Legal Definitions - veggie-libel law

Veggie-libel law is a colloquial term for an agricultural-disparagement law. These laws allow producers of perishable agricultural food products to sue individuals or organizations for making false, negative statements about their products. The core idea is to protect farmers and food producers from financially damaging claims that lack scientific basis or are intentionally misleading, which could lead to a significant drop in consumer demand and sales. These laws often have specific provisions that can make it easier for agricultural producers to win a lawsuit compared to traditional defamation or libel cases.

• Example 1: A popular social media influencer posts a video claiming that all commercially available avocados from a particular region are contaminated with a dangerous, unnamed chemical, urging followers to stop buying them. This claim is entirely false and not supported by any scientific evidence.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates a veggie-libel law because the influencer made a false statement about an agricultural product (avocados) from a specific region. If avocado farmers in that region experience a measurable drop in sales due to this unsubstantiated claim, they could potentially sue the influencer under an agricultural-disparagement law for the financial harm caused by the false statement.

• Example 2: During a local news segment on food safety, a guest expert, without proper research or scientific backing, incorrectly states that a specific brand of locally produced milk contains harmful antibiotics, even though the brand adheres to all regulatory standards and testing.

  Explanation: This demonstrates a veggie-libel law because a false and damaging statement was made about a perishable agricultural product (milk). If the dairy farm producing that milk can prove that this false statement directly led to a significant decrease in their milk sales and damaged their reputation, they could use an agricultural-disparagement law to seek compensation from the news outlet or the guest expert.

• Example 3: An environmental advocacy group launches a campaign asserting that a particular method of growing tomatoes, widely used by farmers in a certain state, is directly responsible for a rare plant disease, despite scientific consensus indicating otherwise. This campaign causes consumers to avoid tomatoes from that state.

  Explanation: This situation falls under veggie-libel law because the advocacy group made a false claim about an agricultural product (tomatoes) and a farming practice, which could cause economic harm to tomato growers in that state. If the farmers can demonstrate that the group's unsubstantiated claims led to a substantial decline in the demand and price for their tomatoes, they could pursue legal action under an agricultural-disparagement statute.