California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Keeping Pinto Beans Away from the Dark Side

    Pinto beans are good for us. They are nutritious, packed with protein and fiber. They also contain a host of micronutrients like B vitamins and folate.

    But being good isn’t enough for pinto beans. They also need to look good.

    A new variety of slow-darkening pinto beans shows benefits for the entire value chain (Photo by Juan Osorno).

    Typically, pinto beans have a striking mottled pattern of dark and light brown. However, the beans can darken after harvesting.

    Consumers perceive pinto beans with darker colors to be older, harder to cook, and less nutritious than lighter beans.

    “We eat with our eyes,” says Juan Osorno. Osorno is a researcher at North Dakota State University.

    And it’s not only consumers who are skeptical about dark pinto beans. “Farmers see darker pinto bean seeds as being of poorer quality,” says Osorno. “And when farmers try to sell darker beans, they often have to accept discounted prices.”

    That’s a big deal because pinto beans are the most common type of dry bean grown and consumed in the United States.

    In the recent study, Osorno and colleagues describe the process of developing a promising new variety of slow-darkening pinto bean. “The study found no major differences in the agronomic performance of regular versus the slow-darkening pintos,” says Osorno.

    He believes these slow-darkening pinto beans can be a good alternative for the existing pinto bean value chain. “Both farmers and consumers will benefit from it in many ways,” he says.

    For example, the slow-darkening beans cooked faster than regular beans. Needing less time to cook can be a great benefit in areas where cooking fuel is scarce.

    The key advancement has been improving agronomic performance – such as yield and bean size – of the slow-darkening beans. That’s huge progress, because past plants with the slow darkening gene have had many issues associated with agronomic performance.

    For example, one older variety of slow-darkening pinto beans has low yields. Another won’t flower under farming conditions in the United States. Yet another grows in such a way that it makes mechanical harvesting of the beans difficult.

    At the root of these difficulties lies pinto bean genetics. Physical characteristics, such as yield, bean size, or rate of darkening, are all affected by one or more genes.

    Turns out, a single gene – aptly named slow darkening or SD – controls how quickly pinto beans darken after harvesting. Researchers can breed this gene into new pinto bean varieties fairly easily without creating a genetically modified organism (GMO).

    But whenever they incorporated this gene in the past, other genes responsible for lower yields or smaller beans would come along with the slow darkening gene.

    Osorno and colleagues tested several varieties of slow-darkening and regular pinto beans over the past decade. The tests were carried out in research plots in Washington and North Dakota.

    The researchers compared traits such as seed weight, yield, and cooking time between slow-darkening and regular pinto beans.

    The initial tests – from 2010 to 2012 – did not yield encouraging results. The slow-darkening beans performed poorly compared to regular pinto beans.

    But the latest round of field trials using slow-darkening pinto beans was more promising. According to the 2018 tests, the newer slow-darkening pinto bean varieties are catching up to regular varieties in yield and bean size.

    In fact, a second generation of slow-darkening pinto beans is already showing higher yields compared to the previous generation.

    Osorno is encouraged but says there’s still work to be done. “Remember that breeding yields gains in a stepwise manner rather than through big jumps,” he says.

    Read more about this research in Crop Science. This work was funded by Northarvest Bean Growers Association, United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture.

  • CA Squash Delights Meals All Year

    Summer Squash Harvest at Frontyard Farms

    Whether you grow it, grind it into other forms or just enjoy it at mealtime your choice of squash from California is almost without limits.  Florida is the only state that produces more squash than California, but a half dozen other states produce it commercially.

    Production in Mexico has increased steadily, competing primarily with growers in the Coachella Valley for the early spring market.  The Central San Joaquin Valley is a major producer, mostly of the spring and summer varieties, with large volumes coming from the Stockton area and from the Salinas Valley as summer progresses.

    As any backyard gardener knows, seed packets of dozens of squash varieties are at your fingertips, and squash plants grow heartily and produce generously in about 60 days after planting.  Along with radishes squash plants are about as sure a bet as home gardeners can make in early summer, practically guaranteed to produce enough to share with a neighbor.

