The Center for Food Integrity

What The Center for Food Integrity does

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) is a 501(c)(3)-affiliated national nonprofit founded in 2007 and headquartered in Gladstone, Missouri (Kansas City area), with 1-10 employees and Charlie Arnot as CEO since its inception. The organization helps the food and agriculture value chain build consumer trust through proprietary belief-based intelligence frameworks, research products, training programs, influencer networks, and industry coalitions.

CFI's core offering is the CFI Integrated Trust System™, a proprietary framework launched in May 2026 that operates as a continuous five-phase loop (Predict, De-Risk, Align, Activate, Measure) and delivers four integrated capabilities: CFI Trust Intelligence™ (powered by five CFI Insight Engines™ representing distinct consumer belief archetypes — Progressive Disruptors, Authenticity Seekers, Rationalists, Comfort Seekers, Strategists), Strategic Alignment facilitation, the Trusted Voices Network™ (vetted credentialed experts and influencers scored via the CFI Influencer Power Score™), and Trust Measurement (annual CFI Trust Index™ and CFI Net Trust Score™). Supporting products include Engage™ Training, Consumer Panels, CFI Workshops, the Best Food Facts consumer content platform (84K+ page-one keywords, 123K+ email list, 200+ university experts), the Transparency Assessment, and the peer-reviewed CFI Trust Model™ (co-developed with Iowa State University and published in the Journal of Rural Sociology, showing shared values are 3-5x more important than expertise in trust-building). CFI also convenes major industry coalitions including the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture.

The business model is membership-based nonprofit with annual dues providing access to the full Integrated Trust System, supplemented by professional services revenue streams including training programs, speaking engagements (Speakers Bureau), consumer panels, and Strategic Solutions engagements. The Growing a Healthier America (GaHA) initiative — a coordinated national response to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement — operates on tiered funding from $10,000 to $100,000+. Members span the full food and agriculture value chain, with named enterprise members including Kroger, Sysco, Cargill, Corteva Agriscience, Compeer Financial, Bush Brothers, Chick-fil-A, Costco, PepsiCo, and WK Kellogg, alongside commodity boards, universities, and individual farmers.

Name

The Center for Food Integrity

Legal name

The Center for Food Integrity, Inc.

Website

https://foodintegrity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Food Integrity is a Kansas City-based nonprofit founded in 2007 that helps food and agriculture value chain members build consumer trust through proprietary belief-based research, intelligence tools, training, and industry coalitions, serving enterprise members including Kroger, Sysco, Cargill, and Corteva.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CFI operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization. Members pay dues to access the full power of the CFI Integrated Trust System, including research access, CFI Trust Intelligence tools, Net Trust Score benchmarks, full research library, exclusive member events, peer network, agenda-setting influence, and annual CFI Trust Index reports.
2. Training & Workshops: Engage™ Training programs offered virtually and in-person, tailored to specific organizational needs and audiences. Also includes workshops on Optimizing Sustainability, Transparency Index, and Gene Editing. Consumer Panels provide moderated panel discussions with screened consumer representatives tailored for specific organizations.
3. Speaking Engagements: CFI Speakers Bureau provides research-informed sessions at events covering topics including trust evolution, belief-based consumer research, the CFI Trust Model, values-led engagement, and CFI Trust Intelligence. Sessions can be delivered as keynotes, breakouts, or workshops ranging from 45 to 90 minutes, in person or virtually.
4. Strategic Solutions Engagements: Custom strategic engagements including CFI Trust Intelligence services, Strategic Alignment Facilitation, and specialized consulting around trust-building for food system organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) provides research-based trust intelligence, frameworks, training, and strategic solutions that help food and agriculture organizations build consumer trust. Its core offering is the CFI Integrated Trust System™, a proprietary framework built on the CFI Trust Model™ (peer-reviewed with Iowa State University) and the CFI Insight Engines™ (five belief-architecture models), delivered through annual membership, training programs, and paid strategic engagements.

