ABSTRACT

Criticism of biotechnology in the food system coalesced in the 2010s around calls for a mandatory genetically modified organism (GMO) label on food products in several U.S. states. We examine the state labeling initiatives in the northeastern U.S. (CT, MA, ME, VT), with particular focus on Vermont as it was the only state to enact a GMO labeling bill in 2016. We combine interviews with stakeholders and testimony from public hearings to understand the ways in which stakeholders and the public framed the issue. We find that frames tied to individual consumer rights and economic risks were evident across all northeastern states’ discourses on GMO labeling, with some states emphasizing concerns linked to public health and lack of scientific data. In Vermont, we find that frames tied to the state’s agricultural identity and collective welfare resonated within the progressive, direct democratic political landscape. These collective welfare frames differ from individually focused neoliberal frames more commonly found throughout GMO labeling debates and broader food activism.

摘要

对食品系统中生物技术的批评在2010年代合并在一起，其中呼吁在美国多个州的食品上使用强制性转基因生物（GMO）标签。我们研究了美国东北部（CT，MA，ME，VT）的州标签计划，尤其关注佛蒙特州，因为它是2016年唯一颁布GMO标签法案的州。我们将与利益相关者的访谈以及公开听证会的证词结​​合起来了解利益相关者和公众解决问题的方式。我们发现，在东北所有州关于GMO标签的论述中，与个人消费者权利和经济风险相关的框架显而易见，有些州强调与公共卫生和缺乏科学数据有关的担忧。在佛蒙特州，我们发现，与国家的农业认同和集体福利相关的框架在进步，直接的民主政治格局中产生了共鸣。这些集体福利框架不同于在GMO标签辩论和更广泛的食品行动主义中更常见的以个人为中心的新自由主义框架。