The Natural List: 2025 rewind–Top CPG trends and industry drivers

In the latest episode of The Natural List podcast, hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith take listeners on a journey through the key trends and developments that shaped the natural products industry in 2025.

From the resilience required to navigate tariffs to the mainstreaming of natural products through initiatives like Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), this episode dives deep into the forces driving growth and innovation. Jessica and Adrienne explore the top categories driving growth, which products saw investment this year and the categories that are projected to keep growing in 2026 and beyond.

Tune in for insights into how innovative distribution and retail models are empowering early-stage companies, the impact of GLP-1s our industry and the transformative role of AI in marketing, branding and compliance. While AI continues to make waves, a key focus of the conversation is around how brands and retailers can use it to deepen the in-person connections that make our industry so great. And of course, we can’t forget, protein and fiber were huge this year. What will the “big” macro be in 2026? Whether you're an industry insider or a curious consumer, this episode offers a compelling look at the trends that shaped the past year of health and wellness and how they’ll influence the future.

In this episode:
0:22 – 2025 recap introduction
1:16 – Tariffs: Resiliency is necessary in our industry.
3:31 – Make America Healthy Again (MAHA): Mainstreaming of natural products and looking at the impact of widespread impacts of conversations about healthier products.
5:40 – Dairy and meat products were the highest growth drivers in natural products this year. Innovation in this category and investment in sustainable, organic and regenerative brands were huge.
8:05 – Supplements saw investment, herbs and botanicals saw growth as well.
9:19 – Innovative distribution and retail models help early-stage companies and build partnerships.
10:20 – GLP-1s impacted the entire industry as consumers embrace “flexitarian living”, they can marry a natural lifestyle with a traditional one.
13:02 – AI for marketing, positioning, branding and boosting in-person connections.
16:15 – How can brands navigate innovation and compliance in an age of AI?
16:54 – Data is king: Younger consumers are continuously looking for health data. How do we ensure that data is accurate and backed by products and people who can help them on their health journeys?
17:40 – The year that macros got huge: Protein, fiber and more.
18:19 – Women’s health is finally getting its time in the sun (and research to back it up).

Follow along with our hosts on LinkedIn:
Jessica Rubino:   / jessica-rubino-04a60744  
Adrienne Smith:   / adrienne-smith-9191181a  

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