Equal Opportunity Through Supplier Diversity

<p>By: Cynthia Brazzel, Director, Member Relations &amp; Advocacy</p>
<p><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/analyzing-people-brainstorming-business-business-people.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=22227251_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="analyzing-people-brainstorming-business-business-people" title="analyzing-people-brainstorming-business-business-people" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" />E pluribus unum, meaning &ldquo;Out of many, one.&rdquo; This iconic Latin motto speaks to the heart of the American ethos. Put another way, one could interpret the phrase as &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all in this together,&rdquo; which is not only an apt description of democracy, but also of the food industry. Throughout its mighty supply chain of producers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, the food industry proudly boasts a diverse community of workers from all different walks of life. Ensuring that these supply chain workers &ndash; regardless of their racial, ethnic, gender or sexual identity &ndash; are given equal opportunity to succeed is essential to maintaining a fair, innovative and smooth-functioning industry.</p>
<p>To fulfill this critical responsibility, over 45 of your fellow FMI members have participated in the development of the <strong><em>FMI Supplier Diversity Best/Next Practices Guide </em></strong>(<strong><em>The Guide</em></strong>) and we would like to invite you to join us. <em>The&nbsp;Guide</em> will serve as a resource for industry members large and small.&nbsp; FMI&rsquo;s Supplier Diversity committee, comprised of 20 member companies, is leading this initiative for the industry; the goal of which is to provide the foundation for FMI&rsquo;s leadership in advancing supplier diversity, racial equity, economic justice, and community transformation in America.</p>
<p>The FMI Supplier Diversity Taskforce has entrusted Ralph G. Moore &amp; Associates, Inc. (RGMA) to combine their four decades of experience, industry research, and wealth of supplier diversity expertise within FMI to produce <em>The Guide,</em> which will include the following components:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A compendium of current best practices and projected next practices in advancing supplier diversity throughout the industry </li>
<li>A survey and analysis of the current state of supplier diversity within our industry</li>
</ul>
<p>Your participation will ensure <em>The Guide</em> will be an impactful tool to support the growth of supplier diversity in our industry. That&rsquo;s why we strongly encourage you to take an active role in uplifting marginalized voices by writing your own Supplier Diversity Best/Next Practices article. Doing so will set the stage for the increased engagement of diverse suppliers and impact supplier diversity throughout our industry. Please visit our website for <a href="http://www.fmi.org/SupplierDiverityBestPractices">helpful guidance</a> on how to develop such an article on behalf of your company.</p>
<p>FMI is proud to be a champion of supplier diversity. Rectifying long-established inequities in the food industry is a solemn and necessary duty that all stakeholders should carry out with great zeal. After all, as the late senator from Minnesota, Paul Wellstone, once said, &ldquo;We all do better when we all do better.&rdquo;</p>
<p>We welcome your questions and comments at <a href="mailto:FMIProject@rgma.com">fmiproject@rgma.com</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">,</span> and RGMA will respond within 24 hours.</p>
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