    But even a small backyard planting attracts hungry, and sometimes large and ugly, insects, that demand control measures if the vegetable is to grow to tasty maturity. Probably more than any other vegetable, squashes provide home gardeners an experience closer to those of experienced professional producers than any other food commodity.  Weather, irrigation demands, insect attacks and harvest determinations are comparable at whatever level or volume the vegetable is grown. In a 12-foot row of squash behind the house a homeowner will perform about the same duties as a commercial grower tending acres of squash, and at about the same time.

    Ratatouille made with Summer Squash from Frontyard Farms in Fresno, CA

    For those who appreciate squashes only for meal preparation and enhancement the passing parade of varieties at their supermarkets or vegetable stands is an assuring feature.  Part of the delight is in the variety of colors and shapes that squashes present, from crisp green to deep reds and purples, and shapes that stretch from banana-like to circular and bulbous.

    To isolate on just one of the many squash varieties, butternut, provides ample interest and intrigue.  A colorful winter variety, butternut squash is technically not a vegetable, but a fruit. It is not only tasty, but heavily endowed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, but low in calories.  Preparation commonly involves roasting or baking.

    Research has shown that diets high in certain antioxidants such as those found in butternut squash can reduce the risk of certain cancers. Studies have demonstrated that a higher dietary intake of beta-carotene and vitamin C may reduce lung cancer risk.  Butternut squash contains high levels of both.

    Mixed Summer Squash at Frontyard Farms’ Produce Stand in Fresno, CA

    Those thinking about weight loss – and that seems to include almost everybody these days – can be encouraged that a cup of cooked butternut has only 83 calories, and provides seven grams of filling fiber, making it an excellent choice for those concentrating on losing excess weight and body fat.

    Aside from all the appeal to health and weight-loss enthusiasts most of the squashes grown commercially are relatively easy to pack and ship.  They are not easily bruised or otherwise damaged in the harvest and packing mode, and commonly arrive at their commercial destinations undamaged and ready to display.  Their color and freshness seem to appeal to shoppers without their being dressed up or polished.

    Don Curlee

    One Central California grower and shipper of a large volume of squash for most of every year said he expects recent virus and health concerns to not be focused on the popular vegetable.  Rather, the health benefits of those in the squash family might receive increased attention in the months ahead.  Quick! Get those seeds in the ground. – By Don Curlee, Ag at Large

  • Incentive Programs Make New Equipment Affordable

    Almond harvest 2020 is upon us in all its hectic glory. As growers in the southern San Joaquin Valley start shaking this week, equipment that has been largely resting for an entire year will be put to work in furious fashion to safely bring in this year’s crop. And while harvest 2020 is understandably the key focus of this time of year, it’s not too early for growers and their equipment operators and custom harvesters to begin considering what old equipment may need to be upgraded or replaced entirely before the following harvest.

    The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (air district) and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) both provide a range of financial incentives that make the cost of replacing not only shakers, sweepers and harvesters, but also tractors, sprayers and irrigation pumps more affordable. Given the high cost of purchasing new equipment and implementing certain new orchard management practices, these incentives can help growers stretch their budgets and get the most machine for their money.

    By design, there are also important environmental improvement objectives behind each incentive program – objectives that are consistent with the almond industry’s Almond Orchard 2025 Goals that include reducing harvest dust by 25% and achieving zero waste in orchards by putting everything grown to optimal use by 2025.

    “I think these programs are important, and increasing grower applications can play a role in helping the industry achieve all four 2025 goals,” said Jesse Roseman, principal analyst for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs at the Almond Board of California (ABC). “Growers who participate in these programs reduce their out-of-pocket costs for new equipment and cutting-edge practices that act as benchmarks in the industry’s goals.”

    In a recent ABC California Almond Sustainability Program webinar, officials from the air district and NRCS discussed what machinery and practices their programs cover, how the programs work and how growers can apply.

    Covering up to 60% of the cost of a new tractor

    Since 2009, the air district has awarded more than $406 million in funding to growers and ranchers in the San Joaquin Valley to promote healthy air quality, according to Aaron Tarango, the district’s grant supervisor. That investment has been matched by more than $466 million in spending by growers to replace 7,550 tractors as well as thousands of pieces of older equipment and pumps. Tarango estimated that noxious emissions have been reduced by 50,819 tons in the past 11 years through district incentives matched by funds from Central Valley farmers. 

