Updated on September 19th, 2012.
Much of the U.S. food supply now contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Many people continue to have concerns that this controversial technology may not be safe, while others prefer not to buy any products linked to Monsanto, the largest company pushing the shift to GMO crops and forcing them into the marketplace without labeling. More than 90 percent of poll respondents in several polls said that they want GMO foods labeled.
Right now, the only way for the public to avoid GMOs is to buy certified organic products.
This November, Californian voters will have the opportunity to approve a ballot initiative (Proposition 37) that would require the labeling of all food products containing genetically modified ingredients. The organic industry has fractured into three groups, companies/brands that are financially supporting the labeling of GMO foods, those that have contributed funds against the labeling of GMO foods, and a few large organic-oriented companies such as Trader Joes and Hain Celestial, that have stayed oddly quiet on the issue, particularly when it comes to any sort of financial backing.
Following is a list, thanks largely to work of the Cornucopia Institute and the Right to Know campaign of which companies are supporting labeling of GMO foods, and which are not. You may want to thank your favorite brands if they are supporting the initiative, or let them know you are disappointed if you find them among the companies that are opposing it.
Organic Brands/Companies That Have Financially Supported the California Initiative to Require Labeling of GMO Foods
- Alex Bogusky — Fearless Revolution ($100,000)
- Amy’s ($100,000)
- Annie’s ($52,000)
- Baby’s Only ($2,500)
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds ($4,000)
- Burroughs Family Farm ($5,000)
- Clif Bar ($100,000)
- Cups Organic cupcakery ($25,000)
- Dr. Bronner’s ($290,000)
- Eden Foods ($10,000)
- Earth Balance ($34,000)
- Earthbound Farm ($10,000)
- Frey Vineyard ($35,000)
- Glutino ($33,000)
- Good Earth Natural Foods ($25,000)
- Health Force ($10,000)
- Late July Organic ($12,500)
- Lundberg Family Farm ($200,000)
- Mercola.com – Dr. Joseph Mercola ($1,100,000)
- Michael Funk – CEO of United Natural Foods ($50,000)
- Mintwood Media Collective ($1,250)
- Mom’s Organic Market ($10,000)
- Mother’s Market and Kitchen ($20,000)
- Nature’s Path ($600,000)
- New Chapter Organics ($10,000)
- Nutiva ($50,000)
- Organic Consumers Association ($40,000 Association/ $730,000 fund)
- Organic Valley ($50,000)
- OrganicVille ($7,500)
- Pacific ($10,000)
- Presence Marketing ($20,000)
- Sambazon ($10,000)
- Stonyfield Organic ($500,000)
- Straus Organic ($2,500)
- Sunfood Super Foods ($3,000)
- Tofurky ($5,000)
- Traditional Medicinals ($5,000)
- Udi’s Gluten Free Foods ($33,000)
- Uncle Matt’s ($2,500)
- Whole Foods, Hain Celestial and Chipotle (endorsement only, no financial backing)
Organic Brands Not Financially Supporting the Effort to Label GMO Foods (Hain Celestial) or Their Parent Company is Actively Contributing Funds Against the Initiative (*).
- Applegate Farms
- Newsman’s Own
- Trader Joes
- Alba Botanica (Hain Celestial)
- Alexia (Conagra)*
- Almond Dream (Hain Celestial)
- Arrowhead Mills (Hain Celestial)
- Avalon Organics (Hain Celestial)
- Bear Naked (Kellogg)*
- Casbah (Hain Celestial)
- Cascadian Farm Organic (General Mills)*
- Celestial Seasonings (Hain Celestial)
- Daily Bread (Hain Celestial)
- Danival (Hain Celestial)
- DeBoles (Hain Celestial)
- Earth’s Best (Hain Celestial)
- Ethnic Gourmet (Hain Celestial)
- French Meadow Bakery (Rich Products)*
- Gardenburger (Kellogg)*
- Garden of Eatin’ (Hain Celestial)
- Greek Gods (Hain Celestial)
- Hain (Hain Celestial)
- Health Valley (Hain Celestial)
- Honest Tea (Coca-Cola)*
- Horizon Organic (Dean Foods)*
- Imagine (Hain Celestial)
- Izze (PepsiCo)*
- Jason (Hain Celestial)
- Kashi (Kellogg)*
- Larabar (General Mills)*
- Linda McCartney (Hain Celestial)
- MaraNatha (Hain Celestial)
- Morning Star (Kellogg)*
- Muir Glen (General Mills)*
- Naked Juice (PepsiCo)*
- Odwalla (Coca-Cola)*
- Rice Dream (Hain Celestial)
- Rosetto (Hain Celestial)
- R.W. Knudsen (Smucker)*
- Santa Cruz Organic (Smucker)*
- Sensible Portions (Hain Celestial)
- Silk (Dean Foods)*
- Spectrum (Hain Celestial)
- Sunspire (Hain Celestial)
- Terra Chips (Hain Celestial)
- Westbrae Natural (Hain Celestial)
- Westsoy (Hain Celestial)
Companies Financially Opposing the Initiative to Label GMO Foods.
- Abbott Nutrition ($3,918)
- Bayer Cropscience ($1.5 million)
- Biotechnology Industry Organization ($250,000)
- Campbell Soup Co ($179,545)
- Coca-Cola ($1.2 million)
- ConAgra Foods ($1 million)
- Counsel for Biotechnology Information ($375,000)
- Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
- Dean Foods ($253,000)
- Dog Agrosciences ($815,200)
- DuPont ($4 million)
- General Mills ($520,000)
- Godiva Chocolatier ($30,666)
- Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) ($375,000)
- H.J. Heinz ($10,445)
- Hershey ($283,753)
- Kellogg ($632,500)
- Kraft Foods ($34,405)
- Land O’Lakes ($59,322)
- Mars, Incorporated ($100,243)
- Monsanto ($7.1 million)
- Morton Salt ($14,879)
- Natural Products Association (NPA)
- Nestle ($1 million)
- Ocean Spray Cranberries, INC. ($60,546)
- Pepsico ($1.7 million)
- Rich Products ($225,000)
- Sara Lee Corporation ($246,766)
- Smuckers ($387,000)
- Sunny Delight Beverages Co ($93,795)
- Syngenta Corporation ($178,700)
- WM. Wrigley Jr. ($116,866)
The Grand Total
Corporate Agribusiness fighting Proposition 37: $32,439,114 Vs. organic leaders supporting Propositiong 37: $3,861,775.
