Secretary Ross is leading a climate and trade delegation to Denmark and the Netherlands to focus on building partnerships for California.
As the EU moves forward on an ambitious green transition, Denmark is a leading example on how innovation, green farm technology, and data sharing is supporting agriculture’s pathway to carbon neutrality.
Secretary Ross with Holger Poulsen, Arla dairy farmerDiscussing Robotti with Hans Christian Carstensen, CEO of AgrointelliCDFA Climate Smart Ag Delegation at Food Nation
Denmark has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The country has one of the world’s highest percentages of cultivated land and high levels of agricultural exports – 90 percent of its pork production and 80 percent of its dairy production. The government and industry are committed to delivering on climate action, not just for Denmark but for the world as well.
Innovation is a key to moving Denmark’s carbon footprint (impact) to a handprint (mitigation), enabling sustainability to be a value proposition and market driver for consumers. Technology-driven solutions on fertilizer strategies, water management, and cropping systems have considerable mitigation potential.
Our visit to Denmark allowed us to meet with a variety of companies and organizations. Chr. Hansen and Novozymes are using natural and biological solutions to provide important tools for the agricultural sector. Agro Food Park and Bio Innovation Institute are providing platforms for launching and supporting new agricultural businesses within the green transition – Robotti, SEGES Innovation and Cordulus. We also met with farmers Holger Poulsen and Peter Melchoir, each of whom are passionate innovators in helping move their industry sector forward on local and global sustainability.
I would like to thank our colleagues at the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Danish Trade Council for an amazing visit. We look forward to strengthening our climate partnership.
Secretary Ross met with Danish Minister Jacob Jensen on climate collaboration
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is leading a climate and trade delegation to Denmark and the Netherlands to focus on building partnerships for California.
The Danish Agriculture and Food Council has committed to the goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050. This strategy not only focuses on increasing food production on existing lands, but also increasing soil carbon. Agricultural technology and science-based tools are critical to help further climate action on natural and working lands.
Denmark and the Netherlands are important climate partners for advancements and innovations within agricultural technology and science based-tools to support a circular agricultural economy. From controlled-environment agriculture to smart technology in fruit cultivation for more environmentally sustainable crop production, continuing partnerships and exchanges will further assist California in gaining knowledge to support a more sustainable, diverse, and resilient specialty crop sector.
While in the Netherlands, Secretary Ross will join a USDA Agricultural Trade Mission to highlight agricultural trade and California’s climate action.
The internet is critical to everyday life. Yet 1 out of 5 Californians lack access to affordable, reliable broadband service, devices, and the skills to use them.
As a result, millions in our state are unable to access essential government services and realize other social and economic benefits. This gap is referred to as the “digital divide” which most impacts rural residents, low-income households, seniors, the disabled, veterans, those with low levels of literacy and language barriers, and tribal communities, among other groups.
Broadband for All is the state’s overarching program to close the digital divide and foster digital equity in our communities. The state has invested billions of dollars to achieve Broadband for All and ensure that every resident has access to economical and dependable internet, devices, and skills-training. But more needs to be done.
CDFA is part of the State Digital Equity team led by the Department of Technology and the California Public Utilities Commission. The agencies are working together to offer a series of planning workshops. There will be 20 of them. The first ones are this week. Local organizations and community members are urged to attend and encouraged to make their voices heard in the development of a five-year action plan to determine how future federal dollars are allocated to address digital inequities.
While California’s boon of rain and snow this year is a much-needed respite from drought as well a bit of a buffer against the hotter and drier conditions the state is facing over the long-term, the wet weather is bringing risks of flooding to pockets of California, and dairies in Tulare County and neighboring Kings County are already contending with high water.
In response to that, CDFA is working with farmers, ranchers and government partners to make sure cows are protected and can keep providing milk if and when they’re moved from their home dairies. CDFA staff have put in long hours to provide farmers and pet owners with the most up to date flood information, to connect local and state emergency managers with on-farm needs, and have helped find livestock transportation resources when the water was quickly rising.
According to local livestock haulers, thousands of cows have been relocated in the two counties, with a number of them lactating dairy cows moved mostly to neighboring dairy farms as local producers are working together tirelessly to weather the crisis. Local environmental officials, in partnership with CDFA, have issued permits facilitating safe milk production at the new locations.
Federal regulation is also in place for milk products, and CDFA, which has dairy food safety oversight in the state, is acting as a liaison with the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that products from affected areas may continue to move through interstate commerce.
Tulare County and Kings County collectively represent one of the largest milk production areas in the nation, producing about 37 percent of all milk in California, which is the largest milk producing state in the country.
CDFA and the USDA are hosting a webinar to help California farmers and agricultural communities impacted by current disasters understand programs and resources that may be available to them.
If your farming operation in California was impacted by a natural disaster or if you live in an agricultural community impacted and are looking for resources to recover and rebuild, please join us for a webinar that will be hosted on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday April 11, 2023 at 9 a.m. PT.
