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Stonewall Kitchen
Painterland Sisters
Ariston Specialties
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VOLUME 88 • NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 2023 • $7.00 • NIFA Investing $35M in 5 Youth Projects on Climate Change, Nutrition Security
N E W S P A P E R
• Bunge, Viterra, Affiliates to Form Global Agribusiness Company PAGE 8
• Even If Autumn Isn’t Quite in the Air, Popular Pumpkin Spice Season Is PAGE 10
• Kraft Heinz to Reduce Use of Virgin Plastic in Global Packaging by 20 Percent by 2030 PAGE 11
• Giant Food, Divert Process 31 Million Pounds of Wasted Food in First Year of Collaboration PAGE 12
• Vinegar Is Ready for Close-Up
T H E
G O U R M E T
I N D U S T R Y
How Paul Newman Inspired a Non-Profit To Launch a Tea & Coffee Company BY A.J. FLICK
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F O R
Everything at Grace Farms has a purpose. The main structure, called the River building, was specifically designed to inspire visitors to the bucolic New Canaan, Conn., non-profit’s campus to pause to contemplate thriving as individuals and a community. The 80 acres of Grace Farms are a mixture of simple, sleek mid-century designed buildings surrounded by lush lawns and preserved natural landscape. Since 2015, visitors have been welcomed to roam the grounds and participate in many events designed to nourish curious
minds about community, humanity and the environment, locally and globally. “The place of Grace Farms was intentionally designed around nature to create a reflective and restorative space to consider innovative ways to advance the common good,” according to Grace Farms literature. “Our experts across disciplines, in collaboration with our local and global partners, create unprecedented outcomes.” “During our first five and a half years, we were free and open to the public,” said CEO Adam Thatcher. “People could engage
in world-class programs about parks, justice, community din-
HOT ITALIAN’s fare back to DoorDash to presenting dishes from his Passione Emporio on board a luxurious yacht to creating vegan pizza and gelato that taste every bit as good as the Old World recipes. Cercatore has a lot on his plate, to be sure. His epicurean journey began in Italy. After a one-year stint in the military, Cercatore saw his future in the restaurant business, so he went to culinary school – not just
Members of Gen Z have felt pressure on them since childhood to eat a certain way to communicate their identity and beliefs, which has created negativity and anxiety among this food-obsessed generation, according to recent research from Ketchum. Gen Z has been deemed the foodie generation, but the research reveals a darker side to their relationship with food, including 61 percent recounting the childhood pressure. The wide-ranging research study from global communications consultancy Ketchum expands upon its legacy of food insights, intelligence and landmark research by examining the attitudes and beliefs of Gen Z about food. It builds upon Ketchum’s Food 2020 research, which defined approximately one-quarter of the population as Food eVangelists, influential consumers seeking to change the food system. Ketchum’s newest food research reveals that approximately half of Gen Zers are classified as Food eVangelists, which is significantly higher than the general population, signaling increased engagement with food systems.
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Continued on PAGE 14
ners – a wide range of programs.” Grace Farms was all about connecting people to each other, their community, the world, Continued on PAGE 13
Italian Chef Enjoys Making Americans Happy
BY A.J. FLICK
The word “happy” comes up often when talking with Fabrizio Cercatore, maestro pizzaiolo and
as ‘Eternal Condiment’ PAGE 16
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founder of California-based Passione Brands and HOT ITALIAN.
“Everybody loves pizza,” Cercatore says. “It would solve many issues in the world if everyone would bring pizza because that would make everybody happy. Think about it.” Perhaps nothing makes Cercatore happier than finding different ways of presenting all the beloved flavors of his native Italy to customers, from his restaurants to bringing his Berkeley restaurant
Gen Z Feels Pressured About Food
Construction Workers’ Hunger Affects Productivity The majority of construction workers are not eating enough and that hunger can affect productivity and quality standards, with more than half (51 percent) worried that they or a coworker could make a mistake on the job as a result, according to a recent report from ezCater. Running on empty calories all morning long is the norm, according to the report, with 78 percent of respondents saying they begin work before 8 a.m. and 55 percent work longer than eight hours. On top of that, most construc-
tion workers (57 percent) surveyed start their day with only a coffee or energy drink at least three days per week – making the lunch break a fundamental part of their workday. The report, “How Food Fuels Construction Teams,” polled 500 construction professionals to understand how they eat on the job site and the impact that food has on their performance. Cost, time and access are barriers to buying lunch, according to the construction workers. Cost is the most commonly cited barrier to buying lunch,
with 37 percent saying it’s too expensive. Following that, 35 percent cited not having enough time to get lunch and 29 percent said limited access to food options prevents them from buying a meal. Providing food on the job site increases productivity. Without lunch, workers feel sleepy or have low energy (44 percent), are less focused (39 percent) and unmotivated (35 percent) on the job. When asked, 65 percent of construction workers said free meals would motivate them to work harder.
When employers provide lunch, construction professionals take notice. Employers who provide food as a perk are able to retain their employees longer, with 75 percent of construction workers agreeing they would continue working for a company that provides free meals. More than half (77 percent) agree free meals would make them feel appreciated and 61 percent said they’d be more willing to accept a job offer from a company that gives free lunch. Continued on PAGE 14