Existing law, the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995 requires the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to establish and oversee the Healthy Soils Program to seek to optimize climate benefits while supporting the economic viability of California agriculture by providing incentives, including loans, grants, research, and technical assistance, and educational materials and outreach to farmers whose management practices contribute to healthy soils and result in net long-term on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits.
This bill would additionally authorize the Healthy Soils Program to include the funding of organic farming projects that further the goals of the program and require the CDFA to establish the technical advisory committee if it elects to fund those projects.
Existing law establishes the California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) in the Department of Conservation. It authorizes the CFCP to offer financial assistance, including grants or contracts, for projects and activities on agricultural lands that support agricultural conservation and sustainable land management.
This bill would provide that the CFCP’s authorization to offer financial assistance for projects and activities on agricultural lands that support agricultural conservation and sustainable land management also includes obtaining organic certification.