Short Title; Definitions; Matters of Public Interest (Consolidated Laws of New York: Agriculture and Markets Law; Article 1; §§ 1 − 3)

1 Agriculture and Markets ARTICLE 1. Short Title; Definitions; Matters of Public Interest. Section 1. Short title. 2. Definitions. 3. Declaration of policy and purposes. § 1. Short title. This chapter shall be known as the agriculture and markets law. § 2. Definitions. When used in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly stated, or unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires: 1. "Department" means the state department of agriculture and markets; 2. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture and markets. 3. The terms "food" and food "products," shall include all articles of food, drink, confectionery or condiment, whether simple, mixed or compound, used or intended for use by man or animals, and shall also include all substances or ingredients to be added to food for any purpose; 4. The production of foods means the producing of food upon the farm or elsewhere by the tillage of the soil, the commercial raising, shearing, feeding and management of animals or other agricultural, horticultural, ranching or dairying processes and shall also include the manufacture of foods. 5. "Farm product" means any agricultural, dairy or horticultural product, or any product designed for food manufactured or prepared principally from an agricultural, dairy or horticultural product and the commercial raising, shearing, feeding and management of animals on a ranch. § 3. Declaration of policy and purposes. The agricultural industry is basic to the life of our state. It vitally concerns and affects the welfare, health, economic well-being and productive and industrial capabilities of all our people. It is the policy and duty of the state to promote, foster, and encourage the agricultural industry, with proper standards of living for those engaged therein; to design and establish long-range programs for its stabilization and profitable operation; to increase through education, research, regulation, and scientific means, the quantity, quality, and efficiency of its production; to improve its marketing system; to encourage adequate and skilled assistance for agricultural enterprises; to maintain at fair prices uncontrolled by speculation the instrumentalities and products of agriculture; to remove unnecessary or unfair costs and obstacles in the transportation, storage, processing, distribution, marketing, and sale of agricultural products; to prevent frauds in the traffic therein; to promote an expanded demand for the state's agricultural products and the intelligent uses thereof by consumers as pure and wholesome food; to protect the public health and to eliminate the evils of under-nourishment; to encourage the selection and consumption of food according to sound dietary and nutritional principles; to improve our citizens' overall health and to combat the increasing incidence of adult and childhood obesity; and to make our people conscious of the bond of 2 mutual self-interest between our urban and our rural populations. Accordingly, all laws enacted concerning the agricultural industry and its allied subjects, whether included in this chapter or not, are to be deemed an exercise of the police power of the state and a discharge of its obligations for the promotion of the general welfare through state-wide laws and regulations, local initiative and government, cooperative action between groups and localities, home-rule measures, individual enterprise, civic consciousness, and appropriate coordination with the federal government and as between educational research institutions within the state. Such laws and all governmental measures adopted pursuant thereto should receive a liberal interpretation and application in furtherance of the aforesaid policy and purposes.