The latest FI Fast Break news podcast discusses the especially early arrival of pumpkin spice season this year, one restaurant chain's new "micro-targeting" initiative, and more.

In this episode of Food for Thought Leadership, host Chris Campbell, Vice President of Content and Insights at The Food Institute, speaks with Brittany Borer, The Food Institute’s meteorologist turned food reporter, about the potential arrival and implications of a Super El Niño. Borer explains how a Super El Niño differs from a typical El Niño and examines its potential effects on global weather, including elevated temperatures, heavier precipitation, flooding, drought conditions, and ongoing water-management challenges in the American West.

The conversation focuses heavily on what these weather shifts could mean for agriculture and the broader food industry. Borer identifies coffee, rice, sugar, seafood, beef, dairy, tea, and cocoa among commodities vulnerable to price fluctuations. She and Campbell also discuss how food companies can prepare by monitoring crop conditions, futures prices, freight and export restrictions, and inventory levels. Borer recommends diversifying suppliers, considering ingredient substitutions, using seasonal and local alternatives, and establishing contingency plans before weather-related disruptions occur.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine how the overabundance of discounts is actually working against many fast-food chains these days.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we discuss the dire situation California lettuce growers find themselves in this summer.

In this episode of Food for Thought Leadership, Chris Campbell, Vice President of Content and Insights at The Food Institute, speaks with Joe Slater, President and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, about the changing realities of food insecurity and how food banks are evolving to meet growing demand. Slater explains that today's food-insecure population increasingly consists of working adults holding one or more jobs, as rising living costs outpace wages and changes to federal assistance programs leave many households with few options. He also discusses why healthy foods, including fresh produce, protein, milk and eggs, have become the most sought-after items among families seeking assistance.

The conversation also explores how Gleaners has transformed beyond the traditional food bank model by building earned-revenue businesses in wholesale produce distribution, protein processing, co-packing, kitting and logistics. Slater explains how advances in supply chain efficiency, automation and AI have dramatically reduced excess food donations, forcing food banks to become smarter purchasers rather than relying primarily on surplus inventory. He closes by encouraging stronger partnerships between the food industry and charitable organizations, arguing that sharing data, technology and operational expertise will be just as important as food donations in addressing future food insecurity.

More about Joe Slater:

Joe Slater serves as Chief Operating Officer for Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, where he oversees operations and strategic initiatives that support the organization's mission of leading the fight against hunger. With more than two decades of experience in supply chain management, food sourcing, and nonprofit leadership, Joe has helped drive innovative programs and partnerships that increase access to nutritious food while strengthening collaboration across the Feeding America network. Under his leadership, Gleaners and its social enterprise, Fresh Connect Central, have become national leaders in collaborative sourcing, protein repacking, and creative distribution solutions that maximize resources and expand impact.

More about Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana & Fresh Connect Central:

Founded in 1980, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana serves 21 counties across central and southeastern Indiana through a network of more than 300 community partners and direct service programs. To further extend its impact beyond Indiana, Gleaners launched Fresh Connect Central (FCC), a social enterprise focused on collaborative food sourcing and supply chain solutions for hunger relief organizations. Today, FCC partners with more than 150 food banks and organizations across 46 states and Puerto Rico, moving tens of millions of pounds of food annually through sourcing, repacking, and logistics solutions. Together, Gleaners and Fresh Connect Central are leveraging innovation and strategic partnerships to maximize resources, strengthen the Feeding America network, and create greater access to nutritious food for communities nationwide.

Learn more: https://www.gleaners.org/

The latest FI Fast Break podcast examines America's peptide boom and what it could mean for the nation's desire for anti-aging.

This Episode is Sponsored by: City National Bank 

Trends tend to come full circle, and that could not be more true for Coast Packing, which has recently seen renewed demand for its lard and tallow products amid rising consumer interest in natural ingredients. City National Bank’s Justin D’Affronte steps in as guest host to talk with Coast Packing CEO Eric Gustafson about his company’s family legacy and the business climate in California.

More about Coast Packing:

With a legacy some 100+ years in the making, Coast Packing Company’s ties with its customers, partners and suppliers are both broad and deep. Coast Packing was founded as a Southern California livestock and meat‐packing business in 1922 and expanded over the years into a regional food‐industry powerhouse.

Learn more: www.coastpacking.com

More about Eric Gustafson:

Eric R. Gustafson is Chairman and CEO of Coast Packing Company (Coast), the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings, mainly Lard and Beef Tallow, in the Western United States. He is the fourth generation to own and operate Coast, has served on its Board of Directors since 2009, and was named CEO in 2010. Gustafson is responsible for guiding the company’s strategic vision and initiatives, and leads business development, client relationships, and procurement. Over the last 15 years, he has directed all key areas of the business and built the current leadership team to execute Coast’s business strategies. He has proudly guided Coast into its 104th year in business. Prior to being named CEO, Gustafson was Vice President of Operations and held various Sales and Marketing positions.

More about City National Bank:

City National Bank is dedicated to helping clients thrive and communities prosper. Founded in 1954, City National is the largest bank headquartered in Los Angeles with $98 billion in assets as of April 30, 2026.

A subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), City National delivers personalized service and specialized expertise in wealth management and private banking, entertainment and sports banking, commercial banking, and consumer banking, with branches and banking offices in major markets across the Western, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S. City National and its investment affiliates manage or administer $112 billion in client investment assets. In 2025 alone, the company made charitable contributions of nearly $11 million to nonprofits that support the communities it serves.

City National Bank. Member FDIC. City National Bank does business in the state of Florida as CN Bank. For more information, visit cnb.com.

In this episode of Food for Thought Leadership, FI VP of Content and Insights Chris Campbell sits down with FI CEO and Managing Partner Brian Choi to examine the growing disconnect between economic headlines and the reality facing consumers and food businesses. The discussion explores why declining gasoline prices and moderating CPI figures fail to capture persistent food inflation, weakening consumer sentiment, and the financial pressures driving more Americans to rely on debt to purchase groceries. Choi explains why key indicators—including hiring trends, consumer confidence, and corporate bankruptcies—paint a much more cautious picture of the economy than many market headlines suggest.

The conversation also examines the role of artificial intelligence in today's economy, separating the hype from its practical business value. Campbell and Choi discuss whether AI investments are delivering meaningful returns, the impact of automation on employment, and the growing consumer backlash against AI-generated content. The episode concludes with a look at the biggest challenges likely to shape the food industry over the next two years—from inflation and changing consumer behavior to climate risks and the need for companies to remain agile, data-driven, and strategically focused.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine some unique changes to back-to-school shopping behaviors this year.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine how AI might impact the labor sector in the near-term and beyond.