    The air district prioritizes replacing older, lower-tier equipment through their programs. Growers are encouraged to replace tractors and other machinery in tiers 0, 1 or 2 (purchased in or before 2006) with tier 4 equipment, that is, “the latest and greatest technology” available, according to Tarango.

    Funds received are based on the horsepower (hp) of the engine being replaced. Here’s how it works: If a tier 0, 1 or 2 piece of equipment is 100hp, the district will help fund the purchase of replacement equipment with up to 25% more hp. Depending on the piece of equipment and the size of its engine, payments will range from $300 to $650 per hp and can cover up to 60% of the cost of a new model. 

    In 2019, the district piloted the Low Dust Harvester Replacement Program, which will cover 50% of a grower’s cost to replace older harvesting equipment with newer, low-dust models. That year, the air district funded 29 projects worth $1.9 million, Tarango said. The program was so popular that in June 2020 the Environmental Protection Agency set aside another $10.3 million to extend the program into 2021.

    Tarango said that money “might not help [growers] with this year’s harvest, but it will be available for subsequent harvests down the road.”

    Beyond harvest itself, another air district incentive program – the Alternative to Agricultural Open Burning Incentive Program – offers funds to growers who grind up old orchards, rather than burning their trees, and then incorporate that woody biomass back into the soil (a.k.a., Whole Orchard Recycling). Growers participating in this program are eligible to receive $300-$600 per acre, with a maximum of $60,000 per grower. Incentive recipients are typically paid four-to-six weeks after their completion of Whole Orchard Recycling, and after an invoice has been sent to the air district.1

    Tarango strongly encourages growers with older equipment or older orchards to take advantage of the district’s incentive programs.

    “We’re still going,” he said. “The money is still there.”

    More information is available at www.valleyair.org/grants/ and applications can be submitted at grants@valleyair.org. Growers who would like to speak with Tarango directly may contact him at aaron.tarango@valleyair.org or (559) 230-5873.

    NRCS programs have broad reach

    Similar to the District, NRCS offers two programs to help growers achieve and maintain their growing goals. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) helps participants cover the cost of planning and installing conservation practices. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) offers additional opportunities for those already meeting a baseline level of stewardship. Projects might include improving irrigation systems, planting a cover crop for bees or soil health, or integrating better pest management systems. Growers can apply at any time of the year for either program.

    In addition, growers who have participated in the Market Facilitation Program or in the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program – both of which are provided via USDA’s Farm Service Agency – have a leg up in filling out NRCS applications as their confidential information is accessible to the NRCS. This means that during the application process, growers have already completed the first step in qualifying for the NRCS incentive program because of the eligibility for other USDA programs.

    Ted Strauss is NRCS’s air quality resource conservationist for California. He said the NRCS programs target a range of environmental issues, from air to soil health to water quality.

    “Our primary role is conservation planning,” he said. “Participation is totally voluntary and always confidential. We’re not a regulatory body.”

    For growers, EQIP funding can be used to help replace a diesel-powered piece of equipment, with incentives based off horsepower and ranging from $325.61 to $507.17 per horsepower. That amount translates to $32,000 for a 100hp tractor or $114,000 for a 200hp tractor, Strauss said. The same rates apply to all self-propelled equipment.

    In addition, almond growers who hire out their harvesting each year can collect $39.98 per acre for up to three years if low-dust harvesting equipment is used.

    “Some producers have used those funds to purchase their own equipment, which is great because it helps with permanent reduction of emissions,” Strauss said. “So even if you don’t own the equipment currently being replaced, you’re still a good candidate for this program.”

    Like the air district, NRCS offers CSP incentive funds to growers who find alternatives to burning old trees, providing $238.36 per acre if the chips are sent to a biomass power plant or $766.94 per acre if the chips are recycled back into the soil, used for animal bedding or applied as mulch on another piece of ag land.

    NRCS also provides EQIP incentives ranging from $3,238.13 to $39,734 to replace motors on pumps. Funds are also available to help treat unpaved roads with lignin derivatives, oil or polymer emulsions.

    More information on NRCS’s CSP may be found on this handout and growers can submit applications year-round at local USDA service centers. Those looking to speak with Strauss may reach him at ted.strauss@usda.gov or (559) 490-5129. — Article Courtesy of the Almond Board of California

  • China Market Opportunities for California Nectarines

    On March 4, 2020, China announced market access for fresh U.S. nectarines as part of the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement (ETA). This report briefly mentions the market access conditions for U.S. nectarines, discusses several key factors of China’s nectarine market (including import competition), and offers market-entry recommendations to consider when exporting fresh U.S. nectarines to China.

