Natural Food Retailers Association

By Alice Shindelar, Member Services Manager

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INFRA has lent time and space to the Non-GMO project for the last few years at Expo West, volunteering our meeting room and teaming up with them for retailer receptions. This year at Expo West, INFRA made an effort to team up with the Non-GMO project in new ways to help leverage the voice of this organization through our growing influence as a reputable group in the industry. In the interest of the project and their involvement for INFRA membership, INFRA staff worked with member Jim Someck to promote 10-10-10 day, held a retailer reception, met with vendors and retailers, spoke on the project panel, and filmed the panel and interviews for a retail employee GMO training video.

After years of hard work, the Non-GMO project has finally gotten to the point where products are beginning to show up on shelves with the Non-GMO Project Verified label on them. At Expo the project met with INFRA, NCGA, UNFI, Whole Foods and various vendors with non-GMO claims who have not yet gone through the verification process to encourage them to get on board. “The meeting was exceptionally well attended, and everyone left with an understanding of how important the project and the verification of non-GMO foods is to the integrity of our industry,” said Corinne Shindelar.

INFRA has been working with the project to make October Non-GMO month. The SPC flyer will feature Non-GMO Project-verified products for the month, and INFRA is working with the project to create a promotional toolbox to help retailers educate and fundraise in their store. Last year, on their anniversary, Jimbo’s. . .Naturally! raised over $12,000 for the Non-GMO project by educating staff and costumers on the issue and donating 5% of the day’s proceeds at the end of the day. This success inspired Jimbo’s. . .Naturally! owner Jim Someck to partner with INFRA and the project to start 10-10-10 day. “I am encouraging INFRA as an organization to speak loud and clear for the industry by rallying behind the project and encourage all its members to make 10/10/10 non-GMO day. On that day, my hope is that all retailers would provide information on GMOs and the Non-GMO Project and highlight Non-gmo-verified foods to educate its customers. In addition, I would hope that all INFRA member stores also donate 5% of the sales on that day to the Non-GMO Project (or a dollar amount if that works better),” Jimbo said in a memo to Corinne Shindelar and Alex Beamer about his ideas for Non-GMO month.

A fundraising toolbox produced by INFRA and the project has also been in the works. The toolbox will contain materials such as press releases, promotional ideas, and a training video for retailer employees on GMOs to help retailers educate about the issue in their stores and raise funds to support the project until they are able to become a self sustaining association. I spent time at Expo filming the panel presentation, at which Corinne spoke about the retailers roll in avoidance and education on GMOs, as well as interviewing members of the project board to incorporate into the video.

We held a reception for independent retailers on Friday evening that was better attended than ever before. There was no formal presentation. INFRA staff and members as well as Non-GMO project staff mingled with the retailers, shared information, and garnered interest in both of our associations.

We at INFRA see our involvement with the project as the type of work that is essential to our mission as an association to leverage the voice of independent retailers in the industry. By supporting the Non-GMO project we are using our power in numbers to promote a cause that is important to all of us. As Jimbo said “With a voice in the industry comes responsibility. I know that everyone in INFRA has a passion for the industry and what we stand for. And I believe that together we can have a great impact in the US and the world by standing strong in our support for the Non-GMO project!”-