During the webinar, you’ll hear from:
USDA: Farm Production and Conservation Deputy Under Secretary Gloria Montaño Greene, Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Blong Xiong, Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Carlos Suarez, and Rural Development State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera; and
CDFA: Undersecretary Christine Birdsong.
The webinar is free to join. You can join on your computer or via the Teams app on your smartphone. You do not have to RSVP in advance to attend. Attendees will have a chance to submit written questions during the event.
This national outreach month is dedicated to highlighting the impact of invasive plant pests and diseases on plants nationwide. The focus is on raising public awareness about the threat and how residents can help.
Each year, invasive insects and plant diseases cause an estimated $40 billion in damages to plants in the US.
Non-native plant pests can hitchhike in untreated firewood, attach themselves to cars, boats, and other outdoor surfaces—or take a ride in the mail. They can travel to new areas on agricultural material such as soil, seeds, homegrown produce, and plants.
Invasive pests have few or no natural predators in their new environments, so their populations quickly outpace native species and spread. These non-native plant pests and diseases disrupt our ecosystems and reduce biological diversity.
Climate change can magnify the impact of invasive species by increasing the level of plant pest infestations and disease infection, allowing pests to produce more generations each year, and increasing their suitable habitat.
To protect domestic plant health:
Learn about possible quarantines in your area, as well as the signs of invasive pest infestation on plants.
it’s important to clean your car and outdoor gear before traveling with them to new places, because invasive species can travel with you.
Don’t move untreated firewood—even if it looks pest-free on the outside. To avoid unintentionally spreading tree-killing beetles that hide in firewood, buy or source wood locally, or use certified, heat-treated firewood.
Source your plants and seeds responsibly. When ordering online, ensure the plant is coming from a domestic source or follow import regulations. If you don’t know where an agricultural product is coming from, don’t buy it online. U.S. regulations apply to the importer of record—meaning the person purchasing and importing the product from overseas—not the online merchant. Learn how to safely and legally order plants and seeds online.
Don’t mail homegrown plants, fruits and vegetables to avoid inadvertently mailing a plant pest with them.
To comply with U.S. laws and avoid introducing new invasive species into the U.S., declare all agricultural items, including seeds, soil, and handicrafts to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for inspection when returning from overseas travel.
It’s National Tomato Day! California produces nearly all the processing tomatoes in the United States. In 2022, California growers led the nation in tomato production with 1.5 million tons, at a value of nearly $1.2 billion.
As we celebrate one of California’s signature crops, we took a closer look at River Vista Farms, one of the leading tomato growers in Colusa County. This family-owned farm has been producing tomatoes for several generations.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California State Board of Food and Agriculture are announcing a bold plan for the future: Ag Vision for the Next Decade.
Ag Vision centers on growing opportunity – for farmers and ranchers, farmworkers, individuals and communities – and demonstrating leadership on climate action. The plan will guide areas of focus for CDFA and serve as a catalyst for action. And it’s not just a plan for agriculture, but something to benefit every Californian.
Ag Vision was developed using a robust and inclusive process and focuses on five priority areas:
Fostering climate-smart, resilient, and regenerative food systems —Support farmers and ranchers to be leaders on climate change and support efforts that improve agriculture’s impact on the environment. Also, encourage wise stewardship of water and natural resources, eliminate waste, and promote regenerative 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. From the need to provide access to clean drinking water to challenges related to housing and workforce development, agriculture is not only a good neighbor, but is taking a action on these issues.
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. Expand investment to meet current agricultural labor needs and opportunities for career advancement and upskill of the existing workforce.
Enhancing understanding of agriculture — Support engagement with rural and urban audiences on the value of California agriculture. Capitalize on the scientific and agronomic expertise of the Department, collaborate with other agencies in the administration, and with farmers and ranchers to highlight community, sustainability and opportunities that working lands provide.
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,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “It’s a plan for those curious about their food and health, as well as 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.”
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.
“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.”
All interested parties are invited to register for the State of the Science Summit: Feed Strategies to Reduce Enteric Emissions, May 2-3, 2023, in the UC Davis Activities & Recreation Center Ballroom. The summit will be cohosted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
The summit will include informational presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in methane mitigation and animal science, connecting the dots between the scientific and regulatory aspects of feed strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions with perspectives from across the state, nation and world. The purpose of the summit is to identify opportunities for collaboration and research that can help the dairy and beef industries meet climate goals.
Scheduled speakers include CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and CAES Dean Helene Dillard. Joining them will be CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie, leading academic researchers, CDFA staff, cattle and dairy producers, and industry representatives.
The state of current research around enteric methane reductions via feed strategies
Methods and protocols for evaluating methane reduction
Opportunities for research
Supply chain drivers influencing the adoption of feed additives
Outlook and industry guidance when evaluating product safety and claims
Producer adoption of feed additives
Lunch will be provided both days. Registration costs $200. If unable to attend in person, a virtual registration option is available at a discounted price. Online registration is open until April 14.