    Product Description & Access Overview

    On March 4, 2020, in accordance with the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement (ETA), China granted official market access for U.S. fresh nectarines from designated counties in California (specifically Fresno, Tulare, Kern, Kings and Madera counties). California nectarines account for 95 percent of U.S. production. The harvest season for U.S. nectarines runs from mid-summer to mid-autumn, partially overlapping with Chinese domestic supply, which runs from May to October. Read the full report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service HERE

  • UC Riverside Research Team Fuels the Hemp Revolution

    For many years, a federal ban on growing hemp, a nonpsychoactive type of cannabis, dimmed the promise it holds for sustainable construction materials, textiles, and many other products.

    While the 2018 Agricultural Act legalized industrial hemp, methods for processing hemp stalks are stuck in the past. Pulping, the process of extracting valuable cellulose fibers from plant stalks, for example, releases environmentally dangerous gasses and leaves behind a toxic residue called “black liquor,” which is expensive to treat and make safe for disposal or incineration.

    In a strange twist, growers in states that have legalized recreational or medical cannabis are struggling due to market saturation and the fact that over 90% of what they grow is considered refuse or plant waste for which disposal is expensive. This dual situation has created a burgeoning industry to explore new methods for using the whole hemp plant and more sustainable ways to extract value from its stalk and hurd, the woody inner part of the stalk.

    Charles Cai

    Charles Cai, a research engineer and adjunct professor at UC Riverside’s College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology, has developed and patented an improved pulping method that uses a naturally derived solvent, creates no toxic waste, emits no carbon dioxide, and converts nearly 100% of the hemp plant into useable components, such as cellulose fiber for use in textiles and construction, resinous lignin for use in bioplastics, sugars for use as sweeteners, and extractives for use in wellness products.

    The method, called Co-solvent Enhanced Lignocellulosic Fractionation, or CELF, uses a renewable and highly recyclable solvent to perform pulping under mild conditions, saving process energy while generating zero harmful emissions. The only waste is a small amount of mineral ash that is filtered out of the process and can be used as a soil amendment. CELF was originally conceived to help convert plant waste into biofuels. However, its effectiveness at deconstructing plant matter makes it a Swiss Army knife for all plant processing. Its scientific merit was recently proven by one of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

    Now, Cai is working with a team of undergraduate students to commercialize the hemp-processing technology through funding from the EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet Program, or EPA P3. Last year, the team demonstrated proof of concept for using the CELF pulping method, using it to make an improved type of hempcrete, a concrete-like, carbon sequestering building material made from hemp fibers.

    This year, the UC Riverside team has been awarded Phase II funding from the P3 program to continue to improve CELF for hemp processing. In an effort to identify new products and market opportunities, the research team has joined forces with startup InnovaCan, as well as companies Hempire USA, a member of the US Hemp Building Association; Match Patch Pro; and The Hurd Co.; to identify new products and market opportunities.

    The team will build a custom CELF reactor able to handle larger quantities of hemp and optimize the reaction to tune the properties of the resulting fiber and lignin products. — By Holly Ober, UC Riverside

    Traditional hempcrete made with untreated hemp hurds (left). Experimental hempcrete, made with CELF-treated hemp fibers (center) and agitated CELF-treated fibers (right). (Charles Cai)

  • Study Shows Pistachios May Be Helpful in Weight Loss Plan

    Nut-loving consumers looking to lose a few pounds can feel better about keeping pistachios at hand as a result of a new study.  The study, published in the July 20 issue of Nutrients, shows adding U.S. pistachios to the diet can contribute to weight loss, in the context of a calorie-restricted diet in a behavioral intervention, and may contribute additional health benefits such as lowering blood pressure.  While several scientific studies have shown pistachios are helpful in maintaining a healthy weight, or will not cause weight gain, this is the first to examine the role of pistachios as part of a weight loss plan in a real world setting.

