, ‘Can you explain this portion to me?’”
“We are so much better than the process that has unfolded,” he said. “And for the sake of people that are asking us for transparency, that is not transparency. That’s the opposite of transparency.”
Rep. Michael Soter, a Bellingham Republican, said he was particularly concerned with a part of the bill that removes the courts from settling disputes between the auditor and the Legislature.
He said that by setting its own rules around an audit, the House would be “ensuring the auditor can only see exactly what we allow her to see and nothing more.”
It’s not clear yet if the Senate will pass the bill. Last week, state senators voted to turn over a limited set of documents to DiZoglio. The documents the Senate plans to provide mirror the records she would be allowed to review under the House bill.
Asked if he expected the Senate to agree to the legislation, Mariano on Tuesday said only, “I talked to the Senate.”
Massachusetts
French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston
BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.
LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.
The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.
LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.
The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.
Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.
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Massachusetts
Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer
A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
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