Product overview

The Center for Food Integrity offers a portfolio of integrated trust-building products and services organized around its core proprietary framework, The CFI Integrated Trust System™. The system comprises five phases — Predict, De-Risk, Align, Activate, and Measure — and four integrated capabilities: CFI Trust Intelligence™ (powered by five CFI Insight Engines™ representing distinct consumer belief archetypes), Strategic Alignment, Trusted Voices Network™ (a vetted influencer and expert network scored via the CFI Influencer Power Score™), and Trust Measurement (including the CFI Trust Index™ and CFI Net Trust Score™). These core capabilities are supported by a suite of supplementary offerings including Engage™ Training, Consumer Panels, CFI Workshops, the CFI Transparency Assessment, and research products such as Truth Defined Research and the annual CFI Trust Index. CFI also operates content and convening platforms including Best Food Facts, 3Squares Live!, and the annual Transparency Summit, and leads sector coalitions such as the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture. The organization operates the Growing a Healthier America (GaHA) initiative as a coordinated national response to MAHA-aligned narratives. Membership provides full access to all products and services including priority access to Trust Intelligence tools and benchmarks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CFI Integrated Trust System™: Proprietary framework linking predictive consumer intelligence to strategic alignment, activation and measurable trust outcomes
• CFI Trust Intelligence™
• CFI Trusted Voices Network™
• CFI Trust Index™
• Growing a Healthier America™ (GaHA)
• Engage™ Training
• Best Food Facts
• Foundation for Food Integrity (FFI)

Products and services

• CFI Membership Program Annual membership for food and agriculture organizations providing access to the CFI Integrated Trust System, research library, CFI Trust Intelligence tools, Net Trust Score benchmarks, peer network, and agenda-setting influence.
• CFI Integrated Trust System™ Proprietary research-based framework for food and agriculture organizations that links predictive consumer intelligence to strategic alignment, activation, and measurable trust outcomes across five phases: Predict, De-Risk, Align, Activate, and Measure.
• CFI Trust Intelligence™ Proprietary belief-based intelligence model that reveals how a narrative will land through the lens of trust before an organization acts, querying five distinct consumer belief archetypes individually or across groups.
• CFI Trusted Voices Network™ Vetted community of influencers and credentialed experts (dietitians, food scientists, veterinarians, toxicologists, physicians, agricultural researchers) mapped by platform, audience profile, and topical focus, scored and matched to consumer belief archetypes.
• Engage™ Training Interactive, discussion-driven training programs grounded in CFI's Trust Model that equip participants with shared-values communication principles to build consumer trust in critical conversations. Offered virtually and in-person, tailored to specific organizational needs.
• Consumer Panels CFI-moderated consumer discussion panels where food and agriculture organizations hear directly from carefully screened consumers representing a cross-section of today's market, with questions tailored to provide meaningful insights into motivations and perceptions.
• CFI Workshops Focused workshops covering topics including Optimizing Sustainability, Transparency Index, and Gene Editing, designed to build organizational capability around trust and transparency in the food system.
• CFI Transparency Assessment Research-based benchmarking tool that measures an organization's performance against CFI's seven validated principles of transparency, providing actionable data points to guide strategies for enhancing stakeholder trust.
• Trust Research & Insights Full library of CFI trust research, consumer insight reports, emerging trends briefings, Gen Z research, and technology trust studies, including the annual CFI Trust Index and the Shifting Beliefs Report tracking year-over-year changes in consumer belief systems.
• CFI Speakers Bureau Research-informed speaking sessions for events covering trust evolution, belief-based consumer research, the CFI Trust Model, values-led engagement, and CFI Trust Intelligence, delivered as keynotes, breakouts, or workshops ranging from 45 to 90 minutes, in person or virtually.
• Growing a Healthier America (GaHA) Initiative National food-system-wide initiative providing a coordinated, collaborative, values-led response to the MAHA movement, offering belief-based consumer insights, a messaging framework, stakeholder toolkit, digital insights briefs, and influencer activation to counter misinformation at scale.
• Source Verification Comprehensive origin verification program for food and commodity supply chains, provided through a partnership between CFI and Source Certain, designed to improve transparency and traceability outcomes and build consumer trust.
• Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture CFI-convened coalition of food companies, academic institutions, farmer organizations, NGOs, and gene-editing technology developers that developed a Framework for Responsible Use in Agriculture to increase transparency and stakeholder engagement to build trust in gene-edited products.
• Strategic Solutions Engagements Custom strategic engagements for food system organizations, including CFI Trust Intelligence services, Strategic Alignment Facilitation, and specialized consulting around trust-building.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Benson HillminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2022Benson Hill endorsed the Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture, developed by the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture convened by CFI.
• Corteva AgriscienceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2022Corteva Agriscience is the first company to achieve verification of operating in conformance with the Coalition's Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture.
• Iowa State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFI partnered with Iowa State University to develop the peer-reviewed Trust Model, published in the Journal of Rural Sociology. This academic partnership established CFI as the first organization to build a research-based consumer trust model in the food system.
• FMI – The Food Industry AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFI partnered with FMI on major belief-based consumer research including 'Truth Defined: Mapping Consumer Beliefs in Food & Agriculture' and 'Consumer Acceptance of Gene-Edited Foods' research studies. FMI Foundation provides executive sponsorship of research initiatives.
• Consumer Trust Insights Council MembersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly convening of food industry thought leaders, academics, and social scientists including Charlie Arnot (CFI CEO), Lauri Baker (University of Florida), Ernest Baskin (Saint Joseph's University), Vincenzina Caputo (Michigan State University), Sherry Frey (NielsenIQ), David Hughes (Imperial College London), Steve Markenson (FMI), Kevin Ryan (Malachite Strategy), Susan Schwallie (Mangaso Consulting), Diana Leza Sheehan (PDG Insights), and Ricky Volpe (Cal Poly).
• Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture ParticipantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coalition, convened by CFI, includes food companies, academic institutions, farmer organizations, NGOs, gene-editing technology developers, and related associations. Framework for Responsible Use endorsed by Benson Hill, BIO, Cargill Inc., Corteva Agriscience, Costco Wholesale, FMI, Genus PLC, PepsiCo, and Tropic Biosciences. Corteva is the first company to achieve verification of operating in conformance with the framework.
• Coalition for Sustainable Egg SupplyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFI convened the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply bringing together animal welfare scientists, university researchers, NGOs, egg suppliers, and restaurant/foodservice and food retail companies to study and evaluate laying-hen housing systems through comprehensive research.
• Growing a Healthier America (GaHA) Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaHA brings together farmers, food makers, retailers, scientists, and health voices to reclaim the food narrative. The initiative has tiers including Leadership Council ($100,000+), Leadership Roundtable ($50,000+), Champions ($25,000-$49,999), and Supporters ($10,000-$24,999). 818 partners trained through GaHA webinars.
• Malachite Strategy and ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKevin Ryan, Founder and CEO of Malachite Strategy and Research, co-hosts the 3Squares Live! webcast with Charlie Arnot (CFI CEO) and Susan Schwalle, providing expertise on food science and food anthropology.
• Circana (formerly IRI and NPD Group merger)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircana conducted the 'Consumer Acceptance of Gene-Edited Foods' survey using an online predictive research platform assessing purchase likelihood, believability, and willingness to pay among U.S. consumers ages 18-70.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FMI – The Food Industry Association: FMI is the broad trade association for food retailers and wholesalers, with research capabilities including consumer-facing studies. Comparable to CFI as both a partner (Truth Defined and gene-editing research co-producer) and an adjacent incumbent offering overlapping consumer-insight products to the same member base.

