SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Companies in industries around the world are seeking to combat a major global issue: food insecurity. What better industry to make strides than one that works with food every day?
During the “Telling Your Story: Baking Businesses and the Communities They Serve” panel at the 2024 American Bakers Association (ABA) Convention, attendees heard stories from several leaders in the baking sector making a dent in this systemic issue, not only globally but also in their local communities.
In 2023, Thomasville, GA-based Flowers Foods donated more than $7.5 million worth of fresh and recovery bakery products to food pantries across the US. A key component of the company’s outreach success is its employees’ involvement in the community and as drivers of the impact, said Heeth Varnedoe, president and COO at Flowers Foods.
Although Puratos USA does not produce finished baked goods, the global ingredient supplier still finds creative approaches to impacting the root cause of food insecurity.
Jaina Wald, VP of marketing and digital at Puratos, said not only do employees volunteer their time and energy for local events, but they also support community endeavors like their Recipe4Success program, which connects students with industry professionals and promotes awareness of STEM career paths in the food industry. The company even launched the first US bakery school so high school students have the opportunity to develop skills that benefit their futures.
Additionally, Puratos has a global sustainable cocoa sourcing program called Cacao-Trace: For every pound of chocolate sold, the company donates a specific percentage back to the cacao farming communities.
Partnering with individuals in local communities and asking for their help is another way to bring more success to a business’ charitable actions. Los Angeles-based Aspire Bakeries has seen it firsthand.
Beau Netzer, president of foodservice at Aspire Bakeries, identified a unique challenge in that 90% of the food Aspire Bakeries sells is frozen, and many food banks don’t have freezers. But through many of Aspire Bakeries’ connections, the company has discovered a variety of opportunities for its frozen bread, cookie dough and other products, including volunteer chefs baking the items before distribution to charitable organizations.
“We, too, have a number that we contribute and a number of pounds that we contribute to and donate every year, but it’s more about that connection we build on a local level,” Netzer said. “That’s really where the impact starts.”
Community and global change only happen when people — and companies — act. Those in the baking industry have the ability to positively affect others, especially those suffering from food insecurity, and they must remember that every effort matters.
“How I like to think about it is, you’ve heard the story about the boy on the beach and all the sand dollars that had washed up?” Varnedoe said. “He started throwing them into the ocean, and somebody said, ‘There’s no way you’re ever going to make an impact on this. [The boy] picked another up and threw it in, and he said, ‘Well, I made an impact on that one, right?’”
Visit the ABA website for more information on how the association is focusing on food insecurity as part of its new strategic plan.
