Move reflects a broader focus on the food marketplace

ARLINGTON, Va. – The former Food Marketing Institute on Tuesday officially rebranded itself as FMI – The Food Industry Association.

The change reflects a strategy to “more broadly represent the food marketplace and embrace a more interconnected supply chain, the trade association said.

“FMI provides the most productive forum for connecting and holding constructive dialogue across the food industry,” FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in a statement. “Driven by consumer relevance, we are in the business of food, wherever it is bought, sold or produced, and we are well-positioned to represent everything in the shopping basket — and work closely with every participant in the marketplace.”

Today’s new food marketplace requires a wider focus in order to reflect the range of experiences of grocery shoppers, according to FMI, which said that its brand is changing to reflect that.

“Over the last two years, we’ve inspired a recommitment, a renewal of vows among the FMI membership,” said FMI board chairman Joe Sheridan, who is also president and chief operating officer of Wakefern Food Corp. “We’ve even changed who can be a member in the association as a logical step in a direction we’ve been traveling for years, offering greater parity between retailers and their product supplier partner members at the board of directors level.

“As our customers change, so do our industry and our association to better serve and reflect their needs.”

FMI sees its mission as involving four key role. They are:

• Effectiveness on public policy. “FMI plays a pivotal role in serving as the central voice of the food industry, leading the charge with legislative and regulatory bodies to bring attention and make progress on the issues that affect its members, the organization says. “FMI has a long track record of success, from affecting legislative bills to arguing for causes at the highest level, including the U.S. Supreme Court.”
• Commitment to the issues that matter. “FMI boldly tackles the issues that matter most to its members, helping illuminate today’s priorities and identify the next ones on the horizon. FMI employs thought leaders on mission-critical areas for the industry, such as food safety, and has the expertise and focus to serve as a go-to source for thinking, information and education.”
• A forum for high-impact industry dialogue. “FMI has a long-standing, close relationship with senior executives at the leading food industry companies, as well as other industry associations, and provides a uniquely powerful forum for bringing the right industry participants together to share best practices, problem-solve and operationalize for results.”
• Dedication to consumer and operational insights. “FMI is regarded as the foremost thought-leader in consumer and operations research. For decades, FMI has acknowledged and respected the role of the shopper. FMI envisions the future for both a physical and digital shelf where an omnichannel shopper will be the ultimate influencer in how the food industry does business.”

FMI came into being more than 40 years ago when the Super Market Institute and the National Association of Food Chains merged. FMI said its new identity points to a more modern and inclusive strategy for the association to enhance the industry’s supply chain and support the noble work of feeding families and enriching their lives.

“As Sidney Rabb, chairman of the board for the Super Market Institute and CEO of Stop & Shop said in 1949, ‘The essence of all my messages as president . . . can be reduced to one short sentence: Let us lead the way in forging ahead together that there may be more for all.’ There are no truer words to demonstrate respect for our history and the integrity of FMI as the food industry association,” Sarasin said.