“Real food” is the rallying cry of Generation Z grocery shoppers, according to a recent report from The NPD Group.

Gen Z, those born between 1997 and the present, represent 27 percent of the U.S. population. They have higher consumption rates of organic foods and beverages than any other group, NPD said, and were taught to value food based on nutrition and function, not just in terms of taste.

“Food marketers should understand that this generation grew up knowing that food is much more than sustenance; food represents culture and therefore is an expression of who they are,” said David Portalatin, food industry adviser for NPD and author of Eating Patterns in America. “This generation was raised to be real and true to themselves, and they expect the same from their foods and beverages.”

Many assume Gen Z is a carbon copy of the millennial generation, and while they have similarities, the differences will “require grocers and food manufacturers to fine-tune their messages,” NPD said. Gen Zs are similar to millennials in their demand for authenticity, freshness and purity in their products, but more than millennials, Gen Z consumers say clean eating improves their quality of life and that fresh foods play a key role in their lifestyle. And they aren’t just saying that. Gen Z accounts for some of the heaviest use of organic and non-G.M.O. foods, according to NPD.

Gen Z consumers also differ from millennials in their attitude toward large brands. While millennials tend to favor smaller, niche, local brands, Gen Zs choose brands based on different criteria.

“In many ways Gen Z consumers think of themselves as having a personal brand with a story and values by which to live,” NP said. “They seek brands that support their story, and they are willing to use them regardless of a brand’s size.”

Gen Zs also approach snack foods differently. The generation’s on-the-go lifestyle lends itself to more read-to-eat foods that may be incorporated into or in between traditional meals.

“Snacking is just can extension of who this generation is,” Mr. Portalatin said. “They’re more likely than any other generation to incorporate snack foods as a part of … breakfast, lunch or dinner. In fact, they’re doing this at a rate 53 times more on a per capita basis annually than any other generations.

“Generation Z was born into the world of foodie culture. They’re growing up with a keen understanding of the purpose for food and the role that it plays in a well-lived life. They have the potential to be perhaps the most influential generation we’ve ever seen on consumers’ eating and drinking behaviors.”

Link to story

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement (OPPE) today announced up to $8.4 million in available funding for training and technical assistance for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers. Funding is made through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program).

“The USDA is committed to reaching all farmers and ranchers,” said OPPE Director Diane Cullo. “Through the 2501 program, the USDA is building lasting relationships among these farmers and ranchers, the local organizations that serve them, and the USDA’s local, state, regional, and national offices.”

The 2501 Program was originally authorized by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. 2501 grants seek to enhance the equitable participation of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in USDA resources and programs, such as Farm Service Agency loans or grants through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). Projects may focus on conferences, training sessions, educational materials, or new programs to help these farmers and ranchers thrive and succeed.

Eligible applicants include community-based organizations, networks, or coalitions of community-based organizations; 1890 or 1994 institutions of higher education; American Indian tribal community colleges or Alaska Native cooperative colleges; Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education; other higher education institutions; Indian Tribes or national tribal organizations. Eligible entities must have experience in providing agricultural education or other agricultural-related services for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers.

The deadline for applications is May 15, 2018. See the request for applications for full details. Learn more about this funding opportunity through two teleconferences on March 28, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. EST and April 25, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. EST. To join each session, call 1-888-455-1685 and use passcode 7087935.

Examples of FY 2017 funded 2501 projects include a grant to the National Hmong American Farmers, Inc., to provide technical and direct assistance to Hmong farmers in central California who face barriers to successful farming due to poverty and cultural and linguistic isolation. A Florida State University project reached veterans with workshops, online agricultural courses, and 15 farm apprenticeships and managerial apprenticeships at private farms.

Link to USDA news release

By David Castellon

Fresno State researchers have concluded that non-farm workers and businesses that contribute to strawberry production, packing and distribution in five Southern California counties generate more than $2.7 billion in revenues annually.

The study, commissioned by the California Strawberry Commission, was conducted by economists who determined that a wide range of businesses in the counties support the state’s fourth largest crop.

The report, titled “Southern California Economy: Contributions from the Strawberry Supply Chain,” surveyed businesses in Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, Orange and Riverside counties.

“Our research found that strawberries and Southern California’s urban economy are strongly linked and benefit one another,” Annette Levi, a professor and chair of university’s Agricultura Business Department, said in a press release from the Strawberry Commission. “We were surprised at the interdependence between rural farming and jobs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.”

“What made this research so unique is that it provides a micro-view of a crop’s supply chain within an urban setting,” said Levi, who conducted the research with her Fresno State colleague. “It has long been assumed that California agriculture has a major ripple effect on the urban economy. This study documents how one crop, strawberries, plays a major role in supporting non-farm businesses.”

Other parts of the state where strawberries are commercially produced weren’t included in the study. On the whole, California produces nearly 90 percent of U.S.-grown strawberries.

KEY FINDINGS

-Non-farm urban strawberry value-chain businesses generate nearly $3 billion in economic returns in Southern California.

