12 Agriculture Leaders Who Are Transforming the World
By Stephanie Metzinger T he United States has the largest economy in the world and has retained this impressive position since 1871. The U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018 amounted to $20.58 trillion and is only expected to increase in the coming years, with a GDP forecast to exceed nearly $25 trillion in 2024. For comparison, the GDP of China (which ranks as the second- largest economy in the world) reached only $10.43 trillion U.S. dollars in 2018. Though America holds the highest percentage of global wealth, people do not always give much thought to the leading industries—or the leaders behind these industries—that earn the substantial revenue that drives the U.S. economy. This includes agriculture, which produced $388.5 billion in agricultural products in 2017 and contributed over $159 billion in export sales to the U.S. economy in 2018. Many leaders throughout agriculture have had a significant impact on the success of the industry; today, there are countless pioneers who are leading the way in implementing change to help agriculture flourish in the 21 st century and beyond. Here are 12 influencers who are taking the lead in solving issues of concern for our nation’s farmers and ranchers, rural Americans and consumers. These individuals represent only a small sample of the hundreds of agricultural leaders who are shaping solutions to challenges threatening the produce industry’s growth and profitability. WATER SUPPLY Joe Del Bosque: Del Bosque was among the first to utilize social media as a strategy for advocating for water on California farms dating back to the historic drought in 2009. Over the years, his Twitter handle @westsidefarmer has become a source for details on the importance of water deliveries to San Joaquin Valley growers and beyond. In 2014, he tweeted an invitation to President Obama to visit his fallowed fields: “President @ BarackObama, I humbly invite you to Del Bosque Farms for
a discussion on the effect of the drought on California and its people.” A week later, Del Bosque was giving President Obama and California Governor Jerry Brown an in-depth tour around his farm, sharing the detrimental impact the water shortages were having on California agriculture. Today, Del Bosque continues to raise awareness about water deliveries to California farms at rallies or meetings in Sacramento and Washington D.C., and invites media and legislators to Del Bosque Farms to speak about agriculture’s need for a reliable water supply. Steve Patricio: In the mid-1990s, Steve Patricio and his mentor, Jess Telles, launched an orientation program for agribusinesses that focused exclusively on water rights. This was a first for the industry and something that was much needed. In addition to helping farmers understand their rights to water, Patricio has spent countless hours throughout the years in lobbying meetings, press conferences and water debates advocating for a
Steve Patricio joins former California Governor Schwarzenegger at the San Luis Reservoir to advocate for a comprehensive water solution.
16 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2020
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