Understanding Demand Shifts for Grain-Based Foods: Workshop

September 28, 2004

A workshop sponsored by USDA's Economic Research Service and by the Farm Foundation. Hosted by The Food Industry Center, University of Minnesota, at the McNamara Center

Because the U.S. food market is a mature market, increased demand for any one grain-based food tends to come at the expense of demand for another. In addition, demographic influences, such as increasing ethnic diversity, and the aging of the U.S. population, are affecting grain-based food demand. This workshop will bring together individuals from government, the food industry, and universities who have experience analyzing demand for grain-based food products and have knowledge of data sources for assessing and monitoring consumption trends.

The workshop will focus on four topic areas:

Location

University of Minnesota
McNamara Alumni Center
200 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Dates and schedule

Monday, September 27, 2004: Pre-workshop Dinner, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004: Workshop, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The workshop registration desk will open at 8:30 a.m.

Registration

Registration fee: $450 per person; $150 for University or government employees.
Dinner, morning coffee and pastries, lunch and other refreshment breaks are included.

Registration and payment is due no later than September 10, 2004. The workshop will be limited to 50 participants, so register soon! A confirmation letter and directions to the workshop will be mailed upon receipt of your registration. If you have questions about registration, contact
The Food Industry Center at (612) 625-7019 or email tfic@apec.umn.edu

Cancellation/Refund policy

All cancelled registrations are subject to a $25 processing fee. A refund will be issued if written notification is received by September 10, 2004. No refunds will be issued after that date.

Hotel information

Please make your own hotel reservations. Below are some recommended hotels within 1 mile of the McNamara Alumni Center.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

8:30 – 9:00 Registration and coffee service

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome
Jean Kinsey, University of Minnesota, and Walter Armbruster, Farm Foundation

9:15 – 10:45 Perspectives on grain consumption and market issues

Session chair: Ron Olson, General Mills

Session description: A panel of representatives from industry, government, and universities will discuss current grain consumption and market issues to set the stage for a discussion of economic analysis and data needs and gaps.

Panel members:
Industry perspective: Greg Heying, Supervalu
Policy perspective: Representative from the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDA (invited)
Research perspective: Len Marquart and Lisa Harnack, University of Minnesota

10:45 – 11:15 Refreshment break

11:15 – 12:30 Consumer demand and market trends: What do the data tell us and where are the knowledge gaps? Part I

Session chair: Ben Senauer, University of Minnesota

Session description: This panel will draw on different data sources to illustrate the issues that can be analyzed with the current data infrastructure and to stimulate a discussion of data strengths and weaknesses for various purposes. Discussion may include data access issues, costs, and data quality issues, such as over and under estimation, sample size, representativeness for the various subpopulations, etc.

Presentations:
Food disappearance: Jean Buzby and Judy Putnam, ERS
Nutrition monitoring: Biing-Hwan Lin and Lisa Mancino, ERS
Discussion by data users: Helen Jensen, Iowa State University; Judi Adams, Wheat Foods Council; and Alison Eldridge, General Mills

12:30 – 1:30 Buffet luncheon

1:30 – 2:45 Consumer demand and market trends: What do the data tell us and where are the knowledge gaps? Part II

Session chair: Demcey Johnson, ERS

Session description: This session provides applications of retail scanner data to improve understanding of consumer demand and market trends.

Retail scanner data: Bill Goergen, ACNielsen
Taxing snack foods: An economic analysis: Fred Kuchler, ERS
Breakfast cereals demand trends: Jim Eales, Purdue University
Discussion: Oral Capps, Texas A&M University

2:45 – 3:15 Refreshment break

3:15 – 4:30 Breakout session

(1) Looking more closely at the current food supply estimates for grains: Data gaps and challenges
(2) Presentation of new product lines

4:30 – 5:00 Summing up: Do we have the data we need to analyze both fads and structural shifts?
Walter Armbruster, Farm Foundation

5:00 Workshop adjourns

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