Heather Terry, founder and CEO of GoodSAM Foods, is reshaping the global food system by forging direct ties with smallholder farmers amid climate challenges. Her company sources 90% of ingredients from farms in Latin America and Africa, reinvesting profits into communities. Terry emphasizes relationships over traditional certifications to build a resilient supply chain.
The global food system faces significant pressures from climate change, which is altering crop viability, alongside trade disputes that disrupt supply chains. Smallholder farmers, who produce a large portion of the world's food, often hold the least influence. Heather Terry, founder and CEO of GoodSAM Foods, addresses these issues by centering people and regenerative agriculture in her business model.
GoodSAM Foods sources 90% of its ingredients directly from smallholder farms in Latin America and Africa, bypassing middlemen and channeling profits back into farming communities. This approach, described as both principled and pragmatic, gains importance as climate volatility curtails crop yields. Terry highlights the value of genuine relationships: “When I’m a farmer and I suddenly have leverage, who am I going to sell that product to?” she asks. “It’s relationships.”
Terry's path included raising $9 million in Series A funding over 18 months. She encountered doubt from conventional consumer packaged goods investors but succeeded with impact investors who recognize sustainable food systems as the industry's future. While GoodSAM upholds USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project verifications, Terry critiques existing regenerative certification labels for applying Global North standards to farmers with longstanding regenerative practices. The company prioritizes direct relationships and field-based verification instead.
This strategy has shielded GoodSAM and its partners from economic disruptions, especially as the U.S. food system grapples with climate effects and policy shifts. Terry urges consumers to influence change: “Every time you pick something up off the shelf, you are voting,” she said. “You’re sending a signal to a company.”
The episode, originally aired on September 22, 2025, underscores how building connections can assemble a regenerative agricultural network one relationship at a time.