Politics of Food: ConAgra asks Feeding America to help dispel myths of packaged food
Gary Rodkin, President and CEO of ConAgra, a leading US food manufacturer, gave a presentation labeled the "Politics of Food" at the Central Region Feeding America Conference on October 6 in Omaha, Nebraska. During the keynote address to attendees he acknowledged understanding "it's tough out there" for people seeking services and jobs, but also pointed out it's tough from a retail business standpoint. His talk focused on ConAgra's signficant contributions to food assistance organizations like Feeding America, but included some surprising comments that seemed at odds with the direction of US food banks. For background he explained ConAgra's roots going back to 1867, operating the largest flour milling operation. It's now a Fortune 200 company with 20,000 workers. It's products are found in 97% of US households.One-third of ConAgra's business is with commercial businesses, like milling for Pizza Hut. It's the largest potato produ...