Practices and strategies that promote the long term well-being of the environment, society and the bottom line will be the focus of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Food Industry Sustainability Summit, June 16-18, 2008, at the Grand Hyatt in Minneapolis.

Chief of World’s Top Conservation Group to Keynote Summit

World Wildlife Fund president and CEO Carter Roberts will be the keynote speaker at the Sustainability Summit.  He will discuss how to use the market to fight climate change and resource exhaustion.  As head of the world’s largest conservation organization, he will discuss how a new era of global threats has changed the way many institutions address conservation.

New Research to be Unveiled

The Summit will unveil new consumer research by Mitch Baranowski, co-founder of Bemporad Baranowski Marketing Group (BBMG). He will present new insight into sustainability-conscious consumers and how they reward companies that are honest about their processes and practices, authentic about products, and accountable for their impact on the environment and society. The Summit will also feature consumer research on sustainability from Catalina Marketing and FMI.

Strategic Issues and Practical Solutions

The general sessions, interactive forums, workshops and case studies will address strategic issues and offer practical solutions for food retailers and wholesalers who seek to differentiate their company by optimizing their sustainability programs. Industry leaders and sustainability experts from business, government, academia and advocacy groups will share their success stories.  

Attending the Summit will condense the information gathering process for those who want to incorporate sustainable business practices and gain a competitive advantage. The summit will explore how to implement green initiatives throughout companies, including:

Companies are encouraged to send their sustainability team to take advantage of specialized concurrent sessions.  They will learn how to incorporate sustainability into store design and perishables, how to manage waste and save money while doing it and even how to form a partnership to reduce and reinvent packaging. 

Food Marketing Institute
Arlington, Va.