Discovery Demos: Sustainability & Waste-Conscious Foods (Day 2)

A walkable showcase of macro trends, Discovery Demo pods invite you to get hands-on with specialty food brands, encounter creative ideas, and consider your role in the food ecosystem. Head to Discovery Point (Booth 4631) to explore and get inspired!

The Sustainability & Waste-Conscious Foods Pod

Come experience visions of the year 2040—a future where today's sustainability innovations have actually scaled and transformed how we eat. Through this glimpse ahead, you'll see what's possible when things like zero-waste production, upcycling, regenerative farming, and climate-smart sourcing become the norm rather than the exception. It's reverse archaeology: instead of digging up the past, revealing what's being built right now. You'll leave understanding how the specialty food makers at this show are creating the food system that future depends on.

Hosted by Mike Lee, Food Futurist & Author

Join Mike for a brief introduction to his work and pod at 10:30am and 1:00pm!

Featuring:

(10:30 am - 12:30 pm) TCHO Chocolate: Ethical Indulgence with a Purpose

• What does ethical indulgence mean? For TCHO, the end result is mouth-watering chocolate that is 100% organic, fair-trade, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and completely traceable to its source. As a Certified B Corp, our values have guided us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 75% while gaining complete transparency into our cacao sourcing. Visit us at the show to sample a variety of dairy-free chocolates and try our virtual reality experience. Attendees can visit a cacao farm in Ghana to see how our cacao is harvested, fermented, and dried before it's shipped to our Berkeley, California factory.
• View the TCHO Virtual Booth

(10:30 am - 12:30 pm) Borderless x TCHO: A Virtual Journey from Bean to Bar

• Borderless is a virtual reality company that transforms unseen stories into immersive experiences. In partnership with TCHO Chocolate, we’re giving people an opportunity to understand where chocolate truly begins. Through VR, viewers can step inside the cacao farms and communities in Ghana that supply TCHO, seeing the people, the work, and the everyday steps of cacao farming as if they were there in person. This collaboration creates a learning experience that brings the origin story to life—helping audiences see how cacao is grown, cared for, and prepared at the source.

(1 - 3 pm) Bona Furtuna: Cultivating Biodiversity in Sicily’s Heartland

• Take a sensory journey to La Furtuna Estate in Sicily, where Bona Furtuna blends ancient agricultural wisdom with modern sustainability. From heirloom olive trees to solar-powered operations and climate-certified packaging, discover how this B Corp is preserving culinary heritage while nurturing the planet.
• View the Bona Furtuna Virtual Booth

(1 - 3 pm) California Milk Advisory Board: Planet-Smart Dairy Innovation

• The California Milk Advisory Board represents California's dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy production—on a path to climate neutrality by 2030. Over the past 50 years, California dairy has reduced the carbon footprint of a gallon of milk by 45%, water use by 88%, and land use by 89%. California's cows also upcycle agricultural byproducts like almond hulls and grape pomace into quality feed, keeping 15,000 tons of material out of landfills every day. This commitment to sustainability powers quality products including award-winning specialty cheeses, ice creams and gelatos, butter, and fluid milk—all carrying the Real California Milk (RCM) seal. The CMAB works closely with retailers to source and build demand for RCM products.
• Featured Brands: Specialty cheeses from Angela & Franco, Marin French Cheese, El Mexicano, Valley Ford Cheese Company, and WM Cofield; desserts from Leo Leo, Petit Pot, Sweet Craft, and Sweet Kiwi; specialty beverages and other dairy products from Drink Todo, KEA Wellness, Rosa Brothers, and Ladle & Leaf.
• View the CA Milk Advisory Board Virtual Booth