Rural Issue

California ag leader ‘saddened’ by agriculture’s treatment in U.S.

A.G. Kawamura says he is “saddened” by the way agriculture is being treated in the U.S.

“How different groups attack agriculture. How so many folks looks at agriculture as if we’re some entity that is conspiring to make things worse, whether it’s with the environment, whether it’s with food safety, whether it’s with the amount of water we use,” Kawamura says.

“In California currently, there seems to be almost a ‘grow food, go to jail’ sentiment. I say that with all seriousness. It’s amazing how the farming community is being attacked,” he says

Kawamura served as California’s secretary of agriculture from 2003 to 2010. He is a third generation fruit and vegetable grower and shipper from Orange County. Kawamura is also the founding co-chair of Solutions from the Land, a project that is developing a sustainable roadmap for 21st century agricultural systems.

Kawamura recently spoke at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as part of the Heuermann Lecture Series.

AUDIO: Excerpt from Kawamura’s address