More than 100 congressional offices heard from baking industry leaders during the i2026 Bakers Fly-In and Policy Summit, Sept. 15-17 in Washington, D.C. The event was hosted by the American Bakers Association in partnership with the Retail Bakers of America and the American Society of Baking, uniting commercial and retail bakers behind shared policy priorities.
Representing the commercial and retail baking industries, 100 baking leaders met with the congressional offices to discuss policy issues shaping the sector, from workforce and transportation policy to food safety regulation, while carrying the industry’s new “Baking Feeds America” advocacy campaign to Capitol Hill.
“The baking industry has an incredible story to tell, and our advocacy communications campaign, Baking Feeds America, is helping us tell it in a bigger, more visible way,” said Eric Dell, president and CEO of the ABA. “This week, commercial and retail baking leaders came together to tell that story directly to policymakers, demonstrating the strength of our collective voice and the impact we can have when we advocate for our industry.”
Campaign debut
The Baking Feeds America campaign reinforces the role bread and baked goods play in American diets, families and communities. Participants highlighted that baked goods are found in nearly 99 percent of American households and that enriched and whole grain breads are important sources of fiber, iron, magnesium, B vitamins and other essential nutrients. Advertising appeared at Reagan National Airport, on bus shelters and on a mobile digital billboard, with materials also provided to congressional offices.
Policymakers, regulators engage directly
Special sessions brought attendees face to face with FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Rep. Tony Wied (WI-08) and Department of Labor Chief of Staff Courtney Walter. Expert speakers included Miriam Guggenheim, partner and co-chair of Covington & Burling’s food, drug and device practice group; Ryan Snyder, director of governmental and legislative affairs for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Arun Venkataraman, partner at Covington & Burling; and Danielle Waterfield, policy director and general counsel at Ameripen.
“Bringing baking professionals together in Washington strengthens the connections and collective voice needed to advance our industry,” said Kristen Spriggs, CEO of the ASB. “Through our partnership with ABA and RBA, leaders from across the baking community can share real-world perspectives with policymakers and demonstrate why the issues being debated in Washington matter to baking businesses, their employees, and the communities they serve.”
“Retail bakeries are so much more than the products we make. They create jobs, support local economies and are often true gathering places in their communities,” said Marissa Sertich, executive director of the RBA. “The Bakers Fly-In gives retail bakers an opportunity to share those stories directly with policymakers and make sure the voice of small bakery businesses is represented in the conversations and decisions that impact our industry.”
Food safety, next generation programs round out week
The Food Technical and Regulatory Affairs Professionals Group Conference concluded the week, bringing baker and supplier leaders together on regulatory, food safety and nutrition issues. Dr. David Acheson, a former FDA associate commissioner for foods and now president and CEO of The Acheson Group, discussed managing supplier-driven food safety issues. Erin Ball, president of the Grain Foods Research Institute, and Shelley Maniscalco, partner at Nutrition In Demand, presented new research, while Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and CEO of the International Food Information Council, shared consumer research on how Americans perceive food processing.
Running concurrently, the ABA’s NextGenBaker Leadership Forum convened emerging leaders from baker and supplier companies. Keynote speaker Marc Palatucci of Future Today Strategy Group led programming on strategic foresight and scenario planning, and forum attendees joined the fly-in congressional meetings for firsthand advocacy experience.
Founded in 1897, the ABA is the largest trade association for the commercial baking industry, representing more than 350 baker and allied member companies.