We cannot wait for California’s next economic upturn to invest in our food security | Opinion
As advocates who promote sustainable and resilient farming in California, we continue to witness the urgent need for action in the face of climate change. Collectively, our organizations work to improve the health and well-being of farm workers, provide training and resources to help farm workers transition to organic farm ownership, and increase access to healthy food for all.
Climate change is all too real a threat in California for the people we serve. Farmers are facing an unprecedented frequency and intensity of drought, floods, extreme heat and wildfires. Small and medium-sized farmers with thin profit margins are at greatest risk, as are the younger farmers on whom we will be increasingly dependent as our aging farmer population retires.
We are also dependent on the workers who grow and process our food who face many climate-induced hazards, both in the field and at home. Many cannot afford or do not have access to safe drinking water, clean air and well-insulated homes.
Opinion
As we learned during the pandemic, our food processing and distribution systems are highly centralized and susceptible to supply chain disruptions which are likely to be more common with climate change, leading even greater hardships for the 8 million Californians who are food insecure.
Frank Tamborello at Hunger Action Los Angeles told us about Trinidad Luna, a Hunger Action Los Angeles member and double amputee, who has struggled after his COVID benefits ended in April. He can afford a gallon of milk, bread and peanut butter, but is left with just $8 to last the rest of the month. And he’s not the only one: According to a recent study, one in five Californians are considered food insecure. These Californians depend on school meals, food banks and senior nutrition programs to survive.
We firmly believe that with vision, ingenuity and financial investments, we can build on effective models to create a food and farming system for the future.
Our vision for the future is one where all farm workers and their families are housed in dignified, affordable, energy-efficient homes, and where farmers are supported in using climate-resilient practices like improving soil health, increasing biodiversity and conserving water. We must build regional food processing and fisheries facilities, school kitchens, community food programs, urban farms and food distribution hubs organized around the needs of local communities that create markets for healthy, fresh, California-grown vegetables, nuts, fruits, meats and fish.
But where will the money come from to invest in this future?
State budget funding has proved unreliable in recent years. During the last two budget years, when the state had historically high revenues, over $3 billion was invested in programs and projects that moved us closer to this vision for a better food system. However, in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget deal, many of these gains were reduced or eliminated altogether. This inconsistency in funding cannot continue if we are to improve California’s food and farming system.
The California Legislature is considering several bond measures that would be on the November 2024 ballot to fund climate mitigation and resilience on forest lands, wetlands, open space and in the food and farming system. Assembly members Lori Wilson and Eduardo Garcia and California State Senator Ben Allen are leading these efforts and are negotiating what will be included in the package of measures.
We cannot wait for the state’s next economic upturn to invest in our food security. A 2024 climate bond measure is an opportunity to make once-in-a-generation investments in building a more resilient and equitable food system for all Californians while curbing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping farmers profitable and farm workers safe.
Patricia Carrillo is the executive director of the Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association. Irene de Barraicua is the director of policy and communications for Lideres Campesinas. Frank Tamborello, the executive director of Hunger Action LA and a member of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, also assisted with this piece.
