CEO Club Briefing

Denise M. Morrison

'75 President and CEO, Campbell Soup Company

Denise M. Morrison

'75 President and CEO, Campbell Soup Company

Limitless Local

Excerpt from remarks to Boston College Chief Executives Club  

April 12, 2017

TAKEAWAY: LIMITLESS LOCAL

Second, limitless local is a growing movement that embraces smaller and more regional farming and food production models that foster new narratives around quality, community, and place. It will challenge conventional approaches to manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. The change can be characterized as moving from big, slow, and removed to small, safe, agile, and regionally connected. It links networks of small-scale suppliers and modular factories to source ingredients and produce more agilely.

With the growth of both urbanization and globalization, consumers are becoming increasingly disconnected from their food. As consumer demand diversifies, this growth platform calls for more local, targeted, and varied product lines that offer authentic stories. This connects consumers to the taste of place, ensures quality, and responds with faster go-to-market innovation.

At Campbell's, our purpose—real food that matters for life's moments—and our real food philosophy are closely linked to the limitless local movement. We believe real food is food that we’re proud to serve at our own tables. Real food has roots. It should be made with recognizable, desirable ingredients from plants or animals. Real food is prepared with care. It should be crafted using ethical sourcing and sustainable practices that safeguard our natural resources. Real food should be accessible to all. It should always be delicious, safe, and available at a fair price—all three without compromise. And finally, we believe that transparency is the single most important ingredient in the recipe for earning consumer trust. Limitless local fosters a more intimate relationship with food—where it comes from, how it's made, and who are the people behind it.