of Agriculture in Idaho. He is the first U.S. governor to issue such a
proclamation.
Gov. Little’s announcement is part of an effort spearheaded by U.S.
Farmers & Ranchers in Action, which calls upon leaders across the food
and agriculture sector to endorse a shared vision: A resilient,
restorative, economically viable, and climate-smart agricultural
system that produces abundant and nutritious food, natural fiber, and
clean energy for a sustainable, vibrant, and prosperous America.
According to Dairy West CEO Karianne Fallow, the economic, social, and
environmental demands of a growing global population require resilient
and creative solutions. Introducing Gov. Little at a signing ceremony
attended by leaders of the Idaho ag sector, Fallow said that as the
backbone of the state’s economy and a national leader, Idaho
agriculture plays an integral role in an economically and ecologically
sustainable future.
“I feel really privileged to work for dairy farmers, because they care
about feeding the world with safe and nutritious food,” Fallow said.
ranchers across the country and across our great state are doing the
same every day. As representatives of food production, we are stronger
when we are working together. And, in fact, I would argue that we have
an obligation to do so, because consumers around the world are
continually looking to us to be the solution to some of the biggest
problems facing our world.”
USFRA CEO Erin Fitzgerald said the decade of agriculture requires
unprecedented commitment.
“It is a clarion call to figure out how we can nourish our neighbors
and do so with less resources to invest in the sector and mobilize
climate-smart solutions,” she said. “We have done this before, when we
have invested in agriculture after the Civil War, after the Dust Bowl,
and after World War II. We unleashed unprecedented economic growth
through agriculture. The world is looking for solutions, and what
they’re asking for is a decade of action.”
Gov. Little said the state is already engaged in many sustainable
practices and investing in much-needed research to inform the future.
“Change is inevitable; adaptation and survival are optional,” he said.
“The people that are still in agriculture in this state all did that.
They adapted to change. There’s not a family farm or ranch or
food-processing facility that hasn’t done incredible work, whether
it’s through their own innovation, whether it’s research from one our
great research institutions, or whether it’s from just plain old
common sense about what they needed to do to survive.”
The governor said farmers and ranchers just need to have the right signals.
“Everybody wants clean water, clean air, and efficient, sustainable
agriculture,” Gov. Little said. “But the best signal you can give to
agriculture is profit as a motivator. If they can see profit out there
— and farmers and ranchers are more than willing to take on a little
risk, particularly if it’s going to make them feel good and their
families feel good — then they will do that.”
More than 60 Idaho organizations — including the Idaho State
Department of Agriculture, at least a half-dozen state ag commissions,
and more than 40 associations representing agriculture and related
sectors — have voiced support for the initiative.
Visit usfarmersandranchers.org and dairywest.com to learn more about
The Decade of Agriculture.
Established in 2017, Dairy West is a regional dairy promotion
organization representing dairy farmers, processors, and supply chain
partners in Utah and Idaho. Dairy West raises awareness of the
importance of dairy farming, promotes the health and nutritional
benefits of dairy foods, and encourages global demand for Utah, Idaho
and Western U.S. dairy foods through coordinated marketing and
communications efforts, nutrition counseling and research programs.
Visit DairyWest.com and Unbottled.com for more information.
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action represents farmer and rancher-led
organizations, and food and agricultural partners, with a common
vision to further our global sustainable food systems. We believe
farmers uniquely contribute to nourishing our planet, people, and
natural resources. Our focus is creating a proactive collaboration
between the best minds in food, agriculture, science, and technology
to co-create solutions that will result in environmental, social, and
economic sustainability. Learn more at usfarmersandranchers.org.
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