Ms. Julia Stamberger reports

PLANTING HOPE'S HOPE AND SESAME(R) SESAMEMILK HAS LOWEST WATER USAGE ACROSS DAIRY AND PLANT MILKS, PER LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT WITH PLANET FWD

The Planting Hope Company Inc. has released the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) study conducted by Planet FWD for Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk in comparison with milk and milk alternatives. The study demonstrated that Hope and Sesame Unsweetened Original Sesamemilk uses 76-per-cent less water than generic oat milk, 87-per-cent less water than generic almond milk and 92-per-cent less water than whole dairy milk cradle-to-grave benchmarks, based on average water use data for the United States.

• Planting Hope conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment study (LCA) of its Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk in conjunction with Planet FWD, the leading decarbonization platform for consumer companies.
• The study determined that Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk uses 76-per-cent less water than oat milk, 87-per-cent less water than almond milk and 92-per-cent less water than whole dairy milk.
• Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk also has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein delivered within its comparative set (including dairy, oat and almond).
• Planting Hope will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to discuss the results of the Planet FWD LCA.

"The Planting Hope company is focusing not just on feeding people today but using our planet's resources efficiently enough to feed the growing population of tomorrow. Hope and Sesame's commitment to developing a more sustainable milk alternative is clear and we're honoured to partner with the team to deliver high-fidelity data that validates and narrates their lower impact on the planet," said Julia Collins, founder and chief executive officer of Planet FWD.

Water usage is a top area of sustainability focus for consumers, retailers and food service, with Whole Foods Market calling out water stewardship as a top food trend in their recent Whole Foods Market's Top 10 Food Trend Predictions for 2024 report.

Additionally, Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk was found to have the lowest level of CO2 emissions per one gram of protein delivered within its comparative set. Hope and Sesame emits 0.13 kilogram/litre of C02 per gram of protein, while oat milk and dairy milk each emit 0.18 kg/Liter and almond milk emits 0.48 kg/liter.

"When we embarked on developing the world's first commercialized sesame milk, our goal was to create a dairy alternative that delivered comparable nutrition to dairy milk but with a greatly improved environmental footprint over existing plant milk alternatives," said Julia Stamberger, Planting Hope co-founder and chief executive officer. "Sesame is an amazing crop that's been right there under our noses for 4,000 years: naturally pest resistant and self-pollinating, sesame thrives in hot, dry environments with little water and functionally is a fantastic cover crop, often its primary agricultural use. But sesame has been underutilized as a source of human nutrition: those little seeds are packed with dense nutrition, including protein, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. In addition to needing little water to grow our core crop, the base for sesamemilk is the ultranutritious pulp remaining after sesame seeds are pressed for oil -- a dry extraction process that doesn't require added water, unlike the water-intensive processing required for the base ingredients of many other alternative milks."

Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk is also certified upcycled by the Upcycled Food Association, as the ultranutrition-dense sesame pulp remaining from sesame oil extraction that is the base of sesame milk has traditionally been discarded or used for animal feed.

Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk contains eight grams of complete protein per serving (Barista Blend contains four g per serving), including all nine essential amino acids, comparable with dairy milk and eight times the protein in most almond milks and two to three times the protein in most oat milk.

"More than 75 per cent of the planet is intolerant of dairy, which is why the plant-based milk category has been consistently scaling at a remarkable 15-per-cent CAGR [compound annual growth rate] for more than 15 years, with no signs of slowing down. What was a $7-billion global market in 2010 and $35-billion in 2022 is projected to exceed $120-billion worldwide by 2030. Consumers who are buying plant-based milk tell us that they are doing so for health and wellness reasons as well as environmental concerns. Yet many of the most broadly distributed current milk alternatives do not deliver comparable nutrition to dairy," continued Ms. Stamberger. "It took Planting Hope than five years of focused R&D and a multimillion-dollar financial investment to create Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk, and we're proud to have achieved our goal: resetting the standard for what's possible in plant-based milk with a delicious, sustainable, functional plant milk that froths, foams, steams and performs like a dream in hot and iced beverages, is globally relevant and scalable, delivers comparable nutrition to dairy milk and uses 76-per-cent-plus less water than the top alternatives. This is the future of plant milk."

Since its launch in 2022, Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk has won more than a dozen industry and consumer awards for taste and performance, and distribution is expanding rapidly across trend-setting independent cafes and retailers in the United States and Canada.

Packaged exclusively in recyclable Tetra Pak aseptic cartons, Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk has a 14-month shelf life with no refrigeration required across its supply chain and distribution.

Webinar

The company will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to discuss the results of the Planet FWD LCA, which will also cover its RightRice High Protein Veggie Rice. To register for this webinar and receive final details on scheduling, please e-mail webinar@plantinghopecompany.com.

Private placement of convertible note units

Accredited investors in the United States and internationally (outside of Canada) can find out more about the company's private placement opportunity and make an investment (via the issuance platform) at the company's website.

About The Planting Hope company Inc.

Planting Hope is reimagining today's food so that the planet can feed 10 billion people tomorrow. A foodtech-driven company at the forefront of sustainable consumer food and beverage evolution, Planting Hope transforms nutrient-dense, widely cultivated crops into innovative, nutrient-rich products that reimagine pantry staples in the largest, fastest-growing global food categories.

The company's award-winning breakthrough brands, including Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk, RightRice High-Protein Veggie Rice, and Mozaics Real Veggie Chips, are not only disrupting global markets but also significantly reducing environmental footprints. Available across the United States and Canada in grocery retailers (Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets), through food-service operators (CAVA Mediterranean restaurants -- NYSE: CAVA), and e-commerce and alternative retail channels (Amazon, QVC), the company's products blend culinary innovation with advanced technology, offering breakthrough products with wide moats. The company's products are poised to disrupt global food and beverage categories, make a positive impact on the world, and provide investors with valuable opportunities in the growing sustainable food market.

This is the food that Gen Z is demanding and that Gen Alpha will grow up with: this is the future of food.

We seek Safe Harbor.