Climate Spike SUCCESS!

Awesome job and a big CONGRATS to all the Oxfam Action Corps who took action for our campaign spike Tuesday! If you haven't heard, that day, May 20, marked a big push for our activism regarding climate change, and how the Big Ten food and beverage companies are contributing to it. We specifically targeted the two companies who rank lowest on our scorecard for climate, Kellogg and General Mills. All across the country, volunteers and staff took action to spread the word, which in turn sparked actions from over 17,000 people on this one day! 

The objective was to raise awareness among consumers, but also to send a strong message to these two companies to shape up their climate policies. We did this by taking pictures in front of the brands, engaging with the public on the street, handing out mini cereal boxes with a twist (see pictures below) and collecting petition signatures. Additionally eight of our Action Corps teams visited facilities to deliver a report that addresses why food and beverage companies must do more to tackle climate change. You can read the full report here.

Altered labels to send our message to consumers!

Kansas City Action Corps volunteers

Des Moines Action Corps volunteer at facility in Iowa

Burlington Action Corps volunteers

Other GRRRREAT! activity from May 20 happened in Chicago, where there was a "Sweets and Snacks" expo with attendees from all the major players in the food and beverage industry, including General Mills and Kellogg! Our incredible staff both from Boston and Chicago, along with Action Corps volunteers, dressed up as famous mascot characters from the brands, and stood outside. Here is the result:

Staff and volunteers dressed as mascots in front of expo

"Breakfast of the Future" stunt in Lake Michigan

Our team in Chicago made great contact with the companies, as well as local allies. This stunt in particular had a huge presence on social media, along with all the other great posts from allies and Action Corps. As far as general media, Oxfam had a presence in over 35 news stories, including mentions in Time, Reuters, Financial Times, Huffington Post, and Al Jazeera America. In addition, Oxfam’s President Ray Offenheiser and a few other Oxfam staff held airtime on various TV networks, advocating for these issues and our campaign.

And the work doesn’t stop here! We will continue to advocate for climate change and work with these companies to ensure they follow through on making reforms. To get in on the action, make sure you have visited behindthebrands.org to sign the petition, and help out with social media activity! Follow the Oxfam America national blog for updates on news and reporting on the companies’ progress. Thank you again to ALL the help from Action Corps across the country! This was a momentous day