Foodservice Industry Picks Up Pace of Change, Amidst a
Growing Focus on Climate Change, Water Scarcity, Added Sugar, and Innovation
Around “Plant Forward”
Hyde Park, NY – The 2016 Menus of Change Annual Report was released by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T. H. Chan School
of Public Health at the fourth annual Menus of Change® leadership summit, held
at the CIA’s Hyde Park, NY campus. Each year,
along with case studies and trend analysis, the annual report rates the foodservice
industry’s progress toward addressing public health and environmental
imperatives. , comprised of leading scientists, analysts, and foodservice
business leaders from across the country, rate the food industry’s progress
each year and provide executive briefings on the latest scientific findings and
business developments.
The ratings this year presented a mixed picture but with
substantial movement in the right direction. The culinary profession and the foodservice
industry are playing a key role in improving what we eat, and the pace of positive
change is increasing noticeably. In the past year, the foodservice industry has
begun to recognize the rising cost from lack of visibility into supply chains
and other environmental factors, yet it will need to more urgently address
threats to the industry from climate change and water scarcity. While change on
environmental issues remains slow, the stage is now set for substantial
improvements and tangible business benefits. Already, investors are pricing in
the value of companies that pay attention to environmental concerns and
actively manage their supply chains and expecting all companies to do the same.
The report also examines the convergence of environmental
and nutrition science and public policy at the center of our plates. Earlier
this year, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) released their
assessment of the state of the American diet and what we should be eating.
Notably, and for the first time, the guidelines—and especially the earlier
report of the DGA scientific advisory committee—found that many Americans eat
too much red meat and that adults need to substantially reduce the amount of
added sugar they consume in foods and beverages. The two reports raised
awareness among both policy makers and the general public about the same
nutrition research and environmental science that are at the foundation of Menus
of Change, citing both the health benefits of plant-forward dietary patterns,
such as the Mediterranean diet, and also the environmental benefits of eating a
larger share of plant-based foods.
Meanwhile, in Paris this winter, the United Nations held its
annual Conference of the Parties (COP), bringing the world’s nations together
to find ways to address climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Remarkably, this 21st meeting resulted in the first-ever global agreement on
how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and hold temperate increases to only 2º
C, just below the level that would trigger the most challenging changes in our
weather, water availability, and sea levels. That agreement set goals that
nations can only achieve this if we change the way we grow food and the foods
we choose to eat—imperatives that riveted the attention of Menus of Change
summit attendees.
The Menus of Change summit, held June 14–16 at the CIA’s Marriott Pavilion, was attended by more
than 400 chefs, food and foodservice leaders, scientific experts, investors,
and entrepreneurs. In addition, classes of CIA students attended with their
faculty as part of their course work, and hundreds more from around the world
joined on a live , which is available for anyone to
watch.
Highlights of the conference included plenary sessions on
the investor community’s growing expectations that foodservice companies
actively improve their sustainability and social responsibility performance,
steps to reduce antibiotic use in foodservice industry supply chains, and how
competing companies can create collective value by working together on issues
such as fish, seafood, and the health of our oceans. The conference also
featured advice for succeeding in the business of plant-forward food from
leading chefs, business executives, and marketing experts.
“At a time when Americans are increasingly shifting their
food choices to reflect greater interest in health and sustainability, our
nation’s chefs and foodservice operators have never been more engaged, more
passionate about re-imagining the future of American menus,” says CIA President Tim Ryan. “Through our Menus
of Change partnership with Harvard Chan School, we are committed to helping our
industry both build on the very promising innovation we are already seeing as
well as become more strategic about accelerating the pace of change.”
The report, general session webcast, and many other
resources can be found at . To keep
up with more news about Menus of Change and its principles at work, subscribe to regular updates on the
website and follow @CIALeadership on Twitter with
#CIAMOC.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
Photo 1: The 2016 Menus of Change Annual Report was
released at the fourth annual Menus of Change leadership summit on June 14. It
includes an analysis of issues at the convergence of public health, the
environment, and the business of food, plus and updated Dashboard of how the
food and foodservice industries have progressed—or not—since last year's report
was issued. (Photo credit: J Wright Design)
Photo 2: One of the 12 breakout sessions during
Menus of Change, “The State of Nutrition Science,” was a conversation
about the dietary guidelines, paleo diets, and more that featured (left
to right): Robert Lawrence, MD (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health), David Katz, MD, MPH (Yale-Griffin Prevention Research),
Allison Aubrey (NPR), and Walter Willett, MD, DrPH (Harvard T. H. Chan
School of Public Health). (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
Photo 3: Dr. Tim Ryan ’77, president of The
Culinary Institute of America, opened Menus of Change 2016 with a review
of accomplishments from past conferences, the CIA-Harvard partnerships,
and how the CIA continues to fulfill the promises of healthy,
sustainable, and delicious food choices. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
Media Contact:
Jan Smyth
Marketing Manager
845-451-1457
j_smyth@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute
of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to driving
leadership development for the foodservice and hospitality industry, the
independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate degrees in culinary arts and
baking and pastry arts; bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary
science, and applied food studies; and executive education through its Food
Business School. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the
think tank of the food industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability,
world cuisines & cultures, and professional excellence & innovation.
The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and
enthusiasts. Its worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every
area of foodservice and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California,
Texas, and Singapore.
About the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to
educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas
that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of
leading scientists, educators, and students from around the world, we work
together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people’s lives—not
only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual
behaviors, public policies, and health care practices to create a healthier
world. For more information, visit .
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