In What's in a brand? Bayer retirement of Monsanto company name echoes post-WWII rebranding back in June, Bluestem looked at how Bayer was no stranger to a bit of brand repositioning.
Now Willa Childress, who leads the Pecticide Action Network's organizing and advocacy work in Minnesota, writes in Bayer can’t greenwash away Monsanto’s mess:
Bayer’s corporate record book definitely isn’t clean. The pharmaceutical and chemical company best known for aspirin has spent time and resources protecting their brand through “greenwashing.” Bayer and many other corporations have perfected this PR strategy, spreading misleading information to promote themselves as champions of sustainability.
Minnesota bee advocates went head-to-head with Bayer’s greenwashing efforts in June, when vigilant organizers noticed that a Pollinator Week event, hosted by local blogger The Faux Martha, was co-sponsored by Bayer’s “Feed a Bee” program.
The event centered on making wildflower boutonnieres and planting flowers to help combat pollinator declines. But Bayer is the leading producer of neonicotinoid pesticides — a key driver of pollinator declines, in addition to other factors like disease and habitat loss. Bayer hosting this pollinator party focused on a problem they’re no doubt contributing to was a prime example of greenwashing.
PAN and partners rallied to expose the event’s corporate sponsorship and shut the event down, sending Bayer a strong message that their “bee-friendly” distraction tactics aren’t welcome in our neighborhood. . . .
In a world of low corporate transparency, the burden falls on all of us to recognize dangerous greenwashing campaigns and boldly call them out. Spotting greenwashing takes persistence and a critical eye. Dig deeper into vague advertising claims, and be on the alert for industry-funded research. Ask yourself: does this showy sustainability plan distract from the core purpose of the company? Is an industry selling regulation or enforced cleanup as voluntary? You’ll start seeing greenwashing everywhere.
The good news? We know we’re doing something right when industry starts copying our tactics. Our fearless organizing for a food system that benefits everyone is only building momentum. It’s our job to keep corporations from using that power to boost their profit margins.
Read the entire blog post on PAN's website.
Other pollinator news: Minnesota 2018 Pollinator Summit
Learn what's on the agenda for the 2018 Pollinator Summit at the Minnesota Arboretum on October 12. We probably will still be processing the fruits of the union of our vegetable overlords and their little domestic and wild pollinator allies, but we'd love to see "Soybeans and Skipperlings" by Dr. Erik Runquist, Conservation Biologist, Minnesota Zoo. In the meantime, we recommend readers follow Runquist on twitter at ErikRunquist.
Photo: Honeybees. We use raw honey from a local honey beekeeper to perfect our apple butter and other home canned goods.
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