The Grocery Manufacturers Association announced this week it will become the Consumer Brands Association, effective January 2020.
The new identity is part of a sweeping overhaul of the 110-year old trade organization, led by President and CEO Geoff Freeman and the GMA board of directors.
Leaders of the organization say GMA’s new advocacy agenda represents the broader interests of a modern consumer packaged goods company by focusing on four core pillars, enhancing packaging sustainability, championing smart regulation, creating frictionless supply chains and building trust, while also advancing a narrative about the industry’s social and economic impact.
The organization faced controversy during the GMO labeling debate, along with labeling issues regarding added sugars.
In 2017, several high-profile member-companies left the organization because of those issues.
The trade organization has already begun to advance its strategic priorities.
This summer, it released the industry’s first-ever economic study, which found the industry supports more than 20 million American jobs and contributes $2 trillion to the country’s GDP.