    Researchers at the University of California, San Diego investigated whether U.S. pistachios could be used as part of a weight loss program in a study with 100 healthy, overweight and obese individuals.  All participants received general dietary and behavioral weight loss advice, and instruction on ways to increase their physical activity.  Half of the participants included 1.5 ounces of pistachios in their daily diet (Pistachio group) and the other half did not (Control group).  Researchers measured the participants’ health information, diet and lab tests for cardiovascular disease risk at the beginning and end of the 4-month study.

    According to the researchers, both groups lost about 5 percent of their body weight and both significantly decreased their waist circumference and body mass index (BMI).  Waist circumference and BMI are indicators of not only obesity, but whether or not you may be at risk for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.  In addition to these measurements, there were added benefits to the Pistachio group, including lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, increased fiber intake and lower consumption of sweets than the Control group.  The Pistachio group also had higher blood levels of the antioxidant carotenoids of lutein, alpha- and beta-carotene and a healthier ratio of poly- and mono-unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids.

    According to the lead researcher, Cheryl Rock PhD, RD, “this study adds to the body of evidence that U.S. pistachios can be a component of a weight loss diet, can increase intake of key nutrients, and can promote a healthy dietary pattern”.

    Studies have shown U.S. pistachios have a unique set of nutrients that have multiple health benefits.  In March, it was announced pistachios are a complete protein, containing all 9 of the essential amino acids required to sustain health for those 5 years and older.  This was discovered when the protein quality of pistachios was analyzed by the University of Illinois.  They have mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids which are beneficial for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, contain the phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin which have protective properties for the eyes from blue light and ultraviolet light, and are a good source of fiber and vitamin B6.  For more information and studies, visit AmericanPistachios.org.

  • California Prune Growers Suffer the Brunt

    California prune growers forced economically to make a 23% reduction in crop deliveries have also suffered a 28% reduction in price. This hardship comes in spite of a number of positive factors for the industry including $50 million in USDA purchases of prunes and positive results from trade mitigation offsets and industry promotion efforts in Japan and elsewhere. Growers reviewed the daunting double hit to grower returns from a number of factors including the disruption to trade caused by the coronavirus pandemic at the 52nd annual membership meeting of the Prune Bargaining Association (PBA) held on Thursday last week by conference call/video conference.

    Average grower returns for a number of growers will fall by more than $500 per ton from the previous crop year according to data presented by PBA General Manager Greg Thompson. “Growers are to be commended for the tremendous efforts they have made to match production with demand,” explained Thompson. “Growers were told they would be paid little or nothing for smaller prunes, so they increased their efforts to prune, thin, and then screen out fruit at harvest, bringing the crop down from an estimated 110,000 tons to 85,000 tons.” As background, according to the University of California, growers have an investment of nearly $18,000 per acre (not including land) to establish a prune orchard. Growers spend an additional $4,194 per acre each year to produce and deliver the crop. “The extra effort made this past year by growers increases expenses and reduces yields,” explains Thompson. “It is truly a double whammy to have grower prices fall so precipitously.”

    The brutal cut to grower prices comes in the face of many positives for the industry. Imports of cheaper but poorer quality prunes are down 76% for the first 5 months of year, while domestic shipments of California prunes are up 13%. USDA programs in response to unfair and retaliatory tariffs and trade barriers, and needy family feeding programs, have helped offset losses in overseas markets and gain back market share. Shipments to Japan, a key market for California prunes, are up 14% over the previous year. Over the past 3 years, the USDA has purchased nearly $50 million of prunes for needy families, school lunch, and other feeding programs.

    One of the biggest positives for the California prune growers comes from a united industry working together to promote health and wellness through nutrition research. “Everbody wants to make a health claim these days,” explains Ranvir Singh, PBA President. “But prunes are the tried and true healthy and completely natural food. There is so much more to the health benefits of eating prunes than anyone first imagined.” Scientific research is revealing more and more about the importance of gut health to overall health. Prunes have been shown to have a positive impact on both gut health and bone health, among other bonuses. “The benefits of micro-nutrients, boron, potassium, fiber and an apparent anti- inflammation benefit in gut make prunes a truly remarkable food,” remarks Singh.

    The Prune Bargaining Association was formed in 1968 as a grower-owned cooperative to improve the economy of the California prune industry, encourage the production of a quality product and provide a forum for growers to exchange ideas regarding the industry. The PBA establishes the industry’s raw product price for prunes. 

