GMO Inside, which operates as a coalition, was founded in 2012 by organic and GMO-free “super food” company Nutiva CEO John Roulac along with Maharishi movement follower Jeffrey Smith. It is “powered by” Green America,” an activist NGO that claims to promote economic and environmental sustainability, and is a well known anti-GMO group promoting fringe anti-science views.
GMO Inside members include about two dozen organic, natural product and alternative health groups promoting advocacy and commercial interest groups seeking cautionary warning labels on foods containing GMOs.[1]
HISTORY
The GMOInside.org website domain was originally registered in June 2008 to Laurent Fraisse with O Z prod. Films in France. The website was live and operated under a copyright for “GMOInside.org” by GMO-free Europe selling t-shirts, promoting a video and a 2008 petition to ban GMOs in the EU. That site and campaign remained dormant after 2008 until June 2012 when the domain was re-registered or transferred to Nutiva CEO and founder John W. Roulac in California. In October 2012 the domain name was then placed under a “privacy protection” service Domains by Proxy where it currently remains. The current GMO Inside campaign website went live in November 2012 after the domain privacy protection was put in place. At that time, the GMO Inside campaign claimed it’s goal was in response to the California Prop 37 defeat to get mandatory GMO labeling.[2]
By February 2013 the website was promoting the “Fishy Fleet” and claiming “big agriculture” was preventing your right to know about GMOs with campaigns targeting Cheerios, Monsanto, Bumblebee Foods, Kraft, Hershey’s and Heinz. By March 2013 the campaign began to disclose their coalition steering committee to include: Jeffrey Smith‘s Institute for Responsible Technology, “Food Babe” Vani Hari, Green America, Food Democracy Now!, GMO-Free USA and Nutiva.[3] Other campaigns have attacked companies like Chobani, Starbucks, Dean Foods, baby formula companies and Smuckers for sourcing GMO and non-organic ingredients.
Organization Details
GMO-Inside operates from the offices of Green America at: 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20006 | (800) 584-7336 | Fax (202) 331-8166. While claiming to have a “steering committee” and membership; it is not a formal independent entity from Green America.
CAMPAIGNS / ACTIVITIES
The GMO-Inside campaign aggressively lobbies for mandatory GMO labeling initiatives throughout the U.S. and encourages members to purchase or download GMO Inside “caution” labels they can use in stores to brand products which do not support GMO-free labeling.
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KEY PEOPLE
- John Roulac, CEO of Nutiva was the GMOInside.org campaign founder and domain registrant. He also appears to be a key funder as well as Green Coop funder and supporter. Roulac, who got his start promoting industrial hemp and legalizing marijuana,[4] is founder of Nutiva — an organic, non-GMO hemp, coconut and palm oil company with claimed $66 to 100 million in annual sales[5]. Nutiva, which got its start selling hemp bars, claims they give 1 percent of sales (not profits) towards campaigns like GMO Inside they claim are supporting sustainable and fair exchange agriculture.[6] [7] Roulac promotes himself as CEO of the world’s largest and fastest growing “organic superfood” company in the world with projected sales of US$1 billion by 2025 – noting that independent analysts peg company sales at closer to US$11 million currently.[1]
- Elizabeth O’Connell, has been quoted in news articles as the “GMO Inside Campaign Director”[9] but her day job is as Green America “Fair Labor Campaigns Director.”[10]
- Nicole McCann, is the food campaigns director at Green America.[11] and has also been listed as the GMO-Inside campaign director.[12]
GMO-Inside provides no official organization or staff information outside of being “powered by” Green America. Media releases list contact as Will Harwood [email protected] (703) 276-3255. The Hastings Group is a Washington, DC-based PR and lobbying group.[13] Harwood serves as spokesperson for Green America on their various organic promotion campaigns as well as for other political campaigns like “Chemical Right 2 Know” and the Ohio valley Environmental Coalition campaign.
FUNDING SOURCES
GMO-Inside solicits tax-deductible donations via Green America where it also notes it provides a $1 for $1 match for donors without disclosing from whom that match comes.
The GMO-Inside website acknowledged financial supporters Nutiva, Royal Hawaiian Orchards (GMO-free promoted macadamia nuts), Pamela’s GMO-free products, Crunchmaster Crackers, Kamut Organic Wheat, Luna & Larry’s Organic Coconut, and Guayaki Brand organic teas and coffees.[14]
AFFILIATIONS
Steering Committee:
- Nutiva
- Institute for Responsible Technology
- Food Democracy Now!
- Green America
- Label GMOs – California’s Grassroots
- Food Babe
Coalition Members
- Food and Water Watch
- Center for Food Safety
- Friends of the Earth
- Allergy Kids Foundation
- Just Label It Campaign
- Moms Across America
- Food Revolution Network
- Organic Consumers Association
- Millions Against Monsanto
- Fair World Project
- Global GMO Free Coalition
- GreenMedInfo.com
- Cornucopia Institute
- The Organic and Non-GMO Report
- Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA)
- Shift Con Media
- The Annie Applewood Project
- MAMAVATION
- John Fagan’s Earth Open Source
- GM Watch
- GMO-Free Prescott
- iGive Trees
- Living Maxwell Guide to Organic Food & Drink
- Pressed Organic Juice Directory
- Citizens for GMO Labeling
- A New Resistance (We’re not Roundup Ready)
- Hudson Valley for No GMOs
- Right to know GMO Illinois
- Hemp and a Greener Future for America & the Earth “Bringing It Home” Documentary
- Dr. Bronner’s Magic
- Bio-Star Whole Foods
- Real Food Daily Organic Plant-Based Cuisine
- The Edible Education Project
- PCC Natural Markets
- Veritey (certifier)
- Presence Marketing
- Cedar Circle Organic Farm
- Wood Prairie Organic Farm
- Brickyard Educational Organic Farm
- Baker Creek Heriloom Organic Seeds
- Eco City Farms
- As You Sow shareholder relations
Resources
- GMO Inside on Facebook
- GMO Inside on Twitter live since October 2012
- GMO Inside on YouTube
- GMO Inside on Pinterest
References
- 1 http://richmondconfidential.org/2014/11/23/the-man-behind-the-richmond-company-that-wont-stop-growing-2/
- 2 https://web.archive.org/web/20121111220547/http://gmoinside.org/
- 3 https://web.archive.org/web/20140208055652/http://gmoinside.org/
- 4 http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/23/local/me-15712
- 5 https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnroulac
- 6 http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Nutiva.48b4865d4b80488e.html
- 7 http://nutiva.com/community/
- 8 http://richmondconfidential.org/2014/11/23/the-man-behind-the-richmond-company-that-wont-stop-growing-2/
- 9 http://adage.com/article/news/yogurt-maker-chobani-caught-crosshairs-gmo-debate/243129/
- 10 https://www.linkedin.com/pub/elizabeth-o-connell/42/a15/b90
- 11 https://twitter.com/nicolemmccann
- 12 https://www.linkedin.com/pub/nicole-mccann/24/791/604
- 13 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-hastings-group
- 14 http://gmoinside.org/supporters/
