Stocking Up: How the Grocer and Consumer Can Take Back Food Choice

Sam Mogannam, Owner, Bi-Rite Market, San Francisco
Rex Stewart, Founder and Owner, New Leaf Markets, South Bay Region
Michael May, Owner, Harvest Hills Market
Naomi Starkman, Food Policy Media Consultant – Moderator

What is the grocer’s role in feeding our society? Why are highly processed and packaged foods cheaper than an apple? Behind the displays on supermarket shelves is a web of politics, economics and strategic marketing that influences product placement and, ultimately, consumer purchasing decisions. Caught in the middle are American eaters. Panelists will discuss the path that food takes to get to our table and the role that grocers play in feeding us. They will also explore alternative models and ways to inspire change in supermarkets – what they sell, where it comes from, how it arrives to them and how they choose to merchandise it. By saying “no” to business as usual and “yes” to responsible farmers, ranchers and small producers, panelists believe that grocery retailers can be part of the solution for making healthy, sustainably produced foods more accessible to the shoppers they feed.

MLF:  Bay Gourmet
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Cathy Curtis
Also know: Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation