The draft report states that the state faces an “agricultural land inequity crisis” that can’t be solved without addressing past and continued harms against groups based on “race, ethnicity, gender, class, and citizenship status.” Specific examples include the forced farm labor of Native youth until the 1860s and state laws that prevented Black families from living in prime agricultural areas, in place until the 1940s.
The report includes six policy recommendations, including: prioritize Tribal stewardship and land return; fund and incentivize land acquisition for priority producers and land stewards; and preserve farmland while prioritizing equitable access and stewardship.
“These efforts hold potential to benefit all Californians by fostering a more resilient and just food system through strengthening local, diverse food economies and sustaining healthy natural and working lands,” the authors wrote.
