A new wave of environmental degradation in California agriculture: Private standards, constrained choice, and changes in land management.

摘要

This dissertation explores a conflict between efforts to support wildlife and water quality and efforts to address food safety concerns in the Central Coast region of California. Over the past several decades, government agencies, environmental groups, and farming organizations have worked with crop growers in the Central Coast to adopt practices for wildlife habitat and water quality. While the adoption of these practices was increasing, a strong barrier to their adoption emerged in the fall of 2006. At this time, an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with bagged processed spinach affected hundreds and possibly thousands of consumers, resulting in 3 deaths. This outbreak triggered an immediate response from the produce industry including the creation of new industry-wide food safety standards and the enhancement of previous standards used by individual processing and produce firms. These standards identify wildlife as possible sources of crop contamination and discourage or prohibit vegetation that could provide wildlife habitat. This includes vegetation specifically installed to address water pollution from agricultural land use. In many cases, growers feel they have no choice but to follow the new standards imposed by the produce industry. This has resulted in significant changes in land management that may have serious impacts on regional wildlife and water quality. This research explores this conflict and examines the scientific evidence behind conflicting practices, the extent of management changes, the range of environmental impacts, and possibilities for a resolution. Scientific evidence indicates that wildlife pose little risk to food safety and that the widespread removal of vegetation may increase the spread of pathogens. A mail survey and personal interviews illustrate that growers are removing vegetation and adopting measures to eliminate wildlife throughout the region. Interviews with key informants from the produce industry indicate that the greatest risks of contamination are likely stemming from the large-scale nature of the processed bagged salad industry. In an attempt to resolve this conflict and reduce environmental degradation, government agencies, environmental groups, and activists are working to influence the production and consumption of bagged leafy greens and trying to shape possible government regulation for food safety.