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A Letter from the Secretary of Agriculture
April 2, 2008
California is blessed these days with a Secretary of Agriculture who is hip to the many profound realities that affect farmers and ranchers who seek to keep their operations viable in perpetuity. AG Kawamura – UC Berkeley graduate in Comparative Literature, specialty crop farmer from Orange County, tireless advocate for eradicating hunger, and promoter of sustainable farming systems – is a wonderful example of a person who represents the diverse interests needed to rally the State’s many stakeholders who seek a sustainable food system. You will find AG’s eloquent request that the State Board of Food and Agriculture to undertake a strategic visioning process that will prepare California for what he calls the “unpredictable future,” attached below.

AG Kawamura Letter

His call to action clarifies that despite the tough realities currently facing our state’s producers, there are reasons to hope. The very fact that he sees “blooming synergistic relationships with multiple stakeholders” as positive, speaks volumes. Until AG, many leaders in California agriculture would not recognize that anyone but farmers and ranchers had a right to weigh in on the producers’ future. It is evident that AG knows that farmers and ranchers must now cultivate a symbiotic relationship with their urban counterparts to ensure their viability and, as he points out, the future of civilization. He clarifies that this challenge is time urgent because agriculture “is becoming a poorly understood strategic function that lacks the universal support of those that depend on it.”

Thus, the major challenge before us is to help Californians decide to support and participate in programs and projects that aid farmers and ranchers as they switch to production and distribution systems aimed at achieving sustainability. It is a huge and long-term task. I urge you to read AG’s letter and see why he is a perfect ally for the Roots of Change network, and we for him, at this critical moment in the State’s history.


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