The future of agriculture in California

摘要

Dramatic changes in California agriculture's products, production and marketing are called for if agriculture is to remain a robust part of our economy. Overproduction, global oversupply, invasive species, competition for water and labor, and the pressure for urbanization of prime agricultural areas threaten the profitability of agriculture. The answers to these threats lie in the development of innovative marketing strategies, new crops and products, and new ways to produce them. In this article Iexplore a challenging paradigm shift in which the agricultural "commons" is no longer exploited in the interest of maximizing production, but is licensed so as to balance supply and demand, and maintain prices at a level adequate to ensure profitabilityand sustainability for California's farmers. In a global marketplace, this strategy will only be successful if California's agricultural products are clearly differentiated from those of other producers.