Non-GMO Project Interns Halley Everall and Alison Cantor, both Scripps College '10 on the floor at the Natural Products Expo West, March 2010

Imagine every brand and company you have ever thought of or associated with the natural product industry. Then add a thousand more companies that you have never even heard of. Next, picture all of the representatives associated with each company, plus everyone with a considerable interest in the industry. Manufacturers, retailers, processors, brokers, distributors and consumers—all in one enormous room, exchanging information and promoting their products and services. This is Expo West.

As interns working for the Non-GMO Project we were completely amazed when we walked into the Anaheim Convention Center for the tradeshow. Initially, our senses were pretty overwhelmed. The smells of all the food and body products, the colors and designs of all the companies’ display booths and the chatter of the crowd was definitely an intense experience. For the majority of the day we were standing at the Non-GMO Project’s corner of the distributor UNFI’s booth. It was fascinating to see the vast array of people walking around, and engaging them in discussions of the Non-GMO Project’s work was exciting and fun. Many people had already heard about the Non-GMO Project and our goals. Many retailers displayed interest in the supporting retailer program, and we had numerous manufacturers show interest in enrolling their products in our verification program. We were exhilarated to see our efforts clearly being recognized and supported by such a large population!

Another thrilling event of the day was seeing the Non-GMO Project seal fully incorporated into packaging on Guayaki Tea products. We look forward to seeing more and more packages with our seal in stores.

As interns, Expo West helped to conceptualize the large market we are working with. It was inspiring to see so many gathered together to celebrate the natural product industry and the fight for sustainable Non-GMO food choices. All of this encourages us to continue working for this worthwhile cause.

(Written by Non-GMO Project Interns Halley Everall and Alison Cantor, both Scripps College ’10)

Pictured, from left to right: Alison Cantor, Intern; Camille Frazier, former Outreach Coordinator; Megan (Thompson) Westgate, Executive Director; Sara Krautbauer, Intern. Not pictured: Sara Young, Outreach Coordinator; Aerienne Russell, Intern; Isa Ballard, Intern

In a small sunlit office in Upland, CA, the smell of cloves and the sound of keyboards clacking linger gently in the air as the employees of the Non-GMO Project work diligently on databases, events, and more. It is here where I find myself to be one of five interns this semester (along with Halley, Alison, Isa, and Sara) and thus far, I have had quite a positive experience.

As a sophomore in college, I knew it was time to start thinking about gaining experience in a field more legitimate than pizza-making. As I combed through internship opportunities in my area, the Non-GMO Project caught my eye; it seemed to encompass my interest in food politics and organics while still offering something unfamiliar and new. My prior knowledge about GMOs was limited, a mere conglomeration of informational tidbits gathered from books, documentaries, and news articles. Within two days of working with the Project, though, I had built a pretty solid basis of knowledge about GMOs, and I am still adding to it everyday.

Each of the interns here has been given their own specific projects to work on, from making phone calls to building the database to outreach and education. Because of prior experiences with reviewing and writing, I have been given the task of blogging for the Project. Though it’s always a little intimidating to speak on behalf of someone else, it’s nice to finally be able to put these higher-education writing skills into practice and to do something I enjoy. And no matter what we are working on, the real goal of the internship experience here is to learn what we love, love what we learn, and support ourselves and our goals through supporting the Project as a whole. I know inevitably what I put in I will get out, and that’s what makes this a truly rewarding experience.

It is only my third week at the Project, but I can tell already I’m going to love it; I’ve learned so much not only about GMOs, but also about all the hard work it takes to keep up a small non-profit. It’s easy to forget that the Non-GMO Project is more than just a label or a website; it’s an organization founded and supported by real people who are dedicated to maintaining consumer awareness and choice. The employees and interns here work hard each and every day to bring together the consumer and the company to ensure consistent and quality labeling of GMO-free foods. I am thankful to be working with such an organization and am excited to see what comes next for both the Project and myself.

Aerienne is a sophomore at Pomona College. She will be blogging regularly for the Project, so look forward to more soon!

For more information on the film and trailers visit the official website at www.freshthemovie.com/.

Fresh is a film by Sofia joanes made in 2009.

“If Food Inc. was your wake up call, Fresh, The Movie is your call to action. Fresh’s strength is that it shows the incredible creativity of individuals who are devoting their lives to producing food differently.”

- EcoSalon.com

Posted by Halley Everall, Administrative Intern for The Non-GMO Project.  Halley is currently a senior at Scripps College, with a dual major in Humanities and French with an emphasis in Environmental Studies.

View of the show floor in the Boston Convention Center where Expo East was held for the second year in a row

Last week, the Project’s Executive Director, Megan, and I spent three busy days at Natural Products Expo East in Boston. For those of you who have been to one of these shows, you know just how overwhelming yet sensational Expo can be. The Project, thanks to UNFI’s generosity, set up camp at the UNFI booth, right in the middle of everything. We put up posters, set out fliers, and spent the entirety of the show speaking with retailers, brokers, manufacturers, and everyone else in between about the Non-GMO Project.

The effort was definitely worth it.

According to the feedback we received during and after the show, the Non-GMO Project was the talk of the town. From the “We Support the Non-GMO Project” posters hanging in Participants’ booths to retailers’ willingness to help spread the word about the Project to vendors, we truly had an impact. It seemed that the number of people who stumbled across us equaled the number of people who specifically sought us out, and both groups were equally receptive to the Project’s message and goals. I had many retailers tell me that GMOs are a primary concern for themselves and for their customers, and several manufacturers mentioned that becoming “Non-GMO Project Verified” is a priority. Hopefully all the buzz will result in an even greater number of products sporting our seal in the coming months!

