Summary
In 2015, members of the civil action group the Benton Food Freedom campaign were able to get a local food system ordinance on ballot. The ordinance would have prohibited the cultivation of genetically modified organisms in Benton County, Oregon. The ordinance also recognized rights of natural communities, declaring they “shall possess the right to exist, maintain themselves and regenerate their own vital cycles, structures, functions, and evolutionary process. Other rights included in the Food Bill of Rights are the right to a local food system, seed heritage, and self-government.