Framing local: an analysis of framing strategies for genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling initiatives in the northeastern U.S

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• biotechnology
• frame analysis
• social movements
• labeling