The "Marketing" in Marketing Orders

This article, which appeared in the GAO Review, Vol. 20, Issue 4, Fall 1985, discusses marketing orders, which are food marketing plans designed by farmers and marketers in a particular industry. Once the industry votes them in and the Department of Agriculture approves them, they are issued as federal regulations. A GAO evaluation found that: (1) a few marketing orders restrict new-farmer entry or have the potential to produce waste and higher prices; (2) the actions taken by many orders can lead to more orderly markets in the long run; and (3) the trend is toward orders that focus on improving long-term demand which will benefit farmers and consumers. Marketing orders allow individual farmers and marketers to work together to ensure that: (1) products offered to consumers are of the desired quality; and (2) consumers have adequate information about those products to make educated purchase decisions.