Agriculture

The Coachella Valley remains a major food supplier for the region, country, and world. The support of our agriculture community is vital to maintaining the thousands of jobs it supplies to out local economy. The industry as come under increasing pressure from federal, state and local regulations and workforce laws, as well unfair competition from international markets.

While the GCVCC strongly supports open and free markets, we also recognize that open market policies created through international trade agreements has in some cases significantly harmed our local agriculture industry. The GCVCC will continue to take a flexible approach to policy when it comes to the industry with an eye towards protecting our local growers and advocating for legislation that supports advantageous market policies. Positions

A-1: Support Industry accepted water conservation practices.

A-2: Support our local growers’ commitment to providing safe food that is verified through government, 3rd party, retail, and self-audits.

A-3: Support the growers use of crop protectants used in accordance with Federal, State, County and Local laws and regulations in the production of agricultural commodities.

A-4: Support control measures in the event of an exotic agricultural or environmental pest outbreak that could pose economic loss to agricultural production.

A-5: Support environmental regulations that do not exceed Federal standards for agricultural land use.

A-6: Support research and development, public awareness, and educational programs of biotechnology agricultural commodities.

A-7: Support the labeling of food and other agricultural commodities that defines the country of origin.

A-8: Support the cannabis industry as a recognized and legal agriculture commodity vital to the Coachella Valley economy.