# Plant-Powered Snack Clusters Unilever's 'Growing Roots' Brand Evolved Out of a Social Mission By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2018-03-07 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/growing-roots References: [prnewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unilever-grows-us-urban-farming-commitment-with-new-mission-based-brand-300608958.html) & [growingrootsfoods](https://www.growingrootsfoods.com/) 'Growing Roots' is a new organic, plant-based food brand from Unilever that empowers consumers with healthy snacks—and at the same time, supports urban farmers and local communities. Vice President of Foods Matthew McCarthy for [Unilever North America](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3d-printed-packaging-mold) notes that: "What's so special about Growing Roots is that it started as a social mission that our employees were passionate about, borne from the belief that everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious food." The new simple, plant-powered snack brand introduces a variety of [bites and clusters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/natures-garden-clusters) to consumers, including Coconut Curry-flavored Organic Coconut & Seed Bites and Organic Corn & Seed Clusters in Cocoa Chipotle. In a partnership with New York's Building Healthy Communities initiative and [Green City Force](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plant-based-billboard) that began in 2015, Unilever has helped to set up six urban farms in New York, which have generated about 32,000 pounds of organic produce. Moving forward, this model has the potential to be implemented across other major US cities. Unilever's Growing Roots is set to make its debut at Natural Products Expo West later this month. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.0/10 - Popularity: 79% | Activity: 93% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Plant-based Food:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new plant-based snack options to cater to the growing demand for healthier and sustainable food choices. - **Social Mission Brands:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create food brands with a social mission, addressing important issues such as food accessibility and supporting local communities. - **Urban Farming:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore opportunities to collaborate with urban farming initiatives to source organic produce and support sustainable food production. ### Who This Affects Most - **Organic Food Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce innovative organic snacks that align with the growing interest in health-conscious and sustainable food choices. - **Food Sustainability Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop solutions and technologies to promote food sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of food production. - **Socially Responsible Brands Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build brands that prioritize social causes and empower consumers to make a positive difference through their purchasing choices. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Plant-Based Snack Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/real-food-from-the-ground.md) - [Creamy Plant-Based Snack Dips](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-simple-root-dips.md) - [Indulgent Plant-Powered Cereals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rogue.md) - [Globally Inspired Better-For-You Snacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/globally-inspired-betterforyou-snack.md) - [Homestyle Plant-Powered Dips](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plant-powered-dip.md) - [Nutrient-Rich Vegetable Chips](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/root-foods-vegetable-chips.md) - [Snacking-Friendly Granolas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/go-raw-snacking-granola.md) - [Functional Flavorful Snack Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/natures-garden.md) - [Seed-Based Snack Bites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superseed-snack-clusters.md)