Consumers boycott companies retreating from DEI. This is what we know.
Consumers are planning to boycott certain companies that are retreating from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Consumers across the country took part in a week-long boycott of General Mills last week, targeting a large company whose organizers say everything is wrong with the grip of the country’s food system companies.
The seven-day spending freeze was organized by the People’s Union USA and led by John Schwartz.
In a post on Instagram, Schwartz claims that what he is claiming is the toxic ingredient of General Mills, and is said to be the dominance of the entire store for price gouging during inflation, avoiding fair taxes and mass-produced undernutrition products.
Here’s what you need to know about the General Mills Boycott, including which products it contains:
When is General Mills boycotted?
The General Mills Boycott began on April 21st and ended late at night on Monday, April 28th.
What is the General Mills Boycott? Why are people boycotting general factories?
The People’s Union USA is calling for a nationwide boycott of the corporate giant’s continued efforts to “do nothing to reinvest in profitable communities while still profiting from the backs of American families.”
In a video on Instagram, Schwarz called for corporate efforts to drive away “super-treated garbage” and “sugar poison,” and made millions oppose GMO transparency and better food labeling to blind Americans to what they’re eating.
What items are available on the General Mills Boycott list? Here is a list of common Mills products
General Mills is a manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer and pet foods, including cereals, prep and frozen foods, soups, snacks, yogurt, baking products, pet food, ice cream and more. Some brands are under the umbrella of general factories:
- serial: Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Checks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puff, Cookie Crisp, Count Chocola, Golden Graham, Kicks, Lucky Charm, Raisin Nut Blanc, Lee Puff, Total, Trix, Wheat
- Baking: Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Gold Medal, Biskick, Autumn Gold
- snack: Nature Valley, Annie (Organic Snack), Epic, Lalaval, Checksmix, Dankaru, Fiber 1, Guards
- yogurt: Yoplait, yes, ratio
- Ice cream: Hagen Daz
- Pet Food: Blue Buffalo
- Other brands: Annie (organic), Old El Paso, Totino, Muir Glen (organic), Progress (soup)
Does boycott work? Does an economical power outage work?
The consequences of boycotts are often mixed, but the professor told USA Today that it can make businesses embarrassed and successful in taking action.
In 2023, conservative activists staged a boycott of Target’s Pridemance displays, moving the store to the back of the store. Last year, retailers chose to scale back their Pride collections, and many stores chose not to carry it. Bud Light, owned by Beer Giant Anheuser-Busch, suffered from sales that plunged after a backlash in 2023 in a social media campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
According to a report from USA Today, data from the first economic blackout on February 28 suggests that there had been “some degree of potential impact” on sales at large retailers such as Target, Walmart and Amazon.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist and a connecting team in the Mid-Atlantic region..