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How is it possible that millions of Americans go hungry while billions of pounds of food go to waste every year? 

According to USDA statistics, in 2023, 13.5 percent of U.S.households experienced food insecurity at some point during the year. Simultaneously, over one-third of all available food went uneaten through loss or waste. ReFED estimates that for 2022, 88.7 million tons of food in the U.S. went unsold or uneaten. These figures highlight a striking paradox: while millions face hunger, vast quantities of nutritious food are wasted.  

This issue is urgent for several reasons, including the basic principle that no one should experience hunger or food insecurity. Additionally, food waste has significant environmental consequences: the production and disposal of unused food squander valuable natural resources such as land, water, energy and labor. The World Resources Institute (WRI) estimates that 25% of global fertilizer use is wasted due to

food loss and waste. Further, an estimated 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food loss and food waste.

Faced with these statistics, we are experiencing a global challenge: while more than enough food is grown to feed the world population, it is often in the wrong place and in the

wrong format to help those who need it most. This article seeks to explore a better understanding of the intersection of food insecurity and food waste and explore recommendations of how to solve both challenges together. 

The Dual Crises: Food Insecurity and Food Waste. 

What is Food Insecurity? 

Food insecurity occurs when households lack reliable access to enough nutritious food due to financial or resource constraints. In 2023, 18 million U.S. households, including 7.2 million children – experienced this hardship. 

In Chicagoland alone, one in five households with children faced food insecurity in the first months of 2024. According to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, 35% of households in the region cannot afford the basic cost of living. 

Where does Food go to Waste? 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that in 2019, the U.S. food manufacturing and processing sectors generated 40.1 million tons of food waste.

Going up in the value chain, 66.2 million tons of food waste was generated in the food retail (20%), food service (40%), and households (40%). 

ReFED is a nonprofit working to catalyze the food system toward evidence-based action to stop wasting food, used the latest available data to create this figure. 

Root Causes and Challenges

At the heart of the issue lies a mismatch between supply and demand. Reasons for food loss differ at every step of the supply chain. That is one of the reasons why there is no quick fix for this problem. ReFED created an overview of contributors to loss and waste:  

-              Farm Level: crops may not be harvested due to economic reasons, when the market prices are too low or for quality reasons, when crops are damaged or have cosmetic inadequacies, or due to a lack of labor force for harvest. Once harvested, quality and appearance criteria come and create culling. 

-              Processing stage: edible parts are trimmed from products: peeling of potatoes for fries, for example. Edible parts of foods are taken out of the production process and these byproducts often find their way to animal feed. Manufacturers may have acquired more raw materials than needed for production. 

-              Transportation: losses are created with perishable foods that are not stored under the right conditions. 

-              Retail: quality expectations are a big part of the food waste creation: the cosmetic perfection and freshness of fresh produce or the expired ‘sell by’ dates for example. Overstocked displays are another reason for waste.

-              Food service: the biggest part of food waste is due to plate waste: 70% of the food that is served is not eaten, as reported by ReFED.  

-              Households: reasons are summarized by poor planning and undervaluing of food: buying products in bulk to get a better price, but subsequently not consuming the food. Another reason for food waste at the household level is misunderstanding of expiration date labels, causing some people to throw away food before it is spoiled. 

The COVID-19 pandemic further revealed both the efficiency and fragility of food supply. While food services swiftly pivoted from dine-in to home delivery, meat processing facilities faced closures due to worker illnesses. Such disruptions, whether caused by a global pandemic, natural disasters or cyberattacks, can unintentionally lead to food waste. The 2021 USDA Agri-Food Supply Chain Assessment highlighted the interdependent nature of food systems, noting that even minor disruptions can have outsized effects. In the USDA assessment, one of the identified actions is to: “Strengthen data and market intelligence to enhance USDA’s understanding of supply chains and address disruptions early, reducing impacts on individuals and communities”.  

