A better blueberry has arrived. 🫐

Read Time: 3 minutes

There is a new blueberry on the block that goes beyond organic. Its impact stretches deep down into the soils and far past the farm gates.

betterful® is a Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) blueberry brand that is packed with even more nutrients and antioxidants than conventional berries, that taste better and are better for the planet.

And despite another new regenerative product hitting the shelves, it’s making me question the dark direction the blueberry industry has been heading.

Beyond Organic Blueberries 🫐

Regenerative Outcomes Lead to Better Berries

AC Foods is a vertically-integrated producer with a portfolio of farm brands focused on soil health and regenerative agriculture.

And betterful® is their newest brand addition!

Their farming practices focus on soil health, enhancing soil biodiversity, and reducing erosion resulting in tastier, more abundant blueberries.

Since 2018, they’ve witnessed a 127% increase in organic matter. They’ve also reduced their water (30%) and energy use (46%) per pound of blueberries.

Holistic Solutions to Common Farm Challenges

All farms face similar issues, and the common reactive solutions include spraying pesticides at the sign of an infestation. Some farms are taking a different approach, seeing the farm nested inside an ecosystem and asking what can they do to find productive harmony.

betterful® uses owl boxes and raptor perches to naturally control common pests. They also have planted 170 acres of native pollinator habitats to assist the pollination of blueberry crops and support our native insect species, which has resulted in a 267% increase in wild pollinator species and similar increase in beneficial predator insect species since 2016.

Not All Berry’s Are Created Equal

What we are discovering about nutrient density now is mind boggling.

The Bionutrient Food Association, a leader in nutrient density research, has found that a 100 gram sample (about 4 ounces) of blueberries could have anywhere from 3,000 units or 43,000 units of antioxidant compounds.

That’s more than 13:1 variation!

And variation is similar among nutrients across other fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats they’ve tested over the years.

Their research presents more questions than answers.

Two quotes from the conclusion of their 2020 Data Report:

These two points offer some pushback around the assumption that all tillage is always negative and that soil health automatically results in nutrient density across the board for all nutrients.

But one conclusion that seems perfectly reasonable to assume is that that the nutritional values and nutritional data on food packages are wildly inaccurate.

Another conclusion from the Bionutrient Institute's research is, “the only thing that we found that correlated with nutrient levels was soil life... The mode we used to discern that was soil respiration.” (35:00 → podcast).

How better soil respiration is achieved varies based on soil type, crop rotation, geography, rainfall, etc. But it results in an increase in a crop’s nutrient density, flavor profile, and shelf-life; all aspects a farmer and food purveyor want.

So, with all of this in mind, what kind of blueberries am I buying at the store?

“Organic” Blueberry Nightmares

Organic Hydroponic Blueberries Grown in Bags?

America is the only country that allows crops grown hydroponically or in soilless cultivation to be certified organic under USDA regulations. From what we are learning about the importance of soil health regarding shelf life, nutrient density, and flavor — this should be concerning.

The video above is a blueberry grower (not associated with AC Foods), nor is he (ROC certified), but is certified through the Real Organic Project. He gives an insight look at the lack of integrity of “organic” regarding blueberries.

The Real Organic Project actually sued the USDA for “certifying hydroponic as organic.”

But unfortunately the law won.

Is This the Best We Can Do?

An article by Blueberries Consulting Magazine in 2020 claims that in Mexico five years ago 5% of the nursery plants that were destined for hydroponics.

And now? More than 25% of the plants are destined for soilless cultivation or hydroponic management projects. And it’s safe to assume the same is happening in Peru and Chile, the other main exporters of organic blueberries for the US.

America is a net importer of blueberries and the integrity of the organic certification is wavering.

Growing blueberries in soilless medium does allow for production to happen almost immediately if nursery stock is available, but at what cost?

I personal find this distasteful, though I do dream of a world where blueberries are widely affordable for all, given their widely known health benefits.

To keep up with the growing consumer demands, the food and farming industry is incentivized to “cut corners”, quicken production, and focus on yield, often at the expense of nutritional quality and taste.

But what we have learned about soil health and shelf-life, maybe going the extra mile to farm regeneratively is the best path forward for everyone.

A betterful® Way to Grow Blueberries

A Regenerative Label You Can Trust

The Regenerative Organic Certified® program certifies farms and products to meet the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness.

And does not allow aquaponics, hydroponics, and other soilless practices.

They go beyond just farming practices and incorporate the regeneration of social relationships, ensuring the farmworkers are being treated justly.

Learn more about the Regenerative Organic Certified® framework, which uses USDA Organic as a baseline and goes beyond it to set the bar higher for our food and farming systems worldwide.

Find betterful® Near You

betterful® is grown in California and Oregon, and available in Arizona and California shelves at select Whole Foods, Bi-Rite, NewLeaf, Berkeley Bowl Marketplace, and Oliver’s locations from April through September.

If you’re close to those stores, give them a try before the season ends!