(Posted by Camille Frazier, Non-GMO Project Outreach Coordinator)

Project Excutive Director Megan Thompson sharing a PowerPoint presentation at Grain Place Foods

In July, I had the privilege of attending Grain Place Foods’ annual farm tour and seminar as the featured speaker. It was wonderful to connect with so many farmers, right in the middle of corn and soy country, and there was a very enthusiastic reception for the Project. The event included tours of the 250 acre farm, where a time-proven formula of ruminants and wild grasses are the only inputs used to keep the soil rich and fertile. The fields are on a 9 year rotation that includes several years of soil-building cover crops. Nut trees and flowers mark the borders between fields. Non-GMO corn is successfully grown by following best practices of testing seed and planting later than GMO neighbors. We also toured the production facility, which is in the process of being expanded to keep up with skyrocketing demand. I gave my presentation under a big tent where all 150+ of us were served several delicious organic meals. The audience soaked up all the detailed information I shared about the Non-GMO Project with wonderful attentiveness, despite it being a balmy summer afternoon. Following the presenation, we had a lively Q&A, and I enjoyed many one-on-one conversations later in the afternoon. I am grateful for the opportunity, and look forward to more chances to talk with farmers, learning from them and sharing appreciation for the hard work they do to supply us all with nourishing, healthy food.

Non-GMO Project Outreach Coordinator Camille Frazier

Since beginning work full-time as the Outreach Coordinator in mid-May (after a semester as an intern), I’ve been excited to get going on my biggest project: the “Supporting Retailer Program.” While my other recent tasks, such as sending letters to organic seed producers and emailing Canadian distributors, are just as engaging, the Supporting Retailer Program is the culmination of my first month and a half of work. So I’m excited to say that after a long period of thoughtful consideration, cost-estimates, and excel spreadsheets, the Supporting Retailer Program is off the ground and running!

Last week I began contacting retailers across the nation letting them know about the Program, which started as part of the Project’s push for retailer support in preparation for the fall, when the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal will begin to appear on packaging. With over 400 products enrolled, many retailers will see the Non-GMO Project Verified seal on their store shelves. Thus it is critical that we cooperate closely with retailers in our outreach efforts, as the Project relies on retailers as an essential link to consumers.

By becoming a Supporting Retailer with a donation of $150, retailers can publicize their support of the Non-GMO Project with buttons, stickers, and a large, 2’ by 3’ poster that reads, “Supporting Retailer” with the Project’s logo beneath. In addition, Supporting Retailers will receive frequently updated PDFs and training materials sent directly to their inboxes so that they can keep their customers, employees, and themselves up-to-date on the GMO issue. For more detailed information or to sign up as a Supporting Retailer, please click here.

So far, reception of the Program has been extremely positive! Within the first week, we enrolled 8 stores as Supporting Retailers (you can search for and identify these stores on the “Search Retailer Endorsers” page), and we expect this number to grow exponentially! Many retailers are excited to hear that they can finally refer their customers to reliable non-GMO options. Although not everyone has money in the budget to make a donation during these tough economic times, retailers are actively engaged in working with the Project to ensure that their customers have a choice when it comes to GMOs. It’s exciting to speak with so many retailers who are interested in and enthusiastic about the Project, and I know that this interest will only keep growing as the Non-GMO Project looks forward to the fall.

There are hundreds more retailers yet to contact, and I’m excited for all of the conversations and collaboration ahead!

Project Excutive Director Megan Thompson with Board President Michael Funk (of UNFI) at The Organic Summit, and with Board Member Joe Dickson (of Whole Foods) at All Things Organic

It’s been a busy season for the Non-GMO Project! Since a jam-packed meeting schedule and presentation at Expo West we have visited with retailers in Austin, San Antonio, Seattle, and Portland, hosted a Round Table at the Organic Summit in Stevenson, WA and participated in a panel at the All Things Organic Conference in Chicago. Moving into summer, the pace shows no sign of slowing, but we aren’t complaining!

It’s exciting to see awareness growing not only within the organic and natural products industry, but also among consumers. For over two years, we have been working diligently to find creative solutions to the challenges posed by GMO contamination. Our focus has been the creation of an industry-wide collaboration within which we have created North America’s first consensus-based non-GMO Standard, as well as an innovative Product Verification Program to assess compliance with the Standard. All this hard work is paying off, and a “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal will start appearing on retail products this fall. For the first time, the North American public will have access to an informed choice about consuming GMOs. This was the vision of the founding retailers of the Non-GMO Project, and it has taken a tremendous amount of dedication to get us to this point. We’re now ready to start spreading the word, and early response has been quite encouraging!

A Non-GMO Project Facebook page has created a platform for some of our initial outreach. Membership has more than tripled in the last week, with over 1300 fans now tracking our progress, and we expect that fan base to keep growing exponentially as people reach out to their friends about the exciting work of the Project. With the launch of our new website on June 22nd, we are starting a Consumer Pledge campaign, and we are also moving into a phase of renewed connection with our retailer base with the creation of a Supporting Retailer Program.

The success of the Non-GMO Project is a heartening example of what is possible with enough determination and collaborative spirit. Together we can ensure that North Americans have non-GMO choices, now and long into the future. We’re grateful to you for doing whatever you can to help support this undertaking, and we look forward to sharing more good news as the summer progresses.

(Posted by Megan Thompson, Non-GMO Project Executive Director and passionately conscious eater)