ISSUE

GMOs

PLACE IN FOOD CYCLE

Natural/Human Resources

POLICY

Farmers' Right to Know GMO Seed Labeling Act April 2004. Requires labeling of GMO seeds as such.

POLICY TOOL

Regulations

SCALE

State, national, international-(import/export)

ACTORS

Farmers', Seed Manufacurers/producer, VT. Dept. of Agriculture, Agri-business, packagers/labelers, international trade markets, consumers.

PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

Food, animal and human safety;environmental impact; grower and consumer right to choose and participate with or consume GE seeds/products; food security, decrease risk of cross contamination; international marketability of products.

POLICY GOALS IMPLICATED

Security- maintenance of "organic" standards; economic for those wishing to participate in international markets barring GE products, environmental protection of native/reproducible/ eco-system. Equity-Increase labeling & testing cost for GE seed manufacturers. Efficiency-Act utilizes existing USDA organic standards definition of genetically modified. Acquired need for testing and identificaiton. Liberty-increases for non-GMO seed users and producers, decreases for GMO seed producers and users (in pass off cost)

TOOL CHARACTERISTICS

Coercive-mandatory labeling absent of choice. Automaticity-medium. Dept. of Ag. Pre-existing as in trueth in labeling practices. Requires testing and labeling protocols and procedures to be developed/implemented. Direct-adminstative and oversight by VT. Dept. of Ag. Visibility-high. Through labeling, marketing promotion. Flexibility-moderate-high. Easily adaptable, but may incur cost if relabeling of pre-existing labeled products required. Certainty- moderate-administrative process already in place, compliance may require additional testing process.

EXTENT POLICY SUPPORTS/HINDERS

Supports-Farmers' and publics' right to know and choose. Expands marketability for non-GMO farmers to include organic and international markets that ban GE products. Environmental protection. Hinders-Increase testing and labeling cost to GMO seed producers/suppliers. Some imply mandatory labeling implies negative ramifications associated with GE seeds and resulting products that are not scientifically proven.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

www.ruralvermont.org/gmos/html