About CFA

Mission

The Connecticut Food Association is dedicated to promoting the growth of Connecticut’s retail grocery community and its supplier network.

The Connecticut Food Association

The Connecticut Food Association is the state trade association that conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations on behalf of its 240 member companies—food retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and service providers in the state of Connecticut. CFA’s members in Connecticut operate approximately 300 retail food stores and 135 pharmacies. Their combined estimated annual sales volume of $5.7 billion represents 75% of all retail food store sales in Connecticut. CFA’s retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms, and independent supermarkets employing over 30,000 associates. CFA’s 90 associate members include the supplier partners of its retail and wholesale members.

Since 1933, the Connecticut Food Association has been a powerful advocate for the food industry in the state. We are continuously proving to be a dynamic and productive force in the arena of state public policy. The CFA also serves as a source of food industry information to the media, communicating a positive image and a unified voice for Connecticut’s grocery community. As a member, you will receive one-stop shopping for products and services, legislative and regulatory assistance, insurance needs, networking opportunities and more. The CFA government affairs team is your advocate before the State legislature, the Governor’s office, and numerous state regulatory and administrative agencies.

With years of experience and relationship building through our contract lobbying firm, Nome Associates, coupled with our legislative committee actively involved in the lobbying process, CFA enjoys the respect and effective conduits to the legislators on your behalf. Our efforts save you thousands of dollars each year by defeating adverse proposals as well as securing legislation beneficial to the food industry. Our endeavors have included and will continue to embrace issues affecting food safety, workers’ compensation, business taxation and environmental stewardship and food policy.

Brand Pillars

  • Economic Development

    • Grocery industry employs over 33,000 CT citizens
    • Grocery industry pays $600 MM in state taxes
    • Grocery industry pays over $1.4B. in wages to CT employees
    • Grocery industry provides job training for over 2,000 HS & College students per year

  • Nutrition & Wellness

    • Offering nutritional guidance and food solutions that encourage families to break bread together day in and day out – Price Chopper “Family Mealtimes Matter”
    • New meal platforms and a go-to guide with inspirational recipes and meal solutions that help customers save time, save money, and eat well – Ahold USA (Stop&Shop) Savory: “Fast, Fresh and Easy”
    • Walking the aisles with a nutritionist to learn smart shopping choices and meal planning tips for improving blood sugar control – Big Y “Living Well Eating Smart”
    • New ways to shop for healthier foods by providing shopping lists that help consumers find Gluten-Free, Heart Healthy, Organic and Low Sodium products – ShopRite “Nutrition Shelf tag program”
    • Providing hundreds of Connecticut brand products that are found in every department from the finest Connecticut grown produce and floral items to a wide selection of gourmet grocery, bakery, deli and meat items – Highland Park Markets

  • Community Service

    • Programs Addressing Food Insecurity – food drives, food bank donations,
      commitments to increase access to fresh food in undeserved areas
    • Neighborhood Health Improvement Programs – nutrition education, blood drives, health related runs/walks, sustainability education and community involvement
    • Youth Development Programs – education, employment, job readiness,
      mentoring/tutoring
    • Highlighting the oft-unheralded good that grocery stores contribute to their local community and encourage others to find their way to pay it forward.

  • Environmental Stewardship

    • Improving Connecticut’s comprehensive recycling infrastructure to be more cost-effective and simple
    • Moving beyond transactional relationships into collaborative partnerships with donation agencies, waste providers, and other diversion partners enabling better access to viable options and new ideas
    • Recycling unavoidable food waste, diverting it from landfills
    • Reduction of plastic bag usage by expanding incentives to motivate consumers to reduce, reuse, and recycle

  • Government Advocacy

    • Building meaningful working relationships with Connecticut lawmakers and state agencies
    • Implementing political strategies that benefit CFA members and creating coalitions with business partners
    • Being regarded as a trusted resource, as well as “the” voice of the food community, for policymakers, affiliates, consumers and the media
    • Operating with the highest ethical standards on behalf of members since 1933