Pacific Institute: Sustaining California Agriculture

What is it?

A highly influential report published by the Pacific Institute in July 2009 mapping out a sustainable future for California’s agricultural sector.

Who is responsible?

The Pacific Institute, under its president Peter Gleick.

What makes it special?

• Restrictions on water withdrawals from the San Joaquin Delta brought California’s environmentalists and farmers to the edge of war over the summer of 2009. This timely publication from the Pacific Institute showed how both could be winners through better water conservation and efficiency.

• Following a face-to-face meeting between Pacific Institute staff and the Governor of California in September, a number of the key recommendations in the report were adopted as policy in the state.

• The report shows the way ahead for all countries where farmers are pushing their natural water resources to the environmental limit.