Government Relations

The Food Industry Advocates for Needed Change

Advocacy work enables the food industry to foster mutually beneficial relationships with state and federal government to inform and shape policy that best enables our industry to effectively feed families and enrich communities. Few understand this ...

From Soup to Nuts: Competition Benefits Grocery Stores and Customers

It’s astonishing to think that the average supermarket carries about 50,000 different products and that every single one of these products – from the varieties of chicken noodle soup to the sizes of bags of pistachios – is negotiated with suppliers ...

Why the Senate Must Act on Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Legislation

This summer has been anything but quiet for those of us advocating for reforms to pharmacy policy. Case in point: the recently introduced bipartisan Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act would address the anticompetitive practices of pharmacy ...

Why Credit Card Fees Are Costing Grocery Customers More Dough for a Loaf of Bread

Every time a credit card is swiped at the grocery checkout, the retailer is levied processing fees by the credit card networks, Visa and Mastercard, and the handful of big banks that issue most of the credit cards in the ...

Food Prices – What Goes Up Must Come Down, Right? YES, But…

Many of the current challenges facing the economy as a whole have been aggravated and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the recent increase in grocery prices is not something that simply happened overnight or that is entirely pandemic ...

The Food Industry is Working to Improve Nutrition Security

Food retailers, product suppliers and manufacturers are working to improve nutrition security with creative solutions and partnerships, making it easier for consumers to access and afford nutritious foods and beverages. Across the country, FMI ...

Developing a Roadmap to End Hunger and Improve Health

The food industry has an important role to play in ending hunger and improving the health of all Americans. We are pleased to share our collective report to the White House which outlines action recommendations for the government, noted challenges ...

Collective Journey to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health

As we find ourselves busily interacting with so many dedicated folks across the country, all focused on the many topics and issues swirling around the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, we have decided to take a moment to pause ...

Why the FTC’s PBM Industry Study Is a Big Deal for Supermarket Pharmacies

Earlier in the month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the launch of an inquiry into pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide information and records regarding their business practices. But, what are PBMs exactly and why is this a big ...

Calling FMI Members: Engage in Discussions on Hunger, Nutrition and Health

Over 50 years ago, the first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health was held with the goal to “put an end to hunger in America for all time.” The report included over 1,800 recommendations to influence nutrition policy over the next ...

Photo Friday: FMI Joins Gov. Youngkin on Better Business Opportunities Discussion

FMI's Elizabeth Tansing and Mike Green joined a number of FMI members in meeting with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to discuss ways to lower the cost of doing business in the state and getting more Virginians back to ...

How Does FMI Know the Current State of the Food Industry?

The answer is from YOU. We know because the industry tells us each year when we ask, as we have been doing every year for more than 70 years. The first ever The Food Retailing Industry Speaks (Speaks) report appeared in 1949. Seventy-three years ...

Policymakers Should Invest in Our Children by Strengthening Nutrition Programs

Improving federal child nutrition programs in a way that aligns with science and supports overall child health and well-being, both in school and at home, is vital to the health of our families and our nation, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture ...

VIDEO: Food Retailers and Government Work Together during COVID-19 Pandemic

In this video, FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin and Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher discuss the significant investments food retailers made in enhancing store safety measures and the industry’s partnership with government agencies ...

VIDEO: The Impact of Tax Increases on Food Retailers

Over the last year, America’s grocers stepped up and made the necessary investments to safely keep stores open and shelves stocked. Now, after one of the most challenging years for the food retail industry, lawmakers are proposing raising business ...