The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Work with Me
    • Speaking
    • Giveaways
    • Social Media Consulting
    • Sponsored and Guest Posts
  • Gift Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • About Me
    • Media
    • Terms of Use

Stonyfield Organic Gets Taken to Task for Anti-GMO Propaganda Video

January 25, 2018

The times are changing for organic companies that want to use fear to market their products!

Stonyfield learned it the hard way this week. The organic food company posted this video on its Facebook page:

The video asks the questions “What are GMOS?” and then has children providing answers. The kids say things like GMOs “sound monstrous” and that GMOs are when scientists take fish genes and insert them into vegetables. Of course, none of it is true. Well, Stonyfield caught heck for the video, receiving hundreds of comments denouncing the company for spreading misunderstanding, using fear as a marketing tactic, and manipulating children.

Apparently, Stonyfield can throw bombs all day at family farmers, but weren’t ready to actually be called out on it. The company responded with this follow-up post on their Facebook page:

Dear Friends,
You’ve probably seen that we stirred up quite a bit of conversation in the last few days around the topic of GMOs, with some suggesting that our community’s valid concerns about GMOs are “anti-science” and ill-informed.

Admittedly, it’s hard to “weed” out who is just a troll and who is genuine on social media, but we do acknowledge that some of the comments are from concerned people with reasonable and well-intended questions. We’re glad that these individuals are also vested in our food system and adding to the important conversation about how our foods are processed. If no one cared, that would really be upsetting to us.

And so, to these folks we would like to respond and be very clear about our position on GMOs:1. We do not believe that eating GMOs has been proven harmful to your health.
2. The majority of GMO crops used by farmers today require the use of toxic herbicides. The use of glyphosate, which has been categorized as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, has increased nearly 15-fold since so-called “Roundup Ready,” genetically engineered glyphosate-tolerant crops were introduced in 1996. (source: https://www.ewg.org/…/study-monsanto-s-glyphosate-most-heav…).
3. We believe consumers have the right to choose whether or not to support the above practices, and that the only way this can happen is if food companies that use GMO ingredients or that feed their cows GMO feed declare this on their packaging.
4. Since USDA Organic regulations forbid the use of GMOs, we will continue to rigorously avoid their use and we are proud to offer consumers this choice in the dairy aisle.

We have arrived at this position through due diligence, and we appreciate the importance of a constructive fact-based scientific debate. For those truly committed to advancing the health of our families and our planet, we welcome the conversation and appreciate your taking the time to reach out.

-The Folks at Stonyfield Farm

It’s a pretty sorry response to the outrage, but does reveal the true intentions of the company. Even though Stonyfield doesn’t believe eating GMOs is harmful, they are more than willing to keep manipulating children to scare people. They are willing to lie to their customers to move their product. They know full well being non-GMO does not make their product better in any way, yet they are more than happy to act like it does if it sells. Does anyone actually feel comfortable buying from a company like that?

The response also includes some pretty substantial and glaring lies. Allow me to clarify those:

Stonyfield Myth: “It’s hard to ‘weed’ out who is just a troll and who is genuine on social media.”

Just because someone supports biotechnology does not mean they are a troll. Nor is it fine for Stonyfield to throw out that accusation, especially at its own customers. I’ve dealt with that accusation ever since I started writing about agriculture. No, we aren’t trolls, we aren’t shills, and we aren’t mouthpieces. What is clear is that Stonyfield is willing to trash anyone that questions its crummy marketing tactics.

Stonyfield Myth: “The majority of GMO crops used by farmers today require the use of toxic herbicides.”

It is hard to quantify how Stonyfield defines “majority” here, but that is irrelevant because it’s just not true. Some genetic modifications give crops the ability to withstand the use of herbicides. But even those crops, namely Round-Up Ready crops, do not “require” farmers to use herbicides. It is simply an option that allows us to control weeds. This statement has no other purpose than to link “GMO” with the scary sounding “toxic herbicide.”

Stonyfield Myth: “The use of glyphosate, which has been categorized as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, has increased nearly 15-fold since so-called ‘Roundup Ready,’ genetically engineered glyphosate-tolerant crops were introduced in 1996.”

