Co-op News | Summer Quarterly 2018
Board Votes to Support Ben & Jerry's Boycott
At the April board meeting, the Co-op’s Board of Directors voted to support a request from Co-op members to stop selling Ben & Jerry’s, in honor of Organic Consumers Association’s campaign to convince Ben & Jerry’s to go 100% organic.
Our Purchasing Policy states we strive to carry products that are environmentally sound, socially responsible, and meeting member-owner needs. As of April, the Co-op no longer orders Ben & Jerry’s and will expand our selections of other brands that more closely align with our Purchasing Policy and our GMO Policy.
Organic Consumers Association is an online nonprofit that “...advocates on behalf of organic consumers and engages consumers in marketplace pressure campaigns.” Their campaign, known as Dump Dirty Dairy, began after samples of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream tested positive for glyphosate, a controversial herbicide. Additionally, the campaign sites that chemical fertilizers used to grow the corn that Vermont dairy farmers feed their cows had to be cleaned out of Vermont’s waterways.
North Coast Co-op’s Board of Directors will consider participating in a boycott when a proposal is made to do so by staff, or by a member or group of members. For more information about current and past boycotts, visit our website.