-Growers in the region contribute another $1 billion of economic activity in the
Southern California counties, for a total of nearly $4 billion in economic returns.

-The supply chain in the Southern California
urban centers has a diversity of companies
providing products and services for the
strawberry industry, including packaging,
precooling, shipping, processing, retailing
and more.

-A number of businesses often boast of a
diverse workforce that includes an equal
number of women and men — many of
whom are Latinos and Asians – with a wide
range of educational backgrounds.

Link to report

CDFA’s Detector Dog program is among funding recipients.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $14.8 million to California from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing nearly $70 million in funding this year that will support 494 projects across the country.

“We are pleased to partner with California to provide critical Farm Bill funds that will put innovative ideas into action and help us overcome our shared invasive pest and disease challenges,” said USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “California is a critical partner in protecting U.S. agriculture. These projects will enable California to protect its own resources, and, in doing so, contribute to USDA’s mission of keeping our nation’s agriculture economy healthy and strong.”

These funds will support projects covering a range of plant health and pest mitigation activities, including the following:

• $4.3 million to survey for harmful exotic fruit fly populations in the State;
• $3.5 million to support the activities of California’s agricultural detector dog teams searching for harmful, exotic plant pests in packages at mail and express parcel delivery facilities;
• $1.8 million to support National Clean Plant Network foundation plant stocks for citrus, grapes, fruit trees, sweet potato, and roses;
• $1.7 million to support California’s Emergency Plant Health Response Teams for responding to, delimiting the infestation area, and managing outbreaks of exotic plant pests;
• $1.3 million for survey activities for plant pests such as Asian defoliator moths, Khapra beetle, and pests harmful to citrus, stone fruit, and palm commodities;
• $1.1 million to develop or enhance plant pest and disease diagnostic and identification technologies for exotic fruit flies, cyst forming nematodes, downy mildew, and others;
• $740,000 to develop best management practices for pest and disease mitigation at ornamental nurseries;
• $260,000 to identify and use predatory insects as biological control tools for the insect pests Bagrada bug and shot hole borer;
• $80,000 to support improvement of Varroa mite resistant commercial honey bee stocks; and
• $9,000 for the development of molecular tools for the detection of gall forming nematodes in the family Anguinidae.

USDA has provided approximately $263 million in Section 10007 funds to support more than 2,200 projects since the 2014 Farm Bill was enacted. Collectively, these projects continue to bolster our country’s safeguarding system while allowing USDA and its partners to quickly detect and rapidly respond to invasive pests and diseases. You can view the FY 2018 spending plans on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/farmbill.

APHIS created the Hungry Pests public outreach program to empower Americans with the knowledge they need to leave these “hungry pests” behind. Visit www.aphis.usda.gov/pestsdiseases/hungrypests to learn more about invasive plant pests and diseases impacting your area and how you can help.

Arid conditions threaten coastal Cape Town, South Africa.

NOTE – Today is World Water Day, an annual observance highlighting the need for freshwater and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. CDFA’s SWEEP program helps in that regard by making grants available to farmers and ranchers for efficient irrigation projects.  Over the life of the program 31 billion gallons of water have been conserved, enough to fill nearly 47,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.   

By Ciara Linnane

Residents of Cape Town, South Africa, are bracing for Day Zero.

That’s the day that the city of 4 million’s municipal water supply will be cut off for most households and businesses, an unprecedented measure aimed at preserving water after a severe drought that has emptied reservoirs.

Since February, the city’s residents have lived with restrictions of 13.2 gallons of water a day per person, or roughly enough for a brief shower and three toilet flushes, as the Wall Street Journal has reported. Once Day Zero arrives, recently moved back to 2019 from July 9, 2018, residents will be forced to line up at collection points secured by the military.

Experts say this dystopian scene could be played out in other major cities in the coming years, as demand for water continues to increase with population growth and as climate change makes already-dry regions still dryer.

Roughly 3.6 billion people, or nearly half the current global population, live in areas that suffer water shortages for at least one month a year, according to the United Nations World Water Development report for 2018. By 2050, that number is expected to grow to almost 6 billion, according to the authors of the newly published report. The world’s population is expected to increase to about 10 billion by 2050.

Global demand for water has been growing at about 1% a year but is forecast to increase much more dramatically in the next two decades, with industrial and consumer demand growing faster than agriculture, although that sector will still consume the most.

At the same time, flooding and drought risk will also rise. The number of people at risk from floods is expected to climb to 1.6 billion in 2050 from 1.2 billion today.

The authors of the report emphasize that the water crisis could be averted using nature-based solutions, or NBS, systems that use or imitate natural processes to enhance water availability. That means a shift away human-built infrastructure and water-supply systems.

“The stakes are high,” said Audrey Azoulay, director general of Unesco, which commissioned the report. “Current trends suggest that around two-thirds of forests and wetlands have been lost or degraded since the beginning of the 20th century. Soil is eroding and deteriorating in quality. Since the 1990s, water pollution has worsened in almost all rivers in Africa, Asia and Latin America.”

