Pepsi, Coke, Nestle Top Multi-Million-Dollar Campaign Against I-522

Pepsico, Coca-Cola and NestleUSA have each put up more than $1 million to defeat Washington's Initiative 522, money the food industry giants channeled through a "Defense of Brands Strategic Account," set up by the Grocery Manufacturers...

October 18, 2013 | Source: Seattle PI | by Joel Connelly

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Pepsico, Coca-Cola and NestleUSA have each put up more than $1 million to defeat Washington’s Initiative 522, money  the food industry giants channeled through a “Defense of Brands Strategic Account,” set up by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) so companies would leave no footprints.

The initiative, which has drawn the ire of the food industry and agribusiness, would require the labeling of genetically modified food products, seeds and seed stocks sold on the shelves of Washington stores.

In yielding to a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, GMA agreed to list donors to what has become a $17.1 million campaign to defeat I-522.

The list is a who’s-who of America’s powerful food and agribusiness firms.  It was posted late Friday on the balky website of the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Coca-Cola and Pepsico have been here before.  The American Beverage Association, in 2010, spent $16.9 million on a TV blitz that rolled back a small soda pop-junk food tax enacted by the Washington Legislature in an effort to ease cuts in money to the state’s schools and colleges.

The “No on 522″ donations include:

– Soft drink manufacturers:  Pepsico is tops with $1.6 million, just as it was the lead contributor in the 2012 campaign that defeated Prop. 37, a similar measure on the California ballot.  Coca-Cola has given $1.047 million to No on 522.

– “Big Chocolate:”  NestleUSA has given $1.052 million through the Grocery Manufacturers Association.  The Hershey Company has donated $248,305 that’s gone to No on 522.