Why it's time to get off the GMO labeling sidelines and support I-522

During the Prop 37 fight in 2012, supporters of GMO labeling felt too many influential people and companies within the natural products industry sat on the sidelines. In the end, California's Prop 37 narrowly lost to the big guns brought out by Monsanto and other GMO labeling opponents.

“If we had raised a little more money and had a little more activism from everyone in our industry who benefits from non-GMO marketing to have supported that campaign, we might have won,” says Steve Hoffman, managing partner at Compass Natural Partners.

How are you showing your support of GMO labeling?

Fast forward a year, and the industry is facing a similar situation with Initiative 522, the state ballot initiative in Washington that would mandate the labeling of genetically engineered food.

To help galvanize financial and other support for I-522, Presence Marketing created this video featuring Errol Schweizer, executive global grocery coordinator for Whole Foods Market; TJ McIntyre, executive vice president of Boulder Brands; David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps; Lisa Sedlar, CEO and founder of Green Zebra Grocery; and other leaders within the natural products industry who all implore the industry to double down on the fight for GMO labeling.

“If the average company stepped up, we would be absolutely crushing the state ballot initiatives,” says Presence Marketing CEO and Founder Bill Weiland. “We would be winning in a landslide.”