Government Relations

Feeding Assistance for Every Shopper

FMI and its member companies have myriad resources for consumers to help navigate federal feeding programs and tips on how to shop on a budget and prepare affordable meals....

Photo Friday: Vice President Hosts Food Industry Panel at Hy-Vee, Inc.

In front of a small group of food industry executives, political and agricultural leaders, and members of the media, Vice President Mike Pence commended the industry for its extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, “You’ve done an ...

Considerations for Food Sector Continuity in a Reopening Economy

As more states begin to move forward with plans to allow businesses to reopen in the coming weeks and months, the food sector must be prepared to effectively transition from crisis operations to a new “normal.” FMI’s latest guide in its series of ...

We’re All In This Together

Since the early days of the pandemic, FMI staff have been tracking news stories recording the food industry’s responses to their communities. Our tracking is a growing spreadsheet updated daily with nearly 200 rows documenting stories of food, ...

Essentially Essential: A First-Hand Account of Value Delivered

In late February, (only two weeks into the job) I was assigned to the Crisis Management Team, a cross-departmental group focused on the looming coronavirus outbreak. It was just a month after I joined the FMI team in the headquarters office that I ...

Why We Need to Reform Card Not Present Transactions Sooner Rather Than Later

Millions of Americans are trying online grocery shopping for the first time and will continue to use it even after the stay-at-home orders have been lifted. According to our U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends COVID-19 Tracker data, 21% of Americans started ...

Is Online SNAP Coming to My State? If so, can my company participate?

Grocers also see a marked increase in online food sales with models like home delivery or pick-up. This process works well for those families paying with either credit or debit card, or with online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) ...

FYI: Additional SNAP Funds Headed to a State Near You

Congress implemented several changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The emergency allotments for current SNAP beneficiaries is one we want to make sure your ...

Keeping the Food Supply Chain Nimble

Last Friday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an emergency declaration that allows for motor carriers to be exempted from existing hours of service requirements for those responding to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) support....

Grocery Stores Remain Constant in Times of Need

Even amidst numerous state emergency declarations relative to mass gatherings impacting restaurants and bars, the White House re-emphasized that grocery stores will remain open during this national emergency....

It's A “SNAP” To Order Online and Pay At Store

FMI members are watching the pilot closely and awaiting their turn to enter the ecommerce market. While others are experimenting with different ways to serve their SNAP customers, FNS has permitted retailers to enable “click, collect and pay” for ...

The 2020 Strategic Playbook For The Food Industry

FMI and Oliver Wyman’s annual journal publication Boardroom provides a starting point. In fact, volume 5 of the journal is a strategic playbook for the emerging issues a food retailer or supplier should be discussing in their boardrooms—that’s how ...

What Shoppers Say About Produce Packaging

Shoppers are pushing back on plastic waste, but many consumers do recognize packaging can be important when it comes to product shelf life, food safety, in-store conditions, product information, portability and more. This is particularly true for ...

Current Congressional Rundown of Super Tuesday

We are just days away from Super Tuesday. Yes, we’re hearing a lot of news about the presidential election but let us not forget that there are 35 Senate seats and 435 House seats up for election, ...

Aligning Federal Programs with the Evolving Marketplace

FMI is focused on ensuring our members can reach and serve all their customers, regardless of how they pay or shop for their grocery items. FMI's Omnishopper Imperatives for Food Retailers study estimates online and in-store spending for food and ...