The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the State Board of Food and Agriculture have published their vision for food and farming in California over the next decade. The detailed document is called Ag Vision for the Next Decade.

According to CDFA, Ag Vision centers on growing opportunity – for farmers and ranchers, farmworkers, individuals and communities – and for demonstrating leadership on climate action.

The document says the new vision plan will guide areas of focus for CDFA and serve as a catalyst for action with farmers and ranchers and other California agencies and partners. It’s being hailed as not only a plan for agriculture but also a plan to benefit every resident of California.

CSFA says the plan was developed using a robust and inclusive process and focuses on five priority areas:

• Fostering climate-smart, resilient, and regenerative food systems — Support efforts that improve agriculture’s effect on the environment, encourage wise stewardship of water and natural resources, eliminate waste, and are regenerative, e.g., practices that enhance ecosystems and improve the land.
  
• Building healthy, local communities — Invest in local and socially disadvantaged communities – with emphasis on the diverse populations who often work at and with, and live adjacent to California farms – while supporting equity and the California economy through nutritious, California-grown farm products.
  
• Driving next-generation talent and tools — Support workforce development programs aimed at attracting, supporting and providing high-quality jobs and leadership opportunities for a diverse agricultural workforce, while also driving research and real-time feedback from farmers and ranchers to stimulate and accelerate innovation to solve problems and build opportunities.
  
• Enhancing understanding of agriculture — Serve as the voice for California farmers and ranchers within the administration and with other agencies, and support the engagement of urban and rural audiences.
  
• Collaborating on smarter regulations — Work with other state agencies, stakeholders and the administration to explore and support smarter regulations that rethink ways to both meet public obligations and support farmers with simplified, less expensive regulatory compliance, reporting and implementation.

“Ag Vision is a plan for every Californian, from those who care about the land and landscape and making it better for the future, to those who work with or live around farming communities,” says Karen Ross, secretary for CDFA. “It’s a plan for those curious about their food and health and those who care about climate action to foster more climate smart, resilient and restorative food systems. While the plan is intended to guide the actions of CDFA, we can’t do it alone. To bring Ag Vision to life we need private and public entities, community leaders and diverse stakeholders to come together to advance the vision through collaboration, partnerships and action.”

According to CDFA, Ag Vision was created with multiple inputs from a diverse set of agricultural stakeholders. One-on-one interviews were held with members of an Ag Vision task force representing the diversity of geographic regions and crops grown in California, and members of the State Board of Food and Agriculture. Seven virtual roundtable discussions occurred with various segments of California agriculture – from dairy and livestock farmers to berry growers and tree nut producers – along with processors and supply chain partners and historically underserved farmers.

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“California is the fifth largest agricultural economy in the world and with that comes the responsibility to enable a framework where farmers, ranchers, farmworkers and communities can thrive,” said Jenet DeCosta, state board member and Ag Vision committee chair. “Through Ag Vision, the farming community will further its positive impact to make an even bigger difference to people in our communities, state and around the globe.”

The report, Ag Vision For the Next Decade, is a good step for CDFA, which has fallen short on the “vision thing” for many years in my analysis and opinion. Vision now must lead to strategy, followed by implementation, which is the most difficult part of the trifecta.

In a piece in the May issue of My Job Depends on Ag Magazine I called for a renewed era for agriculture in California, arguing in it that the CDFA needs to play a much more proactive role in keeping the Golden State number one in food and farming in America and the world. We now are going to get a chance to see if CDFA walks that talk with its new 16-page Ag Vision For the Next Decade strategy.

The strategy isn’t all-inclusive nor does it include all the priorities I want to see the state have for agriculture in the state. It is, however, a good start and I want to see CDFA succeed in its implementation. All stakeholders should want the same in my view.

In order to succeed though, CFDA must reach out beyond the ag echo chamber to all California residents, particularly those living in urban and suburban regions, and get their buy-in. The fact is that most Californians take the phenomenon that is California agriculture so for granted that they assume it simply will continue on being the biggest and best in the world on its own. It won’t.

The next decade is going to be the most challenging decade for California agriculture in most of our lifetimes. Drought, climate change, labor shortages and more need to be faced and dealt with, as does the scarcity of farmland in the state and the aging out of farmers. The average farmer in the state is 60 years old or over.

California feeds the nation and much of the world. Over 400 crops are grown in the state and it remains the leading producer of fresh produce, including being the exclusive growing state for numerous fresh fruit, vegetable and nut crops.

It’s going to take a village to elevate agriculture in the hearts and minds of California residents and it’s going to take a lot of creativity and hard work for CDFA to make its 10-year vision for California agriculture a reality.

It’s time to get to work.

My Job Depends on Ag Magazine columnist and contributing editor Victor Martino is an agrifood industry consultant, entrepreneur and writer. One of his passions and current projects is working with farmers who want to develop their own branded food products. You can contact him at: victormartino415@gmail.com.