The agriculture industry in North Carolina (including food, fiber and forestry), contributes around $70 billion to the state’s economy. (http://ncgovdocs.org/guides/agriculture.htm) From farms, processing, wholesale and retail distribution, to the table, there is much to discuss and learn.
FoodCon is a daylong event focused on the business of sustainable food with a goal of bringing together a diverse audience of students, community members, and business professionals who have a shared interest in the sustainable food industry. UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Net Impact students (Elisa Elkind and Brianne Abramowicz, both MBA ’15) had an idea in 2014 to host a conference to talk about the business of sustainable food. Since then, their idea has grown to include partner schools, who each take a turn to co-host the event, Duke University and NC State. This event is a collaborative effort between the three schools that surpasses ‘Tobacco Road’ rivalries. The 2017 event came back to UNC Kenan-Flagler with a theme of ‘Good For All: Sustainable. Profitable. Accessible.’
Within these Proceedings, you will find key takeaways from current MBA students on each of the panel sessions and keynotes from the day.