California farm tour focuses on investing in agriculture development
California farm tour focuses on investing in agriculture development FreshPlaza.com
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U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta Meets with Braga Fresh and the Farm Journal Foundation
U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta recently met with Braga Fresh and the Farm Journal Foundation to discuss the importance of public agricultural research and innovation in supporting farmers in the U.S. and smallholder farmers in developing countries. The meeting included a tour of Braga Fresh’s produce farming operations in Soledad.
Supporting Agricultural Development and Innovation for Sustainable Food Production
As Congress works on final appropriations bills and the next Farm Bill, it is crucial to prioritize discussions about public support for agricultural development and innovation. This is especially important considering the persistent issue of global hunger and malnutrition. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations emphasize the need for sustainable food production and ending hunger.
Tour of Braga Fresh’s Farming Operations
- Visit to on-farm regenerative agriculture trials
- Demonstrations on the use of agricultural technology
- Discussion on the importance of protecting soil health
Quotes from Congressman Panetta and Colby Pereira
“Farmers in California’s 19th Congressional District and around the country continue to face an increasingly complex set of challenges,” said Rep. Panetta. “Expanding agricultural research and innovation is essential to ensuring American farmers lead the global marketplace and drive our efforts to feed the world.”
“Agricultural research being conducted in the U.S. benefits American farmers, as well as farmers in developing countries where hunger and malnutrition are unfortunately rising,” said Colby Pereira, COO at Braga Fresh and Farmer Ambassador with Farm Journal Foundation. “Farmers worldwide need to be able to access the latest innovations to ensure that we can be profitable and build sustainable livelihoods and continue to produce enough food to meet rising global demand.”
Importance of Agricultural Innovations
Agricultural innovations play a significant role in addressing the challenges faced by farmers worldwide. The effects of the pandemic, conflict, and climate change have disproportionately affected small-scale farmers and people living in food-deficit countries. These countries heavily rely on agriculture for their livelihoods and need support to overcome these challenges.
Declining Public Funding for Agricultural Research
Despite the high returns on investment, public funding for agricultural research has been declining over the past two decades. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, agricultural research has one of the highest returns of any public investment, generating an average of $20 in benefits for every $1 invested.
Role of the Farm Bill in Reversing the Trend
Congress has the opportunity to reverse this trend through the Farm Bill. One potential solution is to increase support for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a public-private partnership that matches every dollar received from the government with $1.40 from non-federal sources, often from the private sector.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Kori Tuggle
Braga Fresh
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
The article discusses the importance of agricultural research and innovation in addressing global hunger and malnutrition. It also highlights the need for technological advancements and sustainable farming practices to combat the challenges faced by farmers worldwide. These issues are directly connected to SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. Additionally, the article mentions the use of agricultural technology and the importance of protecting soil health, which align with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The effects of climate change on agriculture are also mentioned, linking to SDG 13 (Climate Action).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
- SDG 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- SDG 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.
The targets identified are directly related to the issues discussed in the article. SDG 2.3 focuses on improving agricultural productivity and incomes for small-scale food producers, which aligns with the article’s emphasis on supporting farmers in developing countries. SDG 9.5 highlights the importance of enhancing scientific research and technological capabilities in the agricultural sector, which is mentioned in the article as a means to address the challenges faced by farmers. SDG 13.1 emphasizes the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards, which is relevant given the impact of climate change on agriculture. Finally, SDG 15.3 calls for combating desertification and restoring degraded land, which relates to the article’s discussion on the importance of protecting soil health.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Investment in agricultural research and development
- Increase in agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers
- Adoption of sustainable farming practices
- Improvement in soil health and land restoration
The article mentions the decline in public funding for agricultural research over the past two decades, indicating the need to measure investment in agricultural research and development as an indicator of progress towards SDG 9.5. The target of doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers (SDG 2.3) can be measured by assessing the increase in productivity and income levels among farmers. The adoption of sustainable farming practices, such as regenerative agriculture trials mentioned in the article, can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards SDG 9.5 and SDG 15.3. Lastly, the improvement in soil health and land restoration can be measured through indicators such as soil quality assessments and land degradation assessments to track progress towards SDG 15.3.
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment. | Increase in agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers |
| SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. | Investment in agricultural research and development |
| 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. | Improvement in soil health and land restoration | |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | Adoption of sustainable farming practices |
Source: freshplaza.com