The increased risk of flood or drought has a big impact on our ability to deal with and adapt to climate change, said Azoulay. “We know also that water scarcity can lead to civil unrest, mass migration, and even to conflict within and between countries,” she said.

There are different kinds of NBS, that range from the personal — a dry toilet — to applications that include conservation agriculture to minimize soil disturbance, maintain soil cover and regularize crop rotation. There are also NBS that could be used in urban areas, including green buildings, green walls, roof gardens and vegetated infiltration or drainage systems, landscape restoration, or even systems that improve the performance of built infrastructure.

Adopting NBS does not necessarily mean spending more money, but such efforts will require the redirection of funds and resources toward green infrastructure. The emerging green bond market is one example that also has the benefit of showing that NBS can perform well when measured against more traditional investments, said the report.

“Transforming agricultural policy represents a significant pathway for financing the further uptake of NBS,” said the report. “This requires overcoming the fact that the vast majority of agricultural subsidies, and probably the majority of public funding and almost all private-sector investment in agricultural research and development, support the intensification of conventional agricultural, which increases water insecurity.”

Water management has become an increasing priority for public companies, according to a recent report by sustainability nonprofit Ceres that sought to measure the progress made by more than 600 of the biggest listed companies in the U.S. in meeting environmental and cultural goals.

The report found that 81% of companies in industries that require relatively large amounts of water — for example, the manufacturers of food and beverages, clothing and semiconductors — have water programs in place, but just 37% of them have set targets for prioritizing action in areas that pose the greatest risk to water resources.

Food companies had made the most progress, with 95% showing quantifiable goals for water use, according to Ceres.

Link to story 

Our annual Ag Day is today (March 20) at the State Capitol, and our theme this year, “Climate Smart – California Grown,” is far more than a slogan. It’s actually a key part of the road map for the future of farming and ranching in our state. CDFA and the Brown Administration share a essential priority with agriculture – keep it sustainable and flourishing into the 21st century and beyond.

There is a strong likelihood that California will be asked to produce more food in the coming years while dealing with access to fewer natural resources, so we are embracing that challenge with several programs that are assisting rural communities while helping farmers and ranchers increase water efficiency and energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hmong farmers in Fresno County are among those receiving SWEEP grants to improve water efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) – This program provides financial incentives for agricultural operations to invest in water irrigation and/or distribution systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To date SWEEP has received $67.5 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and also includes $38.7 million in matching funds. The estimated GHG savings are 74,139 metric tons CO₂ equivalent per year –  equivalent to removing nearly 15,900 cars off the road annually. The estimated water savings are 96,009 acre feet per year – equivalent to water in about 48-thousand Olympic-sized swimming pools. SWEEP would receive an additional $20 million in SB 5, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018.

• Healthy Soils Program – This program provides financial assistance for incentivizing and demonstrating the implementation of conservation agricultural management practices (such as cover crops, compost application, no-till and hedgerows) that sequester carbon, reduce atmospheric GHGs and improve soil health. A total of $7.5 million has been invested in this program, so far, with an additional $5 million proposed in the Governor’s proposed 2018-2019 budget and another $10 million proposed in SB 5.  

Farmland in Contra Costa County protected by a SALC conservation easement. Photo courtesy of the Cecchini family. 

• Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) – This program, administered by the Strategic Growth Council, provides funds for agricultural conservation easements and local agricultural protection strategies to protect lands from conversion to urban and rural residential development. Climate investments of $79 million have been made, so far.
• Dairy Digester Research and Development Program – CDFA’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from California dairy operations by capturing them and harnessing them as a renewable energy source. More than $47 million has funded 24 digester projects, so far, and the Governor’s proposed budget for ’18-’19 has a combined $99 million for this program as well as the next one below.  
• Alternative Manure Management Program – CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) supports non-digester based manure management practices on California dairy and livestock operations, such as conversion to dry scrape or solid separation, followed by drying or composting, and pasture-based management. A total investment of $9.8 million has occurred, so far.
• FARMER Program for Ag Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions – This program, administered by the California Air Resources Board, is intended to reduce agricultural sector emissions by providing grants, rebates, and other financial incentives for agricultural harvesting equipment, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural pump engines, tractors, and other equipment used in agricultural operations. An allocation of $85 million was made for 2017-2018, and an additional $102 million is proposed in the Governor’s ’18-’19 budget.
• Food Production Investment Program  – This is administered by the California Energy Commission to provide grants, loans or any financial incentives to implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for food processors and also to support renewable energy projects in the agricultural sector. A total of $66 million has been allocated for 2017-2018.

The California Climate Investment programs for agriculture demonstrate the extreme importance of working and natural landscapes in our overall climate strategy. We must align with all of our state’s citizens and show them that we’re all in this together; that sustainable agriculture means wholesome, healthy California-grown food for many years to come. Ag Day is another way to make that point. Hope to see you there! (Open to the public at 11:30 am)