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GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2015 www.gourmetnews.com EDITORIAL 1 0 "There's nothing wrong with America that can't be cured with what is right with America, and you all are what's right with America: a group of citi- zens investing their ener- gies and resources into their dreams." If there was one message repeated over and over again at this year's Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, it was the mantra that those who choose to make the world of specialty food their home have the power to impact society and enact positive changes in a way that even those elected to more ostensibly powerful positions do not. Today, at a time when so many have lost faith in a democratically elected government that often seems to be more focused on senseless bickering than in doing any real good for this country, it may in fact ultimately be American business and in- dustry and entrepreneurial spirit that end up pushing society to work towards a better future for themselves and their planet. In his keynote address, delivered on WFF's opening night, Seth Goldman, co- founder and CEO of Honest Tea, made an impassioned defense of the power of the specialty food industry to do good in the world. Quoted above, Goldman de- fined his business as "the business of change," arguing that as the founder of a mission-driven food enterprise, he feels personally responsible for changing American diets, American agricultural practices and labor practices around the world. Goldman compared specialty food entrepreneurs to America's found- ing fathers, who, despite limited re- sources, used their superior ambition, resourcefulness and ingenuity to build a nation from the ground up. He argued that it may just be the scions of the American food industry that shape how this country evolves moving forward. Goldman's was not the only voice at the Winter Fancy Food Show promoting business and entrepreneurship as a solu- tion to the world's social, economic and environmental woes. In his thought leader talk on the final day of the show, Gary Hirshberg, cofounder and Chair- man of yogurt company Stonyfield re- minded everyone in attendance not to forget that, as members of the American specialty food community, they are not only involved in the business of food, they are also involved in the business of politics. "The moment you sell some- thing, you're in politics," he said. "You vote every time you buy something." Similarly, in their educational session dedicated to helping showgoers "Make Food Trend Work for Your Business," food journalists David Sax and Kara Nielsen connected food professionals' power to shape future trends to their power to influence society more broadly. "Food trends translate into power – po- litical power," said Sax. It was impossible to leave San Fran- cisco without a profound appreciation for the ways in which food and the peo- ple who craft it affect the world in which we live. However, I was also reminded that with great power comes great re- sponsibility. If food entrepreneurs are to accept the task of bettering the world in which they operate, they must also con- tinue to pay close attention to the prob- lems that face that world – from malnutrition and environmental degra- dation to obesity and illness – and care- fully consider what will be their unique role in responding to these concerns moving forward. GN — Lucas Witman, Editor 520.721.1300 WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Kim Forrester Jules Denton jules_d@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com EDITOR Lucas Witman editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS David Bernard Amber Gallegos GRAPHIC DESIGNER Yasmine Brown ACCOUNT MANAGER Lynn Hilton CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Caitlyn Roach caitlyn_r@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales Tara Neal tara_n@oser.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. 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Gourmet News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified profession- als in the retail and distribution channels of the specialty foods and hardgoods trade; paid sub- scriptions cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 an- nually to cover air delivery. All payments must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gourmet News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. FROM THE EDITOR

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