Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
gain by cooperating with these kinds of challenges.” This is a novel
development in the history of commodity organizations in California,
which have traditionally limited their focus to “flow to market,” promo-
tion, and production research. Like most human undertakings, the
Environmental Committee was created from more than one motivation.
It was created partly out of a defensive posture, but also out of a desire
to negotiate enforcement of environmental regulations.
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Chris Heintz, the director of production research and environmental
affairs at the ABC, describes her negotiations with regulators as a new
dimension of her position, one that takes an increasing amount of her
time. Her associate Mark Looker said: “ [The ABC is] definitely going to
do all we can to inform growers and PCAs and regulatory people and
elected officials about the fact that we are doing something that is look-
ing in to what the problem is. I don't know if that is a philosophical
difference between different commodities. We have always been very
open about the fact that we have problems and we'll try to deal with
them, and we don't have all the answers, but we definitely think that you
have to have a science-based approach to finding solutions.” Heintz
observed that when she took her position in 1996 she never expected
that she would be coaching growers how to speak to regulators, and vice
versa. She does not feel that negotiating with regulatory agencies changes
the regulations, but it does allow the industry input to how the regula-
tions are implemented.
Reaching out to growers accorded the Almond Board credibility with
public agencies because it effected change in a way a regulatory agency
could not. The ABC once invited USEPA staff on a tour of almond
orchards and the processing industry, not unlike the “listening tour” on
the Columbia Plateau. According to Looker: “It is so much better to say
'we as an industry are taking these approaches and our partners are
CAFF, the Almond Hullers and Processors.' . . . It just gives us so much
more strength to talk to them. They realize you are bringing all the play-
ers to the table, and everyone is having input into these issues, I think it
gives you a lot stronger foundation, especially with the regulatory folks.”
Thus, the ABC inserted itself as a buffer between growers and regulatory
agencies, strengthening its standing. It has been able to present itself to
growers as their friend, keeping regulators at bay and proposing volun-
tary yet viable alternative pest-control strategies. At the same time, it has
