F Advocacy Power for Our Members From its beginning in 1926, member advocacy and creating impactful change for the industry has been at the heart of Western Growers. Today the organization continues to lead the fight for sound legislative and regulatory policy on behalf of each and every one of our more than 2,300 members. Ensuring the voice of our members is heard and more importantly, critical issues facing our industry are addressed, Western Growers commits significant resources to support our team of in-house professional advocates across Sacramento, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Never has this been proven so strongly than during this past year, which found Western Growers at the forefront of political efforts across key industry issues spanning labor, sustainability, crop protection, water and irrigation, and the future of our farmers. LABOR The Farm Workforce Modernization Act was passed on December 11, 2019, as a direct result of Western Growers participation. President and CEO Tom Nassif as lead negotiator testified before the House Judiciary Sub-committee on Immigration and Citizenship, organizing a coalition effort to secure passage of the bill and to hopefully pave its way through the Senate and ultimately the White House. Western Growers expanded its efforts to impact the labor space by providing crucial comments and direction on H-2A and the Department of Labor’s efforts to streamline and modernize the program. SUSTAINABILITY Earlier this year (through Sustainability in Action), Western Growers offered practical solutions to support growers, packers, shippers and handlers in tracking and implementing sustainability actions in their own operations, helping drive efficiency and profitability.
Western Growers Executive Vice President Dave Puglia attended the introduction of the bill in Washington, D.C
CROP PROTECTION To further help protect our members, their farms and most importantly, their crops, Western Growers reinforced the need for science-driven policy, submitting comments to the Office of Pesticide Programs and the EPA to urge the continued registration and use of glyphosate. WATER INFRASTRUCTURE In an effort to bring awareness and change to help address the severe hydrological conditions in the West, Western Growers and over 100 partnering organizations representing water and agricultural interests in the Western U.S., urged Congress to act. On June 21, 2019, as a result of coalition efforts, the Senate introduced the Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act. THE FARM BILL Western Growers recently submitted a letter to California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, urging the 2020 Specialty Crop Block Grant program to administer funds to the initiatives most important and impactful to fruit, vegetable and nut growers across the U.S. It is these efforts and more, led by Western Growers and its members, that continue to impact the future success of our industry, its products and create a brighter future for the next generation of agricultural advocates. -
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