NEW YORK — The board of directors of the Specialty Food Foundation (SFF), the 501c3 charitable sister organization to the Specialty Food Association (SFA), have voted to dissolve the nonprofit. The foundation will cease operations effective December 31, 2022. The Foundation was created to help meet the SFA’s goal of reducing food waste following its industry-leading annual Fancy Food Show events. It has been determined that working directly with local charities, food banks, and existing foundations is a more efficient way to meet that goal.
“The foundation added an unnecessary layer of complexity,” said SFA President Bill Lynch. “Getting food from our Fancy Food Show events to those in need is best handled by organizations with existing expertise and infrastructure in that space, like our partners at City Harvest.”
The foundation’s board of directors was charged with disbursing its remaining assets to organizations that shared the SFF’s commitment to being responsible stewards of the specialty food industry. The foundation is pleased to announce that Good Food Foundation and Upcycled Food Foundation have each received a grant of $50,500.
“With so many organizations doing important work, we had to think strategically about how these funds could be most impactful,” said SFF Board Chair, Nora Weiser. “Good Food Foundation and Upcycled Foods share our core values and will use the grants to rapidly advance programs that provide direct support to specialty food makers and retailers.”
Good Food Foundation celebrates, connects, empowers, and leverages the passionate and engaged, yet often overlooked, players in the food system who are driving towards tasty, authentic, and responsible food to humanize and reform American food culture. Upcycled Food Foundation supports research initiatives and educates the food industry about upcycled food to minimize food waste through reuse.
“The opportunity to fight climate change through upcycled food and products is immense,” says Upcycled Interim CEO Angie Crone. “Since 2019, we’ve helped divert nearly 1 billion pounds of food waste. This grant will allow us to continue those efforts while raising the awareness and visibility of upcycled foods at key industry events like SFA’s Fancy Food Shows.”
Good Food Foundation, Upcycled Foods, and the Specialty Food Association are committed to working together now and in the future on programs of shared interest to support those who grow, make, and sell specialty food.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has been the leading trade association and source of information about the $175 billion specialty food industry for 70 years. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors, brokers, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows; the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage for 50 years; the Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report and Today’s Specialty Food Consumer research; the SFA Product Marketplace, where buyers discover new products, network and connect with SFA members; SFA Feed, the daily source for industry news, trends and new product information, and Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association Podcast.
