ADVOCACY REPORT
Leading the Way through California’s Bold Ambition Will Rogers said, “I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” In all seriousness, it can occasionally be tough to find enjoyment in operating a business in California. Our farmers meet the boldest regulatory standards in the nation, if not the world, while providing for their own families. Every now and then, the hard edges of state laws and regulations can seem impossible to smooth out.
However, through innovation, strategy, and persistence, California’s ag community rises to the challenge time and time again to achieve advancements in sustainability, food safety, emissions reductions and more. Along the way, Ag Council is here to smooth out some of those hard edges you face on the farm and in food processing facilities to help you prosper as an important part of California’s diverse food ecosystem. This year, our focus continues to be on implementation of the state packaging law, SB 54, and pursuing the most optimal outcome for Blue Diamond and all of our members. In addition, AB 1264 (Gabriel), the ultra- processed food bill, was a strong focus that Ag Council was heavily engaged in throughout this legislative year. Ag Council also persists in our advocacy to attain funding for key climate programs that help food and agriculture dramatically lower emissions. Blue Diamond Growers remains a steadfast partner in each of these advocacy efforts and others. In all of this, Ag Council’s goal is always to help you, as a grower, succeed while also supporting Blue Diamond Growers as one of our heritage members that has been an integral part of our membership since 1919. Packaging Regulations Ag Council recently led a broad coalition of food and agricultural associations in submitting comments to CalRecycle regarding the latest draft regulations of SB 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. The coalition emphasized the need for flexible compliance timelines, protection of trademarked or proprietary business information,
and compliance flexibility for packaging that protects product quality and food safety. Our letter calls on CalRecycle to maintain the categorical exclusions achieved by Ag Council and to acknowledge the feasibility concerns of the agriculture community in complying with the Act. For the almond sector, we are requesting that certain packaging be excluded due to food safety and the need to protect environmental and human health. Additionally, common industry protocol dictates that new packaging is tested and validated prior to commercial usage. Ag Council is making sure state regulators understand that food utilized in this process is discarded as it is not allowed for human or animal consumption. That said, testing new packaging for the purposes of this regulation could result in excessive food waste, which runs counter to California’s goal to reduce organic waste. On a positive note, almond byproducts are being tested in alternative packaging, and Ag Council is supporting investments in research and development to lower costs and improve efficiency in this space. The current options are not cost effective; however, we hope that over time, this will be an option for byproducts in the future.
To read the letter to CalRecycle, go to www.agcouncil.org/blog and scroll to the October 28 article.
Ultra-processed Food With bipartisan support, the Legislature pursued passage of an ultra-processed food (UPF) bill, AB 1264 (Gabriel), and it was signed into law by Governor
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ALMOND FACTS
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