Opinion Shift: Urbanites Do Not Support Ag

Aubrey Bettencourt Says Ag Industry Missed Important Opinion Shift

By Charmayne Hefley, California Ag Today Associate Editor

It was thought that the agricultural industry in California could rely on the public sector to rally behind them during this devastating drought, once consumers were ordered to undergo severe water cutbacks themselves. “That didn’t happen,” says Aubrey Bettencourt, executive director of the California Water Alliance and third generation farmer in Kings County, where she farms with her dad.

“Back in 2008/2009,” Bettencourt said, “surface water cuts due to the Endangered Species Act really came into prominence more than the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA). At the time, the ag community anticipated that as soon as urbanites experienced similar severe water cuts, they would rally to our side with the common understanding that we all have to make these very arbitrary reductions.”

“Earlier this year, Governor Brown issued a mandatory water cut of 25 percent, on average, to the urban sector, with a range from 8 to 39 percent depending on location,” explained Bettencourt. “Urbanites did not sympathize with the agricultural community on their shared loss of so much water. Instead, they pointed the finger at Ag, called for a rope and a pitchfork, and wanted ag to take even more of a cut–not understanding that Ag had already endured a 100 percent reduction,” she said. “The California ag community thought they shared a connection with the urban community regarding Ag’s importance.”

“I think this a really fine example of how agriculture has missed the societal shift away from the agrarian-based society to a consumer-focused nation in which most people are four to six generations away from the farm,” Bettancourt noted. “And the vast majority of people don’t understand what Ag does and why production agriculture is beneficial to society as a whole.”

“As such, the general population is able to make claims on the industry from perspectives that lack understanding,” she stated, “calling for requirements that are not beneficial to the industry, and ultimately not beneficial to the population as a whole. Urbanites do not support ag, but this disconnect has developed over time,” said Bettancourt.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:28:10-07:00July 14th, 2015|

WAPA Annual Meeting in Monterey

WAPA Annual Meeting Nears! June 25-26

The 2015 Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA) Annual Meeting is right around the corner! Beginning on Thursday, June 25, the meeting will kick-off with a four-man scramble golf tournament at Black Horse Golf Club with the Associate Member and Annual Meeting reception to follow including special guest speakers.

The event will be held at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa, 400 Cannery Row, Monterey CA.

The following day will include pertinent industry, regulatory and legislative updates including a FSMA Implementation Update provided by Kathy Gombas, Senior Advisor of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a California Water Update provided by Aubrey Bettencourt of the California Water Alliance and Gary Bardini of the Department of Water Resources and Curt Covington of the Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corporation will provide an economic outlook for the tree nut industry.

Associate members and sponsors will exhibit their services and products on:

Thursday, June 25, from 5:30-7 p.m., and

Friday, June 26, from 7:30-9 a.m. and 10:10-10:45 a.m.

Registration and payment for the WAPA Annual Meeting are due ASAP to:

Western Agricultural Processors Association

1785 N. Fine Avenue

Fresno, CA 93727

Tel: 559.455.9272

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:28:13-07:00June 23rd, 2015|

Governor Brown Signs Trio of Groundwater Laws

California Water Alliance Voices Concern Over Governor’s Decision to Create New Groundwater Law

The California Water Alliance (CalWA) issued the following statement today (Sept. 16, 2014) in response to Governor Brown‘s decision to sign a new package of groundwater legislation into law. Please attribute this statement to Aubrey Bettencourt, Executive Director for CalWA.

“While we recognize the need to incorporate groundwater management into a comprehensive effort to reform California water policy, we have grave concerns about the legislative package the governor has just signed into law.

“Unfortunately, these measures were hastily drafted and without a true understanding of the global nature of our water crisis. Consequently these new laws, if not modified, will do more harm that good primarily because they completely omit any consideration about how to recharge our groundwater supplies. The following represent our primary concerns with the new laws:

They do not recognize that groundwater management must be handled in concert with surface water management. Limiting pumping will not recharge groundwater supplies; only reliable, annual surface water deliveries will recharge basins throughout the state.
They do not validate the fact that groundwater recharge must be acknowledged as a reasonable use of surface water; which currently it is not. To reach our goal of restoring our aquifers, we cannot punish activities that provide for achieving that goal.
They trample on private property rights of landowners who own the water on their property.
They do not adequately take into account local management efforts that have taken place statewide over the past decades.
They disregard the fact that famers have been tapping groundwater as a matter of survival and in direct response to the state and federal government’s dysfunctional and onerous surface water restrictions.

“We remain concerned that irregular supplies of surface water, and limited groundwater use will continue to severely impact our agricultural economy and its related industries. Our supply of water will dictate crop plantings; reduced water will mean fewer crops, jobs, exports and ultimately our position as the world’s number one exporter of fruits and vegetables.

“Groundwater management is critical but only if conducted responsibly and holistically. This package of new laws do neither and have the potential to further undermine efforts to achieve effective and balanced reforms to California water policy.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:25-07:00September 16th, 2014|