Dear Kind Bar:
Last week you delighted people in the agriculture and science communities. Clif Bar tried to shame you into adopting all-organic ingredients by publishing an op-ed in The New York Times. But instead of caving to the pressure, you roasted them on Twitter by pointing out that sugar is sugar, whether it’s organic or not, and they have a lot in their products.
Now I’ll admit I was torn by this whole story. On the one hand, I loved seeing a large, recognizable company making a very public statement reminding folks that organic doesn’t mean healthy. On the other hand, I was surprised it was your company. I’ve looked at your products, but declined purchasing them because they sport non-GMO labels.
But the week’s events had me look at your company again. And I really think we could make a really awesome team.
By we, I mean people like me. Farmers, scientists, and supporters. People who recognize the challenges facing our planet, our food system, and our country. People who want us to employ the brightest and the best to create innovative solutions.
And I think people like me could work really well with people like you.
Here’s why. You told Clif Bar that you focus on using quality, nutrient-dense ingredients to make your products better. Farmers have similar goals. We want to produce the highest quality, most nutritious food we can for our customers. We’re fiercely proud of the food we grow because we know it’s providing nourishment for eaters everywhere. That’s exactly what you try to achieve with your products!
Farmers also care a lot about our rural communities. And what a coincidence: The Kind Foundation invests in local communities to inspire them with kind acts. That’s something a lot of our struggling rural communities could use! We could literally be a powerhouse team!
The only thing standing in the way of us forming an inspiring and awesome partnership is your use of the non-GMO label and sourcing non-GMO ingredients. Why? These crops are safe, beneficial to the environment, good for farmers, and good for consumers.
Except for marketing advantage, there’s literally no reason for you to make a non-GMO choice. And as last week demonstrated, you’re better than that.
So I want to officially extend an invitation to your company: join us! Partner with farmers and scientists and supporters of modern agriculture. Ditch the non-GMO nonsense. Stand for science. Focus on something that really matters: creating quality, nutritious, and healthy food products. It’s a goal we share and one we can work together on.
There are lots of us that would be more than happy to discuss it with you. Share your work with our followers. And make this an easy decision. So I hope you’ll seriously consider it.
And I look forward to enjoying your products and seeing what we can do together.
