Farm bill splits produce growers, food activists [San Francisco Chronicle]
Washington -- Five years ago, California farmers were a powerful ally of the new food movement's crusade to get Washington to stop subsidizing corn and start promoting the fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts that are the mainstay of the state's huge farm sector. This year, Bay Area food activists are on their own….California growers are not agitating for major changes in the focus or direction of farm policy because the bill preserves their key programs….This month, 70 leading food activists, including UC Berkeley's Michael Pollan and Berkeley restaurateur Alice Waters, signed a letter saying the $969 billion bill that the Senate Agriculture Committee touts as a major, money-saving reform still "falls far short" of turning the farm bill into a food bill, to use Pollan's formulation. To do that would require shifting taxpayer support from large corn, soybean and other commodities to fresh food and conservation.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/06/18/MN171P22HS.DTL
New bill strengthens heat-illness protection for farmworkers [Fresno Bee]
California farmers could face stiffer penalties and lawsuits from workers under a proposed Assembly bill seeking to strengthen the state's heat illness prevention regulations. Supporters of the bill, authored by Betsy Butler, D-Marina Del Rey, say the state's current protections are not strong enough to adequately protect farmworkers from scorching temperatures….Although California was the first state to protect outdoor workers by requiring employers to provide shade, water and training, advocates say too many employers are ignoring the law….But farmers and agriculture industry leaders say that while one heat-related death is too many, the new bill is unnecessary and focused too narrowly -- AB 2346 targets only agriculture.
GMO showdown [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
A measure that has qualified for the November ballot will ask California voters to decide whether foods produced through genetic engineering must have disclosure labels….Proponents of labeling, including organic farmers and food producers, say it is simply consumers’ right to know what is in their food. They say labels aren’t a negative, only educational, and that they may encourage shoppers to seek out more information about their eating habits. Opponents, including traditional farmers, biotech firms and some scientists, say labeling wrongly implies that genetically engineered food is unsafe. They say labeling is misleading, expensive and will encourage costly, frivolous lawsuits….The state Farm Bureau has come out against the measure, but the Sonoma County Farm Bureau is taking a wait-and-see approach. “This measure is deceptive and poorly written,” said Jamie Johansson, an Oroville farmer and a vice president of the California Farm Bureau.
http://www.watchsonomacounty.com/2012/06/sacramento/gmo-showdown/
Editorial: Timber reform plan needs a tweak [Sacramento Bee]
…Brown recognizes, as we do, that sawmills and forest products are important to our rural economies, particularly in Northern California. That doesn't mean timber companies should get a green light to return to an era of unsustainable logging practices. But last time we checked, California was a major consumer of forest products. If we want wood, we should attempt to grow a reasonable amount of it, under environmental laws that are far more protective than those in other states….There is one part of the package, however, that has generated plenty of heat from federal officials and others. The governor's plan would limit the damages the U.S. Forest Service could seek from private landowners who cause a wildfire that spreads onto federal property. Currently, state law allows the federal government to seek double damages in such situations….If lawmakers decide to advance this legislation and limit double damages from wildfires, they should apply the limitation equally to public and private landowners.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/17/4565880/timber-reform-plan-needs-a-tweak.html#storylink=misearch
Editorial: Obama takes big 1st step toward immigration reform [San Francisco Chronicle]
President Obama's decision to stop deporting hundreds of thousands of young people brought here illegally by their parents should be a positive start on a much bigger issue: reforming this country's unworkable and emotion-laden immigration laws….Among the larger world of some 12 million illegals in the United States, this sub-strata of young adults may draw the least concern on a deeply divisive public issue….In this swirl of reactions, no one should lose sight of the larger goal. This country must find better immigration laws that acknowledge the millions who live here and protect the borders. Obama's new policy takes a step toward this challenging goal in a humane and sensible way.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/06/18/EDVD1P2O54.DTL
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