  • Pest Colonizes Grape Vines, Forms Tumors, Repels other Predators

    Following a decade-long effort, scientists have mapped out the genome of an aphid-like pest capable of decimating vineyards. In so doing, they have discovered how it spreads — and potentially how to stop it.

    The research team’s work on the genome was published this past week in a BMC Biology paper. In it, they identified nearly 3,000 genes enabling the insect, phylloxera, to colonize and feed on grape vines by creating what are essentially nutritionally enhanced tumors. The insects live in and feed off of the structures they create.

    Phylloxera feeding on a grape root.

    “In effect, phylloxera creates its own refrigerator on the plant that it can feed from whenever it wants,” said Paul Nabity, an assistant professor of plant-insect ecology at UC Riverside. In addition to feeding the insects, these structures also protect them from attack by other parasites.

    A heavy phylloxera infestation, as occurred in the Pacific Northwest last year, could cause grapevines to lose their leaves. If the infestation reaches the roots, the plants could die.

    The tumor-like structures, known as galls, disrupt the vine’s ability to move nutrients and feed itself. They also create wounds in roots that make grapevines more susceptible to fungi and other pathogens, ultimately killing the vines.

    Claude Rispe from the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment led the research team, while Nabity helped identify how phylloxera secrete molecules that can change the immune system of grapevines.

    “These molecules alter the plant’s defense systems and make it so that the plant doesn’t know it’s being attacked,” Nabity said.

    Native North American grapevines co-evolved with phylloxera and are now resistant to it. However, most of the grapes we eat and drink are European varieties. As a result, growers have to graft North American roots onto their European grapevines to give them tolerance to this insect.

    Now that the genes involved in the attack on non-native grapes have been identified, it may be possible to engineer phylloxera-resistant grapevines.

    “Growers currently have to graft roots to make their plants viable,” Nabity said. “A lot of money and effort could be saved with pest-resistant rootstocks.”

    About UC Riverside

    The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California’s diverse culture, UCR’s enrollment is more than 24,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of almost $2 billion. To learn more, email news@ucr.edu.

  • Judge Denies Stop QIP’s Chapter 3.5 Petition for a Referendum

    Judge Aspinwall denied Stop QIP’s Chapter 3.5 petition for a referendum, claiming it to be “legally defective.”

    Last month, a hearing was held to review Stop QIP’s petition to suspend Chapter 3.5 of the California Food and Agriculture Code. The hearing was presided over by an Administrative Law Judge, and the question being considered was whether or not a referendum could be held to terminate the QIP pursuant to Chapter 3.5. After weighing the arguments from Stop QIP, Save QIP, and United Dairy Families of California, the judge determined that the “Petitioners’ request for a referendum pursuant to Chapter 3.5 is DENIED.”

    View the official recommendation HERE.

  • UC DAVIS AIR QUALITY EXPERT: AB 2959 MAY INCREASE GREENHOUSE GASES

    One of the state’s leading experts on the role of animal agriculture in climate change today urged legislators to oppose Assembly Bill 2959, legislation that would result in more food waste ending up in the state’s landfills.

    University of California, Davis Professor Dr. Frank Mitloehner, who has received awards from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Research – University of California Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources, says the legislation would have “devastating” impacts on farmers and the state’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    “If AB 2959 passes, the bill will take away a valuable opportunity to upcycle organic waste for animal feed and keep it out of the landfill, where it will release methane,” said Mitloehner, who is also director of the CLEAR Center at UC Davis. “We can’t throw blame at our farmers and producers for impacting warming, while taking away an opportunity for them to do their part.”

    According to Dr. Mitloehner, approximately 18 percent of materials that end up in landfills is wasted food. In the United States, about 30 to 40 percent of all food is wasted.

    Assembly Bill 2959 would allow municipalities to force restaurants, grocers and others with food waste to utilize large franchise haulers to dispose of their food waste. Currently, most of these establishments contract with smaller haulers that take food waste to farms for use as animal feed. The EPA’s food waste hierarchy cites this is a better use of food waste than turning it into compost or landfill disposal.

    The legislation is opposed by a broad coalition. It includes the California Restaurant Association, California Grocers Association, the California Retailers Association, the California Farm Bureau, Western United Dairies, the California Cattlemens Association and more than a dozen other groups.

    The bill is expected to be heard by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, chaired by State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), within the next few weeks.