CRAE members rally around need for strong CDFA
June 2009
California’s dramatic fiscal crisis has led to proposals to drastically consolidate and cut many state programs and departments, including the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). CRAE members have stressed the extreme importance of CDFA programs, UC agricultural research and the activities of Cooperative Extension relative to the production of a healthy, stable and sustainable food supply. The activities of both these vital institutions are preventative in nature and protect California from more onerous financial burdens. While CRAE members recognize that significant cuts must be made, CRAE sent a letter to the Legislative Budget Conference Committee urging it to ensure that any cuts being made to CDFA, as well as the University of California, be done on an unallocated basis, thereby enabling administrative experts within both agencies to prioritize and allocate funds as necessary to address the most pressing and vital programs and services. CRAE members followed this move with another letter to the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, which held a hearing on June 16, 2009, to consider the elimination of CDFA. Here, CRAE reiterated the need for continued General Fund support for CDFA and the need to further strengthen the Department to serve the needs of Californians.