General Mills Boycott 2025: Why It’s More Than Just Cereal
The General Mills boycott is underway, and it’s not just about cereal. From April 21 to April 28, People’s Union USA is calling on consumers to stop buying products from one of America’s biggest food companies.
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The group says General Mills represents a larger problem—corporate power in the food system, harmful ingredients, and efforts to block transparency on what we eat. This isn’t just a protest against sugar. It’s about who controls the shelves and what ends up on your plate.
Why Are People Boycotting General Mills?
John Schwarz, founder of People’s Union USA, says the issue goes deeper than sugary cereals. In an April 20 video, he called General Mills a “symbol of unchecked corporate power.” His list of concerns includes:
- Use of toxic ingredients
- Lobbying against GMO labeling transparency
- Heavy contributions to the plastic pollution crisis
- Exploiting farmers and workers
- Dodging taxes while raking in massive profits
According to Schwarz, “This is a company that owns half the cereal aisle, floods our stores with ultra-processed garbage, and targets our children with sugary poison.”
Full List: General Mills Brands to Avoid
If you’re participating in the boycott, here are the products to skip:
Cereal Brands:
- Cheerios (including Honey Nut, Multi-Grain)
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- Chex (Rice, Corn, Wheat)
- Lucky Charms
- Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Kix
- Total, Wheaties, Raisin Nut Bran
- Reese’s Puffs, Golden Grahams
Baking & Pantry:
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- Betty Crocker
- Bisquick
- Gold Medal Flour
- Pillsbury
- Annie’s
- Old El Paso
- Green Giant
Frozen and Prepared Foods:
- Totino’s
- Progresso
- Yoplait, Go-Gurt, Liberté
- Nature Valley
- Larabar
- Fiber One
- EPIC snacks
- Häagen-Dazs
Pet Food:
- Blue Buffalo
More Boycotts Are Coming
This isn’t a one-off. More economic protests are lined up for 2025:
- Amazon: May 6–12
- Walmart: May 20–26
- Target: June 3–9
- McDonald’s: June 24–30
A third major Economic Blackout is also planned for July 4.
Meanwhile, the National Action Network, led by Rev. Al Sharpton, is considering a PepsiCo boycott. The group has criticized PepsiCo for ending its minority workforce representation goals.
Are Boycotts Effective?
The results are mixed. Some boycotts, like the Bud Light backlash in 2023, had real sales impact. But recent protests show a more complicated picture.
For example:
- On Feb. 28, during a one-day economic blackout, Cardlytics data showed spending actually rose 12%.
- But Placer.ai tracked a drop in foot traffic at Target, Walmart, and Starbucks.
It suggests that while boycotts may not always reduce overall consumer spending, they can still disrupt individual brand metrics and generate national conversation.
The Bigger Picture: DEI and Consumer Power
While the General Mills protest focuses on food and environmental ethics, many other boycotts are about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
As corporations like Walmart, Meta, and Lowe’s scale back DEI programs, activist groups are calling on consumers to “vote with their dollars.”
Some social campaigns, such as #LatinoFreezeMovement, are urging minority communities to redirect spending as a form of resistance and advocacy.
Whether you agree with the tactics or not, one thing is clear: consumer activism is evolving. The question now is how much influence it really has — and whether companies like General Mills will feel the heat.
Would you stop buying a product if you found out the company behind it was harming the environment or lobbying against transparency? Why or why not?
More…
- https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2025/04/21/mississippi-need-to-know-general-mills-boycott-now-new-amazon-walmart-protests-coming-soon/83160553007
- https://www.newsweek.com/general-mills-boycott-full-list-products-2062024
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/general-mills-boycott-week-alabama-090752886.html
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