Besides disruptions in the supply chain, the mismatch between supply and demand is one of the reasons for food losses along the supply chain. ReFED reports that a significant percentage of marketable products are left unharvested as they were “planned surplus for contracts that had already be filled, or because the cost to harvest was greater than the selling price”. To improve this, improving systems of communication about the balance in supply and demand is vital, as well as innovative contract structures that don’t incentivize overproduction and finding alternative destinations for overproduction.

Innovative Solutions Bridging the Gap 

Food Banks and Redistribution Efforts of Nonprofits and government agencies play a critical role in tackling food waste. The EPA’s Sustainable Management of Food program, for example, promotes food redistribution to reduce food waste and feed communities. 

In FY 2024, the Greater Chicago Food Depository rescued enough food to provide 101.4 million meals to 80,000 families. 

Bigger Table: A Supply Chain Solution 

While traditional food banks address immediate needs, they often struggle with handling raw materials or unfinished goods. This is where the innovative approach of Bigger Table excels, serving as a platform across the supply chain. By partnering with manufacturers to repurpose surplus ingredients, Bigger Table produces nutritious, shelf-stable products for food pantries across Chicagoland and Illinois. 

Call to Action: Support Bigger Table’s Mission to Close the Gap.  

At Bigger Table, we’re tackling two critical challenges – food insecurity and food waste – by transforming surplus into solutions. But we can’t do it alone. Visit BiggerTable.org to learn more, partner with us, and donate today. Every contribution makes a difference. 

Here’s how you can contribute by participating in our upcoming events:  

-              Join our Bigger Table Volunteer Event December 13! Get involved to support the nonprofit in your community with Bigger Table smoothies.  

-              Culinary January: Indulge in an unforgettable culinary adventure while raising funds for Bigger Table. Mark your calendar January 15, for an unforgettable experience at Maman Zari. 

Sources and more information 

USDA Economic Research Service – Food Security Status of U.S. Households in 2023 

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/#foodsecure

ReFED – background information on food loss and food waste, facts, figures and solutions 

https://refed.org

World Resources Institute – numbers of food loss and food waste 

https://www.wri.org/insights/reducing-food-loss-and-food-waste

Greater Chicago Food Depository – Greater Chicagoland Hunger Report 

https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/news/2024-greater-chicagoland-hunger-report/

National Resources Defense Council – Issue paper on sources of food waste https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf

USDA Agri-Food Supply Chain Assessment 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/USDAAgriFoodSupplyChainReport.pdf

https://www.ams.usda.gov/supply-chain?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Environmental Protection Agency – Sustainable Management of Food Basics 

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-management-food-basics

As the year comes to a close, we find ourselves immersed in reflection, celebration, and preparation for the year ahead. The Year-End Celebration, hosted by CFBN and the Chicago Section IFT at the beautiful offices of Nixon Peabody embodied this spirit, combining philanthropy, inspiration, and forward-looking insights. The speakers shared their inspiring experiences. The event closed with a heartfelt gesture from the Chicago Sysco team, who presented a significant donation to Bigger Table. This contribution will help produce nearly 100.000 nutritious and healthy meals. We truly feel we ended the year on a high. 

Leaders, Inspiration and Insight 

After the attendees were welcomed by Sebnem Karasu, President of Chicago-section IFT and Alan Reed, Executive Director of CFBN and Bigger Table, the celebration turned to the speakers. Here’s the highlights:

Flavia Panza, VP Marketing and Innovation Strategy at Dairy Farmers of America: Embracing personalization and cultural authenticity. 

Representing the cooperative Dairy Farmers of America, Flavia emphasized the importance of personalization and cultural relevance in engaging markets, particularly the Hispanic community. She highlighted their significant role as a growing demographic, influencing household spending and food preferences. Cultural authenticity is essential to connect with your consumers. In 2025, Flavia expects the rise of personalization to redefine consumer engagement. The abundance of data will enable companies to understand consumers better. 

