The global food and beverage industry today faces unprecedented challenges. Geopolitical unrest, shifting tariffs, regulatory change, and rapid technological advances are reshaping markets and threatening stability. Compounding these pressures is a workforce model under significant strain and challenged by immigration restrictions, demographic changes, and economic uncertainty.

Yet within this disruption there is an extraordinary opportunity. Employee ownership, a proven and resilient business structure, is gaining fresh momentum just as thousands of business owners worldwide approach retirement. Guy Raz, award-winning host of the popular “How I Built This” podcast, described employee owners as “architects of ownership—of purpose, of responsibility, of a shared mission and shared rewards.” When implemented effectively, and at scale, employee ownership has the potential to transform the food and beverage sector into an industry where people can build meaningful livelihoods, strengthen their communities, and share equitably in the rewards of business success.

When Bob Moore transferred ownership of Bob’s Red Mill to his 700 employees in 2010, he demonstrated how employee ownership could transform both workers and businesses in the food industry. By the time he passed away in February 2024, he left behind more than just a successful whole-grain foods brand; he left a legacy for how businesses can create lasting value for both employees and communities.