Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 9/25/18

The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, which formed earlier this year after a mass exodus from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, has been keeping a low profile but is ready with a meaty policy to-do list, Pro Ag's Helena Bottemiller Evich and Sarah Zimmerman report.

Its four member-companies — Danone North America, Mars, Nestlé and Unilever — have recently been involved with the farm bill, nutrition policy, GMO labeling and climate change. The coalition also plans to weigh in on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines, implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act and possibly creating more voluntary industry standards.

The footprint: For now, the alliance is not functioning as a traditional trade association and isn't inviting other companies to join. Its efforts are being coordinated with the help of Glover Park Group, a public relations and lobbying firm in Washington.

The strategy: "We decided instead of fighting within the food industry, let's be much more proactive about how we can tackle those issues," said Brad Figel, vice president of public affairs at Mars, who appeared on a panel at the Chesapeake Food Summit on Monday in Washington.