Bill McDowell, Editor-in-Chief and VP, Content and Channel Strategy at Institute of Food Technologists: What is old, is new again.  

Quoting Winston Churchill, “The farther back you can look. The farther forward you are likely to see”, Bill McDowell contextualized the trends shaping 2024 and 2025. While market volatility and price sensitivity dominate consumer behavior, he noted a spilt between cost-conscious shoppers and those prioritizing quality and taste. Trends such as health and wellness, continue to shape choices, pointing out that people will look for personalized solutions solving ‘new’ health issues such as gut health. Next year, authentic global flavors will get more emphasis as a trend driven by Gen Z and Gen Alpha. 

Prem Singh, President and CTO at Teinnovations, LLC: Innovation in Packaging 

Prem Singh showcased transformative packaging solutions, from methane-based plastics to biodegradable materials derived from sugarcane fibers. His examples, including a Lululemon shoe crafted from Starbucks coffee ground, demonstrated how innovation can turn environmental challenges into sustainable solutions.   

Whitney Jacks, Director of Local Sales at Sysco – Chicago: Cultivating the Underdog Spirit 

Whitney Jacks shared her company’s 2024 spirit: act as the underdog; staying hungry, scrappy and relentless as the way to win. Despite being an industry leader, Sysco embraces the ethos of Chicago – “the Second City that wins”. Her outlook for 2025 emphasizes integrative thinking as a way to foster collaboration, staying open for all the options, engage in new ways of doing things while leading teams through transformations and drive growth in challenging markets. 

Year-End Wishes 

The celebration concluded with networking, meeting acquaintances and making new connections. All of this with breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and Millenium Park providing the perfect backdrop. It was a perfect way to close 2024 on a high note and move forward to an exciting 2025. 

Illinois is uniquely positioned to lead the global paradigm shift driven by precision fermentation. The event on November 14^th brought together the key stakeholders from Illinois’ iFAB, along with professionals from the precision fermentation and biomanufacturing sectors. While bioprocessing and precision fermentation will help revolutionize a number of industries, this forum is focusing on the food & beverage industry in Chicagoland as a critical piece of growing capacity, trust, and capabilities in the region to help to build the required infrastructure. 

Image: the AI representation of precision fermentation

Upscaling biomanufacturing with iFAB

The event commenced with a keynote speech by Beth Conerty, Regional Innovation Officer at the iFAB Tech Hub. She positioned Illinois as the ideal location for biomanufacturing, citing its abundant feedstock, top-tier research and development at Illinois universities, established bioprocessing industry presence, excellent intermodal transportation options, and the iFAB Lab-to-Line approach. The potential for biomanufacturing to transform food production is immense: within 15 years, globally it is projected to generate a $200 billion market and create 1 million additional jobs by 2030. 

To address the high demand for scaling technology, iFAB provides essential facilities to help manufacturers transition from lab-scale to pilot scale and demonstration production. Without such infrastructure, businesses may be forced to outsource this production capacity overseas—a significant bottleneck and challenge for US companies. By enabling startups to scale up, professionalize, and commercialize locally, iFAB ensures that growth and innovation in the sector remain local. 

The keynote was followed by a brief networking session, allowing participants to connect with iFAB while sampling Nature’s Fynd yoghurts and cream cheeses. 

Panel Discussion: Overcoming challenges in upscaling

A panel discussion with stakeholders active in biomanufacturing, moderated by Kim Kidwell, Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, delved into the critical challenges for scaling up the industry. When talking about upscaling, the availability of large, steel tanks for fermentation is what is needed most. Panelists Jason Polzin, VP Process Development and Engineering at Bond Pet Foods, and Dan Griffis, Managing Director at ADM Ventures, both emphasized that sourcing tanks with the appropriate size and quality is a significant hurdle. Jason referred to this as a core part of the intermediate stage in scaling biomanufacturing operations. Dan added that scaling up production is critical to reducing costs and making products market-ready. Customer trial is needed, and he expects the big CPG companies to try and pilot it as a next step. 

