Big Pesticide, Food Companies Spend $10 Million to Fight Honest Food Labels

Press Release: Monday, August 13, 2012

For More Information Contact: Stacy Malkan (510) 542-9224

New campaign finance reports show that pesticide and processed food companies just contributed nearly $10 million to oppose Proposition 37, which would require labeling of genetically engineered foods.
According to the California Secretary of State disclosure forms, the largest of these contributions come from Dupont Pioneer ($2,441,500), Bayer Cropscience ($1,064,000) and BASF Plant Science ($996,500). Other contributions include $500,000 each from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle USA, General Mills and ConAgra.
“These corporations are desperate to keep us from finding out what’s really in our food,” said Stacy Malkan, Media Director for California Right to Know. “They will not prevail. This is America. We have the right to know what’s in the food we eat and feed our children.”
The huge contributions from pesticide and seed companies, now topping $7 million with the new donations, shine light on a little known fact about genetically engineered foods.
“Rather than reducing the need for hazardous pesticides, herbicide-resistant seeds have driven a massive increase in herbicide use that has been linked to significant environmental and public health concerns,” explains Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network, in a statement supporting Proposition 37.
“It’s clear that genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant seeds are the growth engines of the pesticide industry’s sales and marketing strategy. These seeds are part of a technology package explicitly designed to facilitate increased, indiscriminate herbicide use and pump up chemical sales,” said Dr. Ishii-Eiteman.
According to a 2009 report by Chuck Benbrook, PhD, farmers applied 318 million more pounds of pesticides over the first 13 years of commercial GE crop production (1996-200, as a direct result of planting genetically engineered seeds. “GE crops are pushing pesticide use upward at a rapidly accelerating pace,” wrote Benbrook, chief scientist of the Organic Center, in the report summary.
For more information about the Yes on 37 California Right to Know campaign, please see: www.CaRighttoKnow.org.
Details regarding the new contributions against Proposition 37 are below.
NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR CITY STATE/ZIP AMOUNT
DUPONT PIONEER JOHNSTON IA / 50131
$2,441,500.00
BAYER CROPSCIENCE RESEARCH TRIANGLE PA NC / 27709
$1,064,000.00
BASF PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH TRIANGLE PA NC / 27709
$996,500.00
PEPSICO, INC. PURCHASE NY / 10577
$500,000.00
NESTLE USA, INC. GLENDALE CA / 91203
$500,000.00
GENERAL MILLS, INC. GOLDEN VALLEY MN / 55426
$500,000.00
CONAGRA FOODS OMAHA NE / 68102
$500,000.00
COCA-COLA NORTH AMERICA ATLANTA GA / 30313
$500,000.00
SYNGENTA CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC / 20005
$498,000.00
THE J.M. SMUCKER COMPANY ORRVILLE OH / 44667
$367,604.16
BIMBO BAKERIES USA HORSHAM PA / 19044
$320,516.72
DEL MONTE FOODS COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO CA / 94111
$175,574.33
KNOUSE FOODS COOPERATIVE, INC. PEACH GLEN PA / 17375
$131,409.01
WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY CHICAGO IL / 60610
$116,865.91
HERSHEY COMPANY HERSHEY PA / 17033
$102,906.72
MARS FOOD NORTH AMERICA RANCHO DOMINGUEZ CA / 90220
$100,242.69
BUMBLE BEE FOODS, LLC SAN DIEGO CA / 92123
$98,073.62
HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION AUSTIN MN / 55912
$94,380.71
OCEAN SPRAY CRANBERRIES, INC. LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO MA / 02349
$94,311.63
SUNNY DELIGHT BEVERAGES COMPANY CINCINNATI OH / 45242
$93,795.90
SARA LEE CORPORATION DOWNERS GROVE IL / 60515
$89,493.16
KELLOGG COMPANY BATTLE CREEK MI / 49016
$82,299.57
PINNACLE FOODS GROUP LLC PARSIPPANY NJ / 07054
$69,307.71
DEAN FOODS COMPANY DALLAS TX / 75204
$66,143.16
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY CAMDEN NJ / 08103
$65,114.35
MCCORMICK & COMPANY, INC. SPARKS MD / 21152
$64,645.53
SOLAE, LLC SAINT LOUIS MO / 63110
$59,214.59
RICH PRODUCTS CORPORATION BUFFALO NY / 14213
$58,070.74
CARGILL, INC. WAYZATA MN / 55391
$52,069.51
MCCAIN FOODS USA, INC. LISLE IL / 60532
$50,592.94
DOLE PACKAGED FOODS COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE CA / 91362
$45,580.05
C. H. GUENTHER & SON, INC. SAN ANTONIO TX / 78291
$23,401.61
LAND O'LAKES, INC. ARDEN HILLS MN / 55126
$21,513.78
HERO NORTH AMERICA AMSTERDAM NY / 12010
$21,044.96
GODIVA CHOCOLATIER, INC. NEW YORK NY / 10017
$11,121.53
MORTON SALT CHICAGO IL / 60606
$5,396.06
Total
$9,980,690.65