In recent months, various articles with titles like “Homeopathy has no place in medicine” and “Why Science Doesn’t Buy any Homeopathic Remedies” have been abundant in the mass media. As supporters of natural medicine, naturopathic doctors and homeopaths must step up to the plate and refute the claims of these articles—the general public needs to be properly informed.

Here are three ways in which you can help to combat the negative press surrounding homeopathy:

1. Know what you’re up against.

Keep up-to-date on the latest articles on the subject. Know the claims that naysayers are making against natural medicine, and ensure that you are properly prepared to refute them.

2. Keep your current patients informed.

Ensure that your patients properly understand the benefits they are deriving from natural practices. If they understand the ways in which the advantages of natural medicine, they will be able to properly inform others.

3. Share your side of the story.

Create a blog on your website and get on social media to help spread the word to current and prospective patients. “Setting-up and maintaining your own website is now incredibly easy and inexpensive,” adds Rob Ayoup, N.D. “Using this as a means of communicating with your patient population will further foster their satisfaction.”

So, go forth and inform the public about the benefits of natural medicine; your practice—and their health—will greatly benefit.

Canadian natural and organic food manufacturer SunOpta soared 26.7 per cent last Friday after a letter from Tourbillon Capital Partners, its largest shareholder, was made public. The letter requested that SunOpta hire advisors to deliver better value to shareholders, which included a suggestion for a potential sale.

Tourbillon holds a 9.9 per cent stake and has reported being disappointed in the company’s results. According to a Food dive article, they could potentially encourage a shakeup of SunOpta’s board and upper management if poor performance continues.

SunOpta released a statement saying that they have been talking to Tourbillon for several months and they appreciate constructive input from all shareholders. They also highlighted some major changes they have put in place over the last year, including the acquisition of Sunrise Growers.

Acquisitions like Sunrise, which increased SunOpta’s scale by about 30 per cent, and Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. have grown their top line, but the first quarter still had a net loss of nearly $10 million.

Should the company be sold, SunOpta could be made into a more viable and profitable competitor in the natural and organic space using steep cost-cutting measures, says Food Dive. It could also become a manufacturer, breaking apart from its ingredients business, and its private-label business could be picked up by another private-label company or a consumer-facing company.

According to Mintel, the world’s leading market intelligence agency, 24 per cent of consumers between the ages of 16 and 24 are now looking for “waterless” products. This is a result of an increased global awareness of dwindling water supplies, with consumers looking for products that are made with—and used with—smaller quantities of water.

Currently, several products on the market are being advertised in this way, including dry shampoos and beauty bars, which eliminate the need for excess water usage both in the shower and in the actual formulation of the products. Beauty bars, which consist of lipids and emulsifiers, moisturize the skin without the water content of a traditional moisturizer: today, standard creams and lotions contain 70-80 per cent water content by weight.

Additionally, metamorphosing product forms—like oil-to-powder, glycerine-in-oil and powder-to-foam—can be helpful in eliminating water during the formulation process, but may still require water during use.

Unfortunately, some products claiming to be “waterless” may be misleading—the manufacture of these personal care products requires significant cleansing of equipment, which uses massive amounts of water. And, some of these products—like those using vast volumes of glycerine, lipids or other solvents—can come with large carbon footprints.

As such, take this market trend into consideration when deciding what to stock your shelves with, but be wary of the environmental ramifications these “eco-friendly” products may actually have.

According to research from Verdict Retail, the U.S. will remain the largest duty free market in the Americas by 2020. This growth will be driven by rising international footfall, especially from China, as well as new laws which will allow U.S citizens to be exempt from duty up to USD $800.

Verdict Retail’s report, Duty Free Retailing in the Americas 2015-2020, notes that the US market was worth $3.9 billion in last year and is set to expand by $1.1 billion at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5% to reach $5 billion by 2020.

“Duty free retailing has been under-exploited by US airports until recently, but having seen the success of duty free retailing in other regions, US airports operators have realised the revenue benefits of having attractive retail facilities for travellers,” says Maureen Hinton, Global Research director at Verdict Retail. “Major airports such as La Guardia, Pittsburgh International, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles are investing heavily in expanding and redeveloping their sites, including retail, while major duty free operators such as Dufry, Lagardère Travel Retail, and Gebr. Heinemann expand in the region.”

The report also says that out of the nine major duty-free markets—the US, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela—Canada will grow fastest at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period, reaching USD $554 million by 2020.

“A weak Canadian dollar and government tourism campaigns will attract American visitors, driving duty free sales in the country,” adds Hinton. “Spending will receive a boost from a new law that has extended the duty free allowance for US travellers, which stands first in terms of foreign visitor arrivals.”

Stephen Peers, as part of his retirement transition, will be stepping down as vice president of sales to assume the role of director of West & National retail at Pinnacle Foods Canada Corp. Peers and his wife have relocated to the Gulf Islands, B.C. Peers and his wife, Jennifer, have relocated to the Gulf Islands, B.C. Peers’ 34-year CPG career includes senior roles at leading companies such as Parmalat Canada, Preisco/Perco Sales and Procter & Gamble.