Funding emerged as another crucial factor. Kaitlin Grady, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Public Affairs at Clever Carnivore, explained that companies in cultivating food products often face high costs due to their adjacency to the pharmaceutical industry. One significant challenge is developing scalable, cost-effective machinery for mass production of cultivated meat. 

Regulatory hurdles also pose challenges, from obtaining FDA/ USDA approval for cultivated meat as a novel foods to securing local permits and zoning for manufacturing facilities. Illinois aims to play a proactive, leadership role in addressing these issues. Chad Philips, Federal Policy Manager at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, emphasized the state’s 5-year growth plan for economic development which includes grant applications and measures to reduce bureaucratic red tape for companies.

Illinois’ unique position 

The panelists unanimously agreed that Illinois is uniquely positioned to lead advancements in this field. Kaitlin highlighted Chicago’s transformation from the historic meat production capital of the world to the cultivated meat capital of the world. Dan reinforced this by emphasizing Illinois’ access to critical resources such as corn sugar, energy, water and a diverse labor pool on the one side and the customers on the other side. However, competition from other states is emerging. Chad stressed the importance of staying ahead through targeted industry incentives and proactive measures to maintain Illinois’ leadership position.

Move fast. 
Embrace the chaos. 
Be prepared. 
Dare to jump on the bandwagon when something is about to go viral. 
Measure the impact of all your marketing activities. 

Those are some key take aways shared during the panel discussion “The New Rules of Brand Management”. A diverse panel with experts from food companies, communications and marketing agencies, video creators, and law firms exchanged views on the evolving landscape of brand management. Saverio Spontella, Senior Vice President Sales, Marketing & Innovation at Land o’ Frost, stated that “the ‘what’ in Brand Management has not changed, but the ‘how’ has changed significantly.” Ashley Findlay, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at Simple Mills added that, “the fundamentals haven’t changed: you still need to build a brand, articulate what you stand for, and, in the case of food, focus on taste, because that is what customers buy on, for starters.” 

Moving to the ‘how’, panel member Jessica Barrutia, Executive Vice President at Edelman illustrated it with this example: “the Today Show and Oprah used to represent the pinnacle of brand public relations success. Today, when your product appears on these platforms, it signals that the hype has already peaked and the product’s lifecycle is nearing completion”. 

Another important shift is the disappearance of the “linear consumer journey’” as Ashley noted. Content can originate from anywhere, leading to a much faster-paced environment. Sometimes, brands must seize emerging trends and take risks, even if actions are not fully aligned with all relevant departments. Land O’ Frost experienced this when their product appeared on the TV show Succession. The company responded by creating content in a “quick and dirty way,” which was appreciated in social channels and successfully enhanced the brand’s relevance. 

Preparedness and collaboration are essential for responding effectively in this fast-moving era. Tracy Hatfied, CEO of Social Snacks Video explained how her company supports clients by providing a ‘kitchen’ of video footage and clips, tailored to various audiences and showcasing different aspects of their products. With the growing importance of video in marketing, it has become an integral part of the early stages of campaigns. 

Janet Garetto, Intellectual Property Partner & Co-Leader of Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Practice at law firm Nixon Peabody, emphasized the importance of involving legal teams early in the brand development process. Once a brand concept gains traction within a company, it can be difficult to modify it if legal protection issues arise. The essentials for brand protection remain unchanged, but there definitely are some emerging trends such as portfolio refreshes, creating new marks and rebranding to reconnect with audiences. Globalization also raises a new challenge of how to safeguard brands in new markets around the world. 

Given the proliferation of content channels and diverse messaging, collaboration is critical, according to Ashley. If partners such as sales teams, retailers, agencies and PR teams are not aligned and sharing plans, “it can feel like working with one hand tied behind your back.” 

