Ace Natural Attends JPMorgan’s Climate Week NYC 2026 Conference

October 5, 2026

Sustainability in food is a big conversation—and increasingly, it’s happening in some very large rooms.

This September, Ace Natural stepped into one of those rooms, attending a sustainability-focused event at JPMorgan Chase’s Manhattan headquarters as part of a broader conversation about climate, food, and the future of the food system.

For Ace Natural, the invitation was an opportunity to see what JPMorgan is doing to advance sustainability. “I was curious to see what was going on there,” says Ace Natural’s CEO Tor Newman. “And also to say, ‘Hey, we’re doing everything that you would want to be doing—and why not work with us when you can?’”

Small Companies, Big Ideas

One of the most interesting parts of the event was the lineup of emerging food companies. Several small, innovative brands were being supported through the foodservice operation at JPMorgan Chase, demonstrating how large institutions can create opportunities for smaller companies developing new approaches to food.

Among them were Fable, which makes mushroom-based products, Cocojune, a coconut yogurt company, and Bettani, which has developed a plant-based alternative that replicates some of the functionality of dairy proteins in cheese and soft dairy. (Both Cocojune and Bettani are Ace Natural partners, as well.)

For Ace Natural, seeing these kinds of companies represented on a large stage was especially meaningful. Small food businesses may not have the scale of multinational foodservice companies, but they are often where experimentation and innovation begin.

Rethinking Food Waste

Food waste was another major theme.

A presentation from the Compass Group, which runs JPMorgan’s cafeteria, focused on technology (designed by Seed) to process food waste directly in commercial kitchens. The system dehydrates food scraps, dramatically reducing their volume while producing a dry material that can potentially be used as fertilizer.

The technology also provides operators with data about what they are throwing away. That means food-waste reduction isn’t just about what happens to scraps after they leave the kitchen—it can become a tool for understanding purchasing, prep, and kitchen operations in the first place.

That idea resonated with Ace Natural, which has experimented with food-waste processing technology of its own. Ace Natural previously used a liquid food composter to process organic waste, producing a liquid that could safely enter the sewer system and could also be used as fertilizer.

The takeaway? Sustainability and efficiency don’t have to be separate conversations. Reducing waste can also mean better information, smarter purchasing, and potentially lower operating costs.

Looking Beyond the Natural-Food Bubble

Perhaps the most valuable part of the experience was simply being in the room.

Ace Natural has long worked with businesses that prioritize organic, natural, plant-based, and sustainably produced food. But sustainability is no longer a conversation happening only within the natural-food industry. Large corporations, foodservice companies, investors, chefs, and emerging food brands are all looking for ways to make their operations more sustainable—and that creates new opportunities for the kinds of companies Ace Natural has supported for years.

From food-waste technology to plant-based innovation, the event offered a glimpse at where the larger food industry is headed.

And for Ace Natural, being part of that conversation was a reminder that you don’t have to be the biggest company in the room to have something valuable to contribute.

Share

Email

Facebook

Twitter