2025 marked one of the most transformative years in CFI’s history. From groundbreaking research to bold new initiatives, 2025 was a year of big ideas and even bigger impact for The Center for Food Integrity. Together with our members and partners, CFI advanced values-based engagement, delivered high-impact Strategic Solutions and launched a national initiative to rebalance the conversation around food and agriculture. Here’s a look at the strategic solutions, insights and developments that shaped the year.
Truth to Trust Research
For more than 15 years, CFI has been helping the food system build trust using our peer-reviewed and published Trust Model and insights from years of CFI consumer research. In 2025, we partnered with FMI-The Food Industry Association on our most comprehensive research to date, Truth Defined: Mapping Consumer Beliefs in Food in Agriculture. This belief-based research reveals five distinct consumer segments, how they view “truth” and which segments are the most important to engage to impact the public discussion around food. Throughout 2025, members and partners used these insights to strengthen internal alignment, refine messaging strategies, anticipate consumer reactions and prioritize engagement efforts based on segment-specific beliefs and values.
Truth to Trust Workshops: From Insights to Action
We’ve turned insights into action. Companies and organizations across the food system have utilized our comprehensive, interactive Truth to Trust workshops that built upon the research and resulting strategic framework, providing an unprecedented level of consumer segment detail. Together, we’ve tailored values-based engagement strategies that resonate with the most influential, consumer segments identified in our research. Participants walked away with segment-centric message maps, practical engagement tools and clear strategies for communicating with the audiences who shape today’s food culture.
Growing a Healthier America Launches
The national conversation about food is changing fast. The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has shifted public perception around ingredients, food processing, modern agriculture and the role of industry in health. Emotionally charged narratives are spreading quickly, creating confusion and eroding confidence in the food system. To bring balance, evidence and shared values back into the conversation, CFI launched Growing a Healthier America (GaHA) in 2025 bringing together farmers, food makers, retailers, scientists and health voices to reclaim the narrative, counter misinformation and strengthen trust across the entire food value chain. In 2025, CFI delivered GaHA engagement toolkits, launched bi-weekly MAHA narrative monitoring, hosted national trainings, activated a robust messaging framework and developed an Audience Engagement Workbook to help partners apply the strategy in real conversations. 2026 will mark GaHA’s Phase I: Ignite, scaling activation, testing message frameworks and launching influencer and expert engagement that humanizes food and farming.
Gene Editing Research: What Drives Acceptance
New consumer research from CFI and FMI – The Food Industry Association details how consumers perceive gene editing in food and agriculture and what drives their willingness to buy. The 2025 study, Consumer Acceptance of Gene-Edited Foods, found that consumers are significantly more open to gene-edited products when the benefits are clear, personal and values-based. When informed about the purpose and process of gene editing, purchase intent rose across all categories tested: pork, eggs, tomatoes and bananas. The research gives the food industry an evidence-based roadmap for how to communicate about emerging food technologies. These insights directly support CFI’s leadership of the Coalition for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture, providing a consumer-informed foundation for transparent communication, responsible adoption and cross-sector alignment.
A Deep Dive into Sustainable Aquaculture
Eight fun-loving foodie influencers experienced an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Indiana in August during the Best Food Facts Taste Tour 2025: Foodies, Fish and Fun! Sponsored by the United Soybean Board, the event featured tours at two innovative fish farms raising barramundi and shrimp – highlighting high standards of animal care, environmental stewardship and how soy plays an important role in animal nutrition. Topping off the trip was a hands-on culinary experience with a chef who helped the foodies transform fish into mouthwatering dishes. Influencers came away inspired to create compelling content and in the end that content surpassed 15.2 million impressions.
Building Traceability in Global Supply Chains
In 2025, CFI partnered with Source Certain to deliver science-based origin verification solutions that strengthen transparency, mitigate risks and build consumer and stakeholder trust, providing brands with a clear competitive advantage and alignment with ESG goals. This source verification solution can identify with precision the farm, fishery or forest from which a product, ingredient or commodity originated. In addition to partnership development, CFI led early U.S. commercialization conversations across proteins, produce, commodities, apparel and specialty crops, providing a trusted, science-based path to transparency and risk mitigation in global supply chains.
CFI Members Gather
CFI members and other food and ag industry stakeholders gathered twice this year for smaller, boutique events that allowed for robust conversation and networking.
Our March event, Evolving Consumer Expectations and the Impact on Our Food System, held in Newport Beach, Calif., featured leaders from prominent organizations including Kroger, Chick-fil-A, Freshpet, Cargill and the California Farm Bureau who shared insights on consumer trust, innovation trends, sustainability and evolving food preferences. CFI also shared its new belief-based consumer research.
In October, Innovating for a More Resilient Food System was held at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis. Discussions throughout the event sparked thoughtful reflection and practical ideas on how organizations can not only withstand disruption but build forward with purpose and trust. Organizations including Corteva, Deloitte, Elanco, John Deere, Mars, McDonald’s, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, U.S. Soy and more shared how technology and innovation – from the farm gate through processing to retail and consumers – are driving resilience. Insights from both events helped shape CFI’s 2026 strategic priorities, highlighting member and stakeholder needs around resilience, consumer narratives, transparency and the rapid pace of innovation.
New Members Have a Seat at the Table
In 2025, CFI was proud to welcome a diverse group of new members whose leadership strengthens our shared commitment to trust across the food system: Corn Refiners Association, National Restaurant Association, Elanco Animal Health, Freshpet, CropLife America and South Dakota Soybean Checkoff. Their partnership broadens our perspective, deepens our impact and helps ensure trust remains at the center of conversations across the food and agriculture landscape. This growing diversity strengthens CFI’s cross-sector perspective, enhances our coalition work and ensures that our research, solutions and programming reflect the needs of the full food value chain.
Strategic Solutions: Turning Insight Into Action
In 2025, CFI expanded its portfolio of Strategic Solutions to help organizations navigate complex food system issues with confidence. Through Truth to Trust workshops, Engage training, transparency assessments, sustainability frameworks, animal welfare guidance and source verification, CFI provided practical, values-led tools that helped members strengthen claims, improve communications and prepare for emerging trends and public narratives. Strategic Solutions became a key driver of member value and a cornerstone of CFI’s impact this year.
As we turn the page to 2026, CFI is poised to accelerate its impact with new research, expanded Strategic Solutions, scaled GaHA activation and deeper engagement across the food system. We look forward to partnering with our members and partners to lead values-based engagement, elevate informed public dialogue and strengthen trust in the innovations, people and practices shaping the future of food.