Almond Industry Explores the Definition of Sustainable Agriculture
By Chris Heintz
Special to California Almonds
Love of the land. Working outdoors. Autonomy. All reasons farmers choose to be farmers. Like it or not, nowadays farmers also must be precision scientists, accurate meteorologists, shrewd accountants and legal experts.
An increase in the number of regulations affecting agriculture has complicated farming. Federal mandates such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Food Quality and Protection Act of 1996 and the Endangered Species Act have changed the way almond growers farm.
California agencies such as the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Department of Pesticide Regulation and many other state and regional agencies also enforce regulations that dictate almond growing practices while attempting to protect resources.
Consensus definition of sustainability: “Sustainable almond farming utilizes production practices that are based on sound and scientific research, common sense and a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees, resulting in a plentiful, healthy and safe food product.”
Almond growers, in fact, are very good stewards of their natural resources. Since the early 1970s, the Almond Board has funded research into innovative, environmentally friendly farming.
The Board established the Environmental Committee in 2001. Two years later, the Committee launched the Environmental Stewardship Campaign, keeping growers informed about environmental issues and regulations, and promoting the stewardship efforts of almond growers. Under the Board’s Environmental Stewardship Campaign, participation has been excellent, accomplishments have been numerous, awards have been won, and recognition by media, regulators, and contacts within and outside of the almond industry laud the success of the program and the stewardship of almond growers.
This past year, the Environmental Stewardship Campaign has explored the concept of “sustainability,” a term growing in popularity and use by regulators, academia, granting and funding sources, the media and the consuming public.
The use of the term sustainability and sustainable almond growing practices was the topic of professionally moderated focus groups with almond growers, handlers, PCAs and UC farm advisors in Chico, Modesto, Fresno and Tulare.
The first—and perhaps most remarkable—finding of the focus groups was that not a single participant opposed the idea of developing a definition for sustainable almond growing. In essence, defining and pursuing efforts in sustainability was not a controversial issue among these industry members.
“From my perspective as someone who has studied several commodities, I found this alone surprising and encouraging,” said the focus group facilitator, Dr. Keith Douglass Warner, Director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at Santa Clara University’s Environmental Studies Institute.
Secondly, the focus groups considered several possible definitions of almond sustainability. The consensus choice was:
“Sustainable almond farming utilizes production practices that are based on sound and scientific research, common sense and a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees, resulting in a plentiful, healthy and safe food product.”
Participants said the definition merited some improvement but overall captured the general elements of almond sustainability. Recommendations for improvement include incorporating language referring to economic viability and product safety into a final definition.
Other noteworthy comments from the focus groups included the importance of the agricultural industry speaking up to tell its story. It was underscored that urban Californians should understand the environmental benefits provided by the agriculture industry.
Lastly, the focus groups indicated that the sustainability message has three main audiences – consumers, community, and regulators. Consumers must be targeted with a concise sustainability statement, giving them confidence in their product purchase. The sense of community must be adequately addressed by ensuring agricultural production enhances community values and interaction with neighbors including allied individuals and groups. Agricultural activities should be “friendly” practices. Regulators are an important target audience. Sustainability provides a framework for agriculture to work with regulators on common goals.
“The Almond Board has a track record for working pro-actively to meet environmental challenges,” said Gabrielle Ludwig, senior manager of global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California. “Adopting and following through on sustainability efforts is the next logical step.”