Snac World - Official State of the Industry 2023 - 6

SNACK LETTER
take a closer look at
SNACKING
W
Welcome to the 2023 State of the Snack Industry
report. I encourage you to spend some time here. I
think you will find new insights and meaningful information
that sharpens the focus on our industry, our
growth, our innovation and the impacts of the current
economic climate on our work. IRI and Sosland
Publishing Co. worked hand-in-hand with us to refine
and retool this report to better meet your needs.
I am especially proud of our work to define the
economic impact of the snack industry. This
analysis helps us understand the impact our
industry has on our communities at the
local, state and national level. We employ
395,000 workers who earn $15
billion in wages each year. Our industry
pays $11 billion in tax revenue. Our
workforce generates $186.4 billion in
US sales across snacks and snack
adjacencies, which is larger than the
GDP of the Dominican Republic. The US
snacking industry is more than six times
the size of the US entertainment segment.
We know in 2023 and 2024 we will continue
to grow and innovate as an industry and as the
industry's trade association. At SNAXPO23, SNAC
International reaffirms its commitment to supporting
emerging brands through our Startups@SNAXPO
initiative. We're rolling out the red carpet for early stage
snack brands by offering incentives in the form of travel
funding, tailored education, connections to industry
mentors, and tours of the exhibit hall so they can learn
about key inputs along each step of the snack supply
chain. We're also making co-manufacturers and
co-packers more accessible through the Co-Pack
Central Pavilion, co-sponsored by Contract Packaging
Association, and we're giving startups the chance to
gain industry visibility by offering the chance to showcase
their products.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, SNAC continues
to be the industry's collective voice. Our persistent
presence means we have deep relationships and
can educate key policymakers when it matters most.
This year, we brought back our in-person Legislative
Summit with 65 congressional meetings. When supply
chains got tight, we stepped in to educate the White
House, Congress, EPA, FDA and USDA. This effort
was essential for the continued extension of the FDA's
policy allowing labeling flexibility and helping avert the
railroad shutdown. At the state level, we engaged
California's Prop 65 rulemaking and requested an
extension for reporting PFAS in food packaging from
the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Concise summaries on all of these efforts and more
can be found in the Issue Management Library on the
SNAC member portal.
Our broader commitment to education and leadership
development continues to bear fruit. SNAC's
Emerging Leaders Program at Georgetown University
is now in its eighth year. It continues to draw maximum
attendance, with alumni now serving on our
board. Our Excellence in Marketing Program with
Kellogg School of Business, another premier member
benefit, enters its fourth year with demand outpacing
capacity. And the addition of dynamic programming
for SNAC's WinS (Women in Snacks) program accelerates
our efforts to build a platform for meaningful
discussions and inclusion.
There is a lot to learn in this report, but an overwhelming
theme is the relevance of snacking in dayto-day
life, in our communities, in shaping federal and
state policy, and in service of the industry.
Keep snacking.
Christine M. Cochran
President & CEO
SNAC International
6
SNAC WORLD 2023
Snac World - Official State of the Industry 2023

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