Direct peers

• The Hartman Group: Hartman is a consumer research and advisory firm specializing in food, beverage, and wellness — highly comparable to CFI's belief-based segmentation, ethnographic research, and syndicated food-and-agriculture insights used by the same enterprise buyers.
• U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA): USFRA is a farmer- and rancher-led nonprofit that builds consumer trust in American agriculture through research and storytelling — directly comparable to CFI's mission, member model, and focus on shared-values communication across the food value chain.
• Animal Agriculture Alliance: The Alliance is a nonprofit that builds trust across the animal agriculture value chain through research, consumer engagement, and stakeholder convening — directly comparable to CFI's Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply work and its broader trust-building remit in animal-ag.
• International Food Information Council (IFIC): IFIC is a nonprofit that communicates food safety, nutrition, and health information to consumers — directly comparable to CFI as a food-system-focused trust and consumer-research organization serving overlapping enterprise audiences (food manufacturers, retailers, associations).

Others

• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT): IFT is a scientific society for food science and technology — adjacent to CFI as a food-system organization whose members overlap with CFI's enterprise base and whose evidence-based content parallels CFI's Best Food Facts platform.
• The Pollack Group (food and beverage PR): A consumer PR and communications firm with a dedicated food and beverage practice serving many of the same enterprise customers as CFI — adjacent rather than directly comparable, but competes for the same trust-building and stakeholder-engagement budgets.
• Circana (formerly IRI + NPD): Circana is a large consumer insights and market research firm that partnered with CFI on the Consumer Acceptance of Gene-Edited Foods study — an enabling research vendor whose syndicated consumer panels and category data overlap with CFI's own belief-based research infrastructure.

Emerging players

• The Good Food Institute (GFI): GFI is a nonprofit that builds consumer and policymaker trust around alternative proteins — comparable to CFI as a food-system trust builder using research, coalition work, and narrative engagement with overlapping donor and corporate member profiles.
• Food Tank: Food Tank is a nonprofit think tank focused on building a better food system through research, journalism, and convening — partially overlapping with CFI's thought-leadership and events model, though focused more on global sustainability than consumer trust specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/foodintegrity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@foodintegrity
• Facebookfacebook.com/FoodIntegrity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-food-integrity
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodintegrity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Center for Food Integrity