The California Department of Food and Agriculture recently held its first meeting on environmental land with its five - extremity scientific consultative panel . The panel formed to suggest state agency on sustainable agriculture .
As California leads the battalion in lawmaking border environmental protection , food safety and clime change , the Scientific Panel on Environmental Farming will help oneself specify that role by leave agricultural research to regulative agencies , says Steve Lyle , CDFA ’s theatre director of public affairs . The panel will survey information regarding the encroachment that factory farm has on the environment and make good word to appropriate state agencies . In addition , the panel will publically document agricultural activities that produce net benefits for the environment and ecosystem .
CDFA , play with American Farmland Trust , the state board of USDA and hundreds of stakeholder , recently completed a two - year process of public merging to complete Ag Vision 2030 , a paper that highlights sustainable agriculture issues . The board will focus on these issues , which include demand for environmental flow ( or the lifelike urine call for to observe ecosystem ) , water salinity and atmosphere quality .
“ California ’s farmer and rancher function in a regulative environs that contributes to the rubber and innovation of our food supply and protect our lifelike home ground , ” Lyle says . “ All of California ’s farm family will benefit from this panel , which will leave research to avail document the encroachment that agriculture has on the surround , provide greater transparency to the rule - making appendage of regulatory way . ”
One of the first priority of the panel is to search an environmental encroachment report , drafted by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board , on the state ’s dairy manure digester and co - digester quickness .
Three member of the panel are appointed by California ’s Secretary of Food and Agriculture to represent product agribusiness . One phallus is appointed by the Secretary of the State Department Environmental Protection Agency to represent human health and environmental science . One member is appoint by the Secretary of the state Natural Resources Agency to represent resource direction .
“ This panel will bring together diverse expertness to train and consult with body politic agency on environmental issues paramount to sustainable agricultural production , ” says CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura . “ While feed the nation , California agriculture strives to build consensus to address multiple complex issues confronting the Department of State ’s 80,000 farmers , like resource management , trespassing metal money , piddle , local and constituent food product , and environmental stewardship . ”
