By: Doug Baker, Vice President, Private Brands, Food Marketing Institute   At FMI Connect, FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin pointed to trends in the industry that demonstrate how the supermarket is a microcosm of the world. We also learned from her presentation that there’s a unique opportunity for food retailers to become trusted allies in helping shoppers navigate the aisles, most notably regarding their attitudes around wellness. As brand owners, the opportunity exists for us to mirror the desires and lifestyles of our customers through our private brand offerings—to go from selling to customers to inspiring them. At the ...

By: Jeanne von Zastrow, Senior Director for Sustainability, Food Marketing Institute According to the World Wildlife Fund, by 2050 we’ll need to be feeding 9 billion people and demand for food, water and energy is expected to have doubled. It’s facts like these that are encouraging all players in our industry – from suppliers to food retailers, government and NGO’s—to come together in pre-competitive collaboration to improve sustainability within our supply chains.  The attention to environmental and social issues is making consumers care more and more that the food they eat is sustainable and environmentally conscious. Our industry is ...