This statement is also just a complete untruth. Glyphosate was categorized as a “probable carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is an agency of the World Health Organization (not WHO itself). However, that classification has been solidly disputed by many government agencies and private organizations, including the World Health Organization, and many have pointed out significant biases in the people who conducted that review. By the way, yes, the use of glyphosate has increased since the introduction of Round-Up Ready crops, but the overall use of herbicides has decreased.

Stonyfield clearly wasn’t really to get schooled on their advertising, but these type of marketing techniques are being called out now. For example, when Hunt’s tried to brag about its non-GMO tomatoes, Facebook users took it to them as well. The message is clear: fear-based marketing it not going to work anymore. For far too long, organic marketing has used conventional farmers as their punching bag. No more. What I found particularly compelling was a comment from one of Stonyfield’s customers that indicated she was no longer purchasing their products, despite the fact that her kids really enjoyed them, because of this tactic. Other companies should take note.

That being said, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all the people that commented on Stonyfield’s original video post (you know, the folks Stonyfield calls “trolls”). Five years ago, something like that never would have happened. As family farmers, it is nice to have so many people on our side that are willing to stand up to this nonsense. Please know that it IS appreciated.

Times are changing and, this time, for the better.

signature
Share this:
«
»

Filed Under: Marketing, Organic Tagged With: GMO, gmos, marketing, organic

Comments

  1. Eric Bjerregaard says

    January 25, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    Shared on Likedin as an example of truth trying to defeat dishonesty.

    • Joe says

      January 26, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      The other thing is that Stonyfield and many activists act as though calling people a shill or a troll automatically dismisses their argument or counters facts. It doesn’t. A fact is still a fact. A good argument is a good argument. If you can’t counter that argument, you might want to consider if other side is correct, and it doesn’t matter who made the statement or why they made it.

      • Amanda says

        January 26, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        Good point! Even if the paid shill does make an argument, that argument is not invalid just because they were paid to say it.

        • Joe says

          January 28, 2018 at 5:54 pm

          First I noticed I couldn’t like the comments on Stonyfield’s page. Now it seems as though they’ve turned off the comments when they just kept coming. I guess you can only backpedal so fast.

  2. Andrew Rowe says

    January 25, 2018 at 10:44 pm

    Thanks for standing up for sense!

  3. Philip McArdle says

    January 26, 2018 at 9:09 am

    Thank you !!! Great article!!

  4. Lallen says

    January 26, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    Stonyfield has now taken the mature approach to delete our posts and block us from posting. Long live science. Proud mom and middle school science teacher.

  5. Borut says

    January 28, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Our contribution against GMO madness is a book. Can be freely downloaded at
    https://geanetic.com

  6. Dennis Laughton says

    January 28, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    The name “Stonyfield” to me is rather ambiguous. It reminds me of our least productive fields, difficult to plant, and hours of hot hard work to remove the stones, and least productive of all our fields.

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe via Email

Archives

Latest on Twitter

May 1, 2023
Farmers Daughter's Twitter avatar
Farmers Daughter
@farmdaughterusa

Healthy Soil’s Big Impact t.co/xBO5tCKP17

  • Reply
  • Retweet 0
  • Like 2
March 29, 2023
Farmers Daughter's Twitter avatar
Farmers Daughter
@farmdaughterusa

The Silver Lining in This Year’s Dirty Dozen List t.co/qD3kFSYmtE

  • Reply
  • Retweet 0
  • Like 1
March 2, 2023
Farmers Daughter's Twitter avatar
Farmers Daughter
@farmdaughterusa

Right-to-Repair Challenges Continue t.co/sOTL8t7fPx

  • Reply
  • Retweet 3
  • Like 4

Latest on Facebook

The Farmer's Daughter

3 days ago

The Farmer's Daughter

The floor is lava. Except now we're adults and it's actually poison ivy. 😂

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

1 week ago

The Farmer's Daughter

We're done planting corn!! 🥳🥳 I haven't posted many updates about #plant23 because it's been a little rough. 🫣 But we're getting there!

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

And...go!

... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Reducing food waste is a goal we should all have. Vilifying a product that can help us do that with disinformation isn't helping. My latest for AGDAILY

... See MoreSee Less

Social media is wrong to vilify Apeel's shelf-life technique | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

Apeel is a useful tool to safely and effectively extend the shelf life of fresh produce, yet activists aim to denigrate this remedy to food waste.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

My biggest concern is one of the honorable mentions--gobbling up productive farmland and turning it into something else. What about you? What concerns you most as a threat to agriculture?

