For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.


This blog post has been adapted from a statement made by Harriett Crosby, Friends of the Earth board member and General Mills shareholder, at the company’s shareholder meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2014.

Thank you, Ken. It’s so good to be here with you today.

My great grandfather, John Crosby the third, Honest John, cofounded General Mills with Cadwallader Washburn in 1877. It was then known as the Washburn Crosby Company. Honest John was one of the early pioneers who turned Minneapolis into the flour manufacturing center of the world in the 1880’s. He was a hard working, practical problem solver and he always wanted General Mills to be a good food company with an excellent reputation.

Betty Crocker, an icon of trustworthy and wholesome values, used the radio WCCO to teach housewives how to bake good bread with Gold Medal flour and yeast.

As a proud stockholder, I am concerned about our reputation as a company that uses genetically modified organisms. I think we can do better and improve our brand and the value of General Mills by eliminating GMOs from our products.

I am here to ask for your help in making General Mills a world leader producing the healthiest and most wholesome food in the world by phasing out genetically modified ingredients.

Most of the members of my Crosby family know about the dangers of genetically modified foods and try to avoid them.

Ninety-three percent of the American people would like to see GMO’s labeled, according to a recent New York Times poll. And the Hartman Group reports that 40 percent of the American people try to avoid buying GMOs.

Around the world, 64 countries either ban GMOs or require them to be labeled, including the European Union, China, Russia, India and Japan.

Countries of the European Union don’t allow any GMOs and all the products General Mills sells in Europe are GMO-free.

If we can profitably produce GMO-free foods there in Europe, why not here?

The issue here isn’t just if GMOs are perfectly safe or not.

Basically GMOs mean more pesticides in our foods.