Panelists answered the following: Should farmers be spared from the state’s mandatory 25 percent cut in water use as ordered by the governor?
Cesar Flores: Yes. Farmers grow most of the food that we eat and they need water to make that happen. It is a sad state of affairs when this country cannot feed its own people. Farmers are the backbone of this nation and we should support them.
Ruth Erickson: We need to save one of California’s most important economies, agriculture, but farmers should work diligently with more efficient drip irrigation systems, replacing less efficient water evaporating spraying, all over California.
Bill Mifsud: Yes. The water they use is for the good of all. The food we put on our table is grown by these farmers. This is one industry which should be spared.
Mary Zanger: No. We are all in this together; however, domestic water use is a mere 5% of California water whereas animal agriculture alone uses a whopping 55% of California water. For example, it takes 660 gallons of water to produce one single hamburger. The best way to reduce water usage would be to end cheap water for agriculture. Another fair example of an unfair practice would be that of pistachio growers. Pistachio trees need large amounts of cheap water to generate large amounts of profits for their corporate growers. Clearly, farmers should no longer be spared.
