Food security vital
| Wednesday, Jul 01 2009 09:11 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Jul 01 2009 09:11 PM
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Sen. Dean Florez's proposal to eliminate the California Department of Food and Agriculture threatens this nation's food security and countless jobs in Kern County. As the state scrambles with a $24 billion deficit, consideration must be given to the consequences.
Pests and disease have changed the course of history, as did the Irish potato famines. California is under constant assault by invasive pests and diseases which threaten the environment, jobs and economic well-being of our state, nation and food security.
CDFA has prevented environmental and economic catastrophe on many occasions. No other agency has the authority or expertise to do what CDFA does. Invasive pest exclusion, detection and eradication is not a job for amateurs. Breaking up CDFA for the purpose of saving overhead is merely a shell game.
With $36.6 billion of agricultural products sold and the generation of an estimated $100 billion in related economic activity, the agricultural industry is critical to the welfare of the California economy.
Agriculture is different. The oversight, support and protection of what we eat does warrant a specialized agency. The ability of agriculture to provide a reliable variety of economical and nutritious food for this nation is contingent on a specialized and functional CDFA. It is not hyperbole to say that compromising the ability of CDFA to protect our food supply threatens this nation's food security. CDFA should be left intact.
PAUL GIBONEY
Delano
