SFA News Daily asked Specialty Food Association's 2024 Leadership Award winners about the highest hurdle that specialty food makers and other industry stakeholders will face in the next 12 months.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge for the specialty food industry over the next year?
Phil Meldrum, FOODMatch, Leadership Award for Citizenship
“The biggest challenge will continue to be the supply chain. We need to explain the complexity of the supply chain to consumers and let them know the difficulty of bringing quality food to the U.S. at a price they can afford. We need to keep people connected with the source of their foods.”
Paul Abbott, Giant Eagle, Leadership Award for Outstanding Buyer
“Economic pressures will challenge retailers. Many specialty foods have high price tags and those prices are increasing. While the products continue to offer value, consumers are cutting back on what they spend. We need to convince them that specialty foods are worth the extra dollars.”
Anna Hammond, Matriark Foods, Leadership Award for Emerging Leader
“The biggest challenge is to create increased collaboration among different entities in the supply chain. Grocers, foodservice operators, distributors, and manufacturers need to work together to build a healthy environment for food companies that want to make a difference.”
Diego Silva, Avatar Foods, Leadership Award for Vision
“A skilled workforce will be increasingly hard to find. People do not want to work in manufacturing anymore. It will be difficult to change that mindset.”
Antonio McBroom, Primo Partners, Leadership Award for Equity & Inclusion
“Talent management will be challenging for specialty food companies, whether they are in manufacturing or retail. Recruiting and growing talent, then making sure the right people are in the right spots, is essential for growth.”
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