Dairy investment trends for 2026

This episode of The Natural List provides essential insights for investors, CPG brands and retailers looking to understand the regenerative agriculture movement's impact on dairy investments. Co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith break down why companies focusing on sustainability and farm-to-consumer transparency are capturing both consumer attention and investor dollars. The duo discusses a recent article by Nutrition Capital Network Executive Director Mike Dovbish, which highlights the key trends and investments happening in this category. The conversation kicks off with pop culture and industry observations before shifting focus to the notable transformation happening in dairy investments. With the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) predicting that dairy will account for 15% of total natural and organic product industry sales in 2025, this episode unpacks the key drivers behind this growth trajectory and why investors are on board.Whether you're tracking natural product investment trends or exploring opportunities in the dairy space, this episode delivers actionable intelligence on one of 2025's most dynamic growth categories.This episode is sponsored by Premier Research Labs. To learn more, visit their website. In this episode:0:00 – Pop culture trend recap0:51 – 17-free nail polish update: Ella and Mila vs Mineral Fusion comparison 2:50 – New Hope Network’s 2026 Trend Predictions dropped on October 20th. Let us know if we missed any!3:20 – Dairy ranks second in terms of growth in 2024, on track for the same in 2025 4:04 – Nutrition Capital Network (NCN) Fall Event happening November 12th, 20255:00 – How regenerative and sustainable dairy companies are attracting major investment 5:30 – Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) predicts that dairy will account for 15% of total natural and organic product industry sales in 20255:52 – Chobani's massive $650M investment round in October 20256:20 – Strauss Family Creamery's Series B funding with Grounded Capital leadership 8:32 – NBJ data revealing dairy's projected top 3 growth status through 2029 9:20 – Painterland Sisters' successful seed funding and their strategy of perfecting basic flavors 12:14 – Alec's Ice Cream, a brand focused on sustainability, storytelling and strategic partnerships, secured $11M funding in Series A round led by Imaginary Ventures14:24 – Read Mike Dovbish's comprehensive analysis on newhope.com here.Enjoy our vodcasts here or on YouTube.