In the past 50 years since CCOF’s founding in 1973, research about organic has come a long way. We now know that the benefits of organic our founding members believed in so fiercely are backed by scientific data to have a measurable effect on the wellbeing of our planet, communities, and economy.
Dear CCOF members and supporters,
Every time I heard the term “essential” in 2020, it led me to think more deeply about how accurately the word describes the organic community. Of course, keeping families and communities fed with healthy, nutritious food despite whatever crises arise is essential. But organic is more than just essential for getting food on the table. Organic is essential for fighting climate change, helping our economy recover and become more resilient, and solving health inequities.*
It’s been one year since Patagonia released its film, Fishpeople: Lives Transformed by the Sea. While it may not seem directly related to organic agriculture, the health of oceans is inextricably linked to the health of the soil.
A recent farmer- and rancher-led climate change solutions report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) highlights the importance of organic agriculture as a climate solution. In stakeholder engagement meetings, farmers, ranchers, and relevant nonprofits discussed organic as both a climate solution and a mechanism to protect communities from pesticide exposure.
Tommy Martino, Bob Quinn and Liz Carlisle (left) on the Grain by Grain book tour 2019.
Healthy Soils Program Requests for Applications Released
Acknowledging the many benefits of improved soil quality, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) initiated the Healthy Soils Program in 2017, which offers grants to farmers and ranchers to implement new soil-building practices on their land.
The Roadmap to an Organic California: Policy Report is the next installment of a first-of-its-kind research project that investigates how organic is a solution to California’s toughest challenges.
