Colorado Passes Law to Protect Local Produce Branding

New legislation gives state more power to investigate and penalize deceptive marketing of out-of-state fruits and vegetables as Colorado-grown.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 12:22am

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a pile of fresh Colorado-grown produce including peaches, corn, and bell peppers, arranged elegantly on a clean white background and dramatically lit to symbolize the quality and authenticity of the state's agricultural products.A new Colorado law aims to preserve the integrity of the state's agricultural reputation by cracking down on deceptive marketing of out-of-state produce as locally grown.Grand Junction Today

The Colorado state government has passed a new law designed to stop out-of-state fruits and vegetables from being falsely marketed as Colorado-grown produce. The measure strengthens consumer protection laws and gives the state more authority to investigate and penalize deceptive practices around the use of the 'Colorado Proud' trademark and claims of local origin.

Why it matters

This law aims to protect both consumers and local Colorado farmers by preserving the integrity of the state's agricultural reputation and preventing unfair competition from mislabeled produce. It's an important step in supporting the state's thriving local food economy.

The details

The new House Bill 1031, signed into law by Governor Jared Polis, specifically prohibits the marketing and labeling of out-of-state fruits and vegetables as being 'Colorado grown' or 'Colorado proud.' It grants the state attorney general's office more power to investigate and prosecute any findings of deceptive trade practices. The law also provides the Colorado Department of Agriculture with greater control over the parameters and usage of the 'Colorado Proud' trademark.

  • The new law was signed by Governor Polis on Wednesday, April 9, 2026.

The players

Jared Polis

The Governor of Colorado who signed the new law to protect Colorado-grown produce branding.

Matt Soper

A Colorado state representative who was a key supporter of House Bill 1031.

Colorado Department of Agriculture

The state agency that will have greater control over the 'Colorado Proud' trademark under the new law.

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What they’re saying

“We're adding to Colorado's consumer trade deception laws to where if someone specifically markets and labels either fresh produce or fresh fruits as being Colorado grown or Colorado proud, then it's specifically a trade deception and the attorney general of the state has the power to investigate and prosecute those findings.”

— Matt Soper, Colorado State Representative

“It also goes one step further in granting specific protections to the Colorado proud trademark and allows the Department of Agriculture to better control what parameters there are in terms of that trademark.”

— Matt Soper, Colorado State Representative

What’s next

The new law will go into effect immediately, giving the state attorney general and Department of Agriculture the authority to begin enforcing the new regulations around the use of the 'Colorado Proud' trademark and claims of in-state origin.

The takeaway

This legislation is an important win for Colorado's local food economy, empowering the state to crack down on deceptive marketing practices that undermine the reputation and sales of genuine Colorado-grown produce. It's a model that other agricultural states may look to adopt in order to protect their own regional food brands.