Data and the ability to measure marketing efforts have had a significant impact. Steve Gaither, EVP of Growth and Strategy at 1o8, highlighted that current metrics enable brands to measure expenses and compare data across all sales channels. This connection to specific Return on Investment measures is critically important and a newer tool in the brand manager’s toolkit. Saverio added that this data-driven approach also facilitates clearer discussions with management, as conversion data provide strong support for proposals. 

In summary, having a great brand alone is no longer enough to help your product succeed. It must continually build and demonstrate its relevance. But it is harder than ever to stand out, especially in the food & beverage industry. Effective branding still gives you that extra edge to win. No, brand management is not dead, but some of the tools and techniques historically used to achieve branding goals may now be outdated. But today’s fractured media environment requires new and creative tools to successfully keep your brands relevant and in front of consumers. 

We’re all familiar with traditional fermentation, where microbes naturally transform nutrients to create products like yoghurt, sourdough bread, and beer. But this is really just the beginning. Bioprocessing and precision fermentation processes and technology have the potential to revolutionize how we create food. So, what is it all about?  

Precision Fermentation is a specialized form of bioprocessing that programs microbes to produce specific food ingredients, like proteins, fats, flavoring agents, enzymes as well as non-food ingredients, such as fibers, textiles, and modern polymers. Imagine microbes that create dairy without cows, or egg whites without chickens! This technology offers significant sustainability benefits with the ability to manufacture products with a smaller ecological footprint.  

Though it may sound cutting-edge, the technology first emerged in the 1970s, when it was used to produce insulin. Today, precision fermentation is scaling up with new applications on the horizon. In Illinois, the iFAB Tech Hub and its “Lab to Line” approach play a pivotal role in upscaling bioprocessing, supporting the journey from lab-scale innovations to full-scale manufacturing. iFAB, together with its partners, is setting Illinois up as a key player in the future of precision fermentation. 

If you want to know more, join CFBN at the Partnership Forum on November 14th. More information: https://chicagolandfood.org/event-5855969 

ABCs of Crisis Management.docx

Bad hires - those individuals who are not a good fit for their roles or a company because they lack the necessary skills, don't align with the company culture, or fail to meet performance expectations. I know at least some of you are wincing at the memory of a bad hire you’ve encountered (or been involved with) in the past! It happens more than you think. In fact, according to CareerBuilder, 75% of employers admit they have hired the wrong person at some point.

When an ill-suited individual joins a team that shares common values and behaviors, the negative impact can be significant. These bad hires can impact efficiency, cause deadlines to be missed, and strain relationships as other team members compensate for the underperformer.

When a bad hire joins a cohesive team, it can also compromise team dynamics, communication, collaboration, and trust. This disruption can lead to talented individuals becoming disenchanted, potentially resulting in the loss of key team members and that’s when retention challenges begin.

On June 13, 2024, CFBN partnered with the Contract Packaging Association and held the sold out event  'Charting a Path for Success: Navigating Tomorrow's Technology and its Impact on CPG Manufacturing' , hosted at Frain's Industries.

Ron Puvak, Executive Director at the Contract Packaging Association presented the State of the Industry Report Update.  

Going into the 2023 tax year, Manufacturers and Distributors were left uncertain. However, M&D business owners now have the opportunity to take advantage of the summer months to properly plan for compliance with tax initiatives such as:

• Section 174
• Fixed assets
• Section 263A – UNICAP

Dairy farmers are responsible for some of our favorite nutritious and delicious foods. But did you know they’re also charged with producing those foods in a cow-friendly and environmentally sustainable way? Not everyone is familiar with the U.S. dairy’s commitment to communities and the planet. Many people have questions about the sustainability of dairy farming practices, including manure management and wastewater treatment. If that’s you, keep reading to learn the farming practices used to achieve dairy sustainability across the U.S.