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SFA completes Good Food Foundation integration

The specialty food org is welcoming former GFF members under its umbrella.

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) announced the completed integration of the former Good Food Foundation’s programs, services, and events under the SFA umbrella. This includes welcoming Good Food Guild and Merchant members to SFA and continuing the Good Food Awards and Good Food Mercantile events with Good Food’s established standards.

Beginning April 1, Good Food Guild and Merchant members fully transitioned to become SFA members. For these hundreds of specialty food businesses, this unlocks year-round access to research and education, networking, product photography, vendor discounts, the option to exhibit at SFA’s Summer Fancy Food Show and Winter FancyFaire* trade shows, and more, the org says. This member transition will mark the final step in the integration of SFA and Good Food, a process initiated by the Good Food board of directors in 2024 to ensure the continuation of the Good Food brand with SFA support and expand the opportunities available to Good Food members.

“We at SFA are beyond excited about the opportunity to work with Good Food crafters and retailers in new ways following this integration,” says Mary Beth Vultee, SVP of Membership at SFA. “There’s a reason that the Good Food Awards and Mercantile have such dedicated communities around them, and that’s the care and commitment to quality that Good Food crafters and merchants bring to their businesses. SFA believes strongly in these values, and we’re looking forward to supporting Good Food crafters with expanded benefits and opportunities in the years ahead.”

Good Food Guild and Merchant members will join SFA with a new distinction that reflects the history and values of the Good Food brand: Good Food Qualification. This new designation from SFA recognizes manufacturers and buyers who have met high standards for quality, sustainability, and more; existing Good Food standards, reviewed and updated in 2025, will continue to be upheld by SFA.

Other SFA members who wish to become Good Food Qualified will be able to apply for the designation starting in the summer of 2026.

This year’s Good Food Awards and East Coast Good Food Mercantile will continue as originally planned under SFA’s stewardship. Both the 2026 Awards and East Coast Mercantile will coincide with the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show, taking place June 28–30 at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The Mercantile will co-locate with the Fancy Food Show on Sunday, June 28, and the Good Food Award winners will be recognized and celebrated on the same day.

Looking beyond 2026, the Good Food Awards and Mercantile events will continue with the same spirit of quality, sustainability, and community that have long distinguished them within the food industry, SFA says. The 2027 West Coast Good Food Mercantile will co-locate with Winter FancyFaire* 2027, taking place January 17–19 in San Francisco, and the 2027 Good Food Award winners will be celebrated at the 2027 Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC.

The integration of Good Food members and programs reflects SFA’s ongoing evolution into a year-round resource for innovation, education, and connection for specialty food businesses of all sizes. Alongside SFA’s recent acquisition of the Natural Products Consulting Institute (NPCI) and expanded regional networking events, it reflects the Association’s renewed commitment to broadening its membership base and continuing its support for the various paths a brand may take in the CPG ecosystem.