... See MoreSee Less

The 6 biggest threats to farming on a global scale | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

As a society, we have a responsibility to understand the urgency of the “C’s” and act accordingly -- to think globally and act locally.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Latest on Instagram

thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
The floor is lava. Except now we're adults ans it' The floor is lava. Except now we're adults ans it's actually poison ivy. 😂😂

#floorislava #poisonivy
Consumers are feeling the pinch, and so are farmer Consumers are feeling the pinch, and so are farmers. The increased costs for #plant23 stem from higher seed, fertilizer, chemical, and land costs. Farmers are also paying higher interest rates. And keep in mind that #plant22 was also more costly than pre-COVID times.

#agriculture #hardtimes #plant23 #plant2023 #sustainableag #economicsustainabilty #usagriculture #usfarms #usfarmers
I don't know who needs this today, but here's Misc I don't know who needs this today, but here's Mischa with the sadest puppy-dog eyes and adorable belly rolls. 😍😍

#Mischa #dogsofinstagram #dogs #bellyrubs
Food labeling matters. Here's why. #food #foodlab Food labeling matters. Here's why.

#food #foodlabels #foodlabelsmatter #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
Just in case you're not sure why I miss my straigh Just in case you're not sure why I miss my straight hair. It randomly failed to curl last week. This was the beautiful result. 😍

#cancersurvivor #chemocurls #farmersdaughterstrong #bebrave
Don't let anyone tell you that farmers (yes, even Don't let anyone tell you that farmers (yes, even conventional farmers) don't care about soil health. The truth is, farmers are *obsessed* with it.

#farming #agriculture #healthysoil #soilhealth #sustainableag #sustainableagriculture #modernagriculture #modernag
Modern planting is a lot more sophisticated than j Modern planting is a lot more sophisticated than just placing seeds in the ground. Our equipment actually allows us to control how many plants we want per acre, precisely spaces each corn seed in the rows, and controls how deep the seed is planted. It's all part of precision agriculture that employs high-tech sensors and data to improve efficiency and yields.

#farming #modernagriculture #corn #cornplanting #plant23 #plant2023 #plant #farms #sustainable #sustainableagriclture #themoreyouknow💫 #usagriculture
Perspective. Last week I was in the cancer center Perspective.

Last week I was in the cancer center for routine labs and a port flush. Unfortunately, my port wasn't working. There's al these little "tricks" the nurse tries to open it up. One of those was putting different pressure on it. Needless to say, it hurt! And it didn't work. So she had to get something called TPA, put it in the line, and let it work--something that takes at least a half hour.

So there I sat for half an hour. In pain. A bit nauseous. And missing a work meeting. As you can imagine, I wasn't super happy about any of it.

But then came a voice over the hospital's intercom system (something that NEVER happens). There was a Code Blue in the neo-natal center. I asked my nurse what that meant. She said a baby was born without breathing. The doctors would do everything they could to resuscitate, and the Code Blue meant everyone who was available to help was supposed to report there immediately. 💔

Perspective. 

I was still in pain, nauseous, and missing my meeting. But at least I wasn't facing what those parents were facing. So I said a prayer for them and adjusted my attitude. My port started working, the nurse did her job, and I was on my way. 

A little reminder to keep things in perspective. 💜

#perspective #cancersucks #cancersurvior #farmersdaughterstrong #bekind
Seriously, there's no reason to worry about pestic Seriously, there's no reason to worry about pesticide residue on fresh produce. The EPA regulates the use of pesticides to make sure U.S. farmers use them safely. And the USDA takes annual samples to make sure what's on store shelves meets those safety standards. 

It's always recommended to wash produce before eating it though--because you never know who else touched it.

 Most importantly, eat and enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables! 🍐🍇🍌🥝🥦🫑🧅🍅

#agriculture #usagriculture #farmers #usfarmers #farming #farmfamilies #sustainableag #sustainableagriculture #sustainable #sustainability #farmerscare #homegrown #localagriculture #knowyourfarmer #shoplocal #madeintheusa #madeintheus #americanagriculture
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

Go to mobile version