On March 17, The Food Institute hosted a webinar on the prospects for mergers and acquisitions activity in the food industry. The event provided a deep dive into M&A trends, with analysis from Lech Czerski, …
Consumers are increasing their off-premises dinner purchases, according to the latest weekly survey from the National Restaurant Association. In the early spring 2021 period, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers have increased their weekly off-premises dinner …
Kellogg plans to shift its manufacturing electricity sources to over 50% wind energy globally by the end of 2022. The ambitious goal speaks to growing social and environmental concerns within the food industry. The company signed a long-term …
Saturday, March 20, was declared MeatOut day by Colorado’s governor, which prompted defiant gatherings supporting farmers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, pointed to the health and environmental benefits of …
Amid soil erosion, tens of millions of U.S. farmland acres lost to development, and global food demand rising upwards of 98% by 2050, there are serious concerns about how the agriculture industry will meet tomorrow’s …
Congested ports in the U.S. continue to cause major supply chain disruptions. The California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — which together handle more than a third of U.S. container imports — are …
Anheuser-Busch is boosting production of its latest hard seltzer offering after the beverage, developed alongside rapper Travis Scott, saw furious demand. The drink — called Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer — launched earlier this week, reported CNBC …
Total U.S. grocery online grocery sales pulled back to $8 billion for February, representing a 14% drop from January, according to data from Brick Meets Click. Here’s a deeper dive into those stats, and what …
Pet food recalls have become a concern for pet owners across the U.S. On Dec. 30, 2020, Midwestern Pet Foods announced a recall of Sportmix pet food products after the FDA received reports of dozens …
There have been recent signs of recovery for the restaurant industry, but obstacles still need to be scaled before the industry is back to a full bill of health. RESTAURANT SALES SHOWING RECOVERY Restaurant sales …
Just like grocery stores and restaurants have changed operational strategies during the pandemic, so have convenience stores. Whether it’s selling more ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat foodservice items to make a dent in lower gasoline sales or …
Meat and poultry producers were among America’s hardest hit sectors earlier in the pandemic, impacting production of chicken, beef, and pork at the country’s largest producers. The shortages across the country displayed how reliance on …
With more states legalizing the use of marijuana, 2021 could be a big year for cannabis beverage and delivery companies. CANNABIS-INFUSED BEVERAGES GAINING TRACTION The global cannabis beverage market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of …
Many investors are chasing the next RX Bar deal. They scan trade PR, follow Bevnet, and angle in aggressively on the latest fad-driven startups. When these folks approach founders, they like to pressure the founder …
COVID-19 restrictions on parades, parties and pub crawls will likely dim the mood of many this St. Patrick’s Day. For the producers of no- and low-alcohol beverages, however, spirits remain high with a veritable pot …
Imports and exports may be slowing at West Coast ports, but that’s not due to a lack of demand: logjams at ports from Los Angeles to Seattle are complicating efforts by U.S. agricultural companies looking …
Amazon has been quietly expanding its grocery operations during the pandemic. EXPANSION IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD Amazon has opened 11 Amazon Fresh stores around the U.S., with plans for at least 28 more, as …
Lately, U.S. farmers are shipping record volumes of crops and meats across the Pacific. A key factor at play: three years after the beginning of a trade war, China is reviving its trade relations with …
Throughout the pandemic, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies benefitted from purchases of classic CPG items like canned vegetables, pasta, and coffee, as consumers stocked up during quarantine. However, as the country opens back up, CPG …
Global food prices are the highest they’ve been in six years, with the price of agricultural commodities traded on the global stage rising 50% since the middle of 2020, according to economists at Rabobank. Additionally, …
Wendy’s relaunched its national breakfast menu just weeks before states began issuing stay-at home orders due to COVID-19. While breakfast sales at most fast-food chains stagnated during the pandemic, the Wendy’s breakfast menu performed surprisingly …
Non-profit organization Conscious Kitchen recently shifted an entire California school district’s food supply chain to 100% organic. The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) and Conscious Kitchen provided their first 100% USDA-certified organic weekly …
U.S. coffee processors are reporting significant cost increases in their operations, mostly related to transportation, and expect to raise retail prices soon. Mid-sized and smaller roasters have been hit hardest, but even larger companies say …
Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), a day created in 1911 to celebrate the achievements of women. These days, IWD is largely viewed as an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of women in areas such …
While the gap between food insecurity and food waste is significant, increased government, industry and community efforts can narrow the divide. But with global food demand projected to rise anywhere between 59% to 98% by 2050 …
Agriculture-related losses from the recent winter storm in Texas are estimated to total at least $600 million, according to the Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service, reported The New York Times (March 4). Here’s a breakdown …
Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently proposed that shifting beef consumption in wealthier countries to 100% synthetic alternatives could significantly reduce carbon emissions in the long term, reported MIT Technology Review (Feb. 14). But …
President Biden denounced state leaders who are choosing to relax COVID-19 restrictions and protective measures at businesses including restaurants. Biden called the moves “Neanderthal thinking” and “a big mistake,” reported The Hill (March 3). His …
Danone is being pressured on three fronts: nondairy substitutes are failing to compensate for a slowdown in yogurt consumption, demand for bottled water has wilted, and infant formula sales have weakened due to slowing birthrates. …
Several retailers have released results for their final quarters of 2020, as well as their fiscal years. Among the noteworthy takeaways were the following: Publix says the pandemic increased fiscal 2020 sales by 12.1% Dollar …
A mentoring session from nearly six months ago still sticks in the mind of Talita Ramos Erickson. When speaking with a recent business school graduate, Ramos Erickson was informed the fledgling professional wouldn’t even consider …
Fruit and vegetable production, like all agricultural practices, must adapt to climate change. That is, producers – already experiencing soil depletion and water supply issues – will also have to contend with severe weather disruptions …
The latest USDA data shows that dairy farms are on the decline, while plant-based milk alternatives are growing in popularity. DAIRY FARM NUMBERS DECLINE USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s latest Milk Production report shows another …
Plant-based companies are finding a home in fast-food, as demand for meat-free options grows among consumers. About one-third of consumers said their consumption of various meat alternatives has increased over the past year, according to …
The combination of wanting to eat a healthier diet and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change has led to a meteoric rise in meat alternatives. But while consumers are increasingly incorporating plant-based proteins …
An influx of imports, plus work forces being affected by the pandemic, are causing backlogs at major U.S. seafood ports leaving stranded containers of frozen fish on ships and docks. Freezers in key port cities …
