Nonrenewals of membership in the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) are adding up (see my previous post on this). Helena Bottemiller Evich at Politico is keeping score (this may be behind a paywall):
- Hershey
- Cargill
- Tyson
- Unilever
- Mars
- Campbell Soup
- Nestlé (my non-namesake)
- Dean Foods
The GMA has long behaved as if the food movement doesn’t exist and its industry can continue to take consumer-unfriendly positions on food issues that the public cares about—with no consequences.
Politico quotes a spokesman for the GMA:
GMA and its board are continuing our work to build the new GMA for the future to meet the needs of long-time and new member companies and of consumers…The food industry is facing significant disruption and is evolving — and so is GMA. We all will continue to evolve and change at an even faster pace.
I have some suggestions for this evolution:
- Listen to consumers.
- Understand why sustainability and health are issues that matter so deeply.
- Help food companies produce healthful, sustainable products.
- Stop fighting measures aimed at health and sustainability.
- Become part of the solution; stop being the problem.