Page 19 - Farm and Food Policy Strategies for 2040 Series

California changing: Until the 1950s, Los Angeles County was the top agricultural producer in
the U.S, with an estimated 10,000 farms raising cattle, wheat and a variety of other
crops, according to an oral history of California Agriculture. As the county’s population grew,
agriculture moved to other parts of the state. The growth of irrigated farming in the Central
Valley and Imperial Valley, watered by the Colorado River, bumped California to first place
among all states in value of agricultural products in the 1950s, a position it holds to this day.

Hemp: Used primarily for its fiber and seed oils, hemp was a prominent crop in the early years
of the U.S. According to the February 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine, hemp, which
is related to marijuana, could be used in 25,000 different products and was on the verge of
becoming “the billion-dollar crop.” However, lawmakers proposed prohibitive tax laws in 1937
and hemp production was banned later that year. Lawmakers reversed course in 1942 when they
needed hemp for the war effort and released a documentary called Hemp for Victory,
encouraging farmers to grow hemp to support the war. This led to over 400,000 acres of hemp
being planted during 1942-1945. Last year, hemp production was legalized in all 50 states as part
of the 2018 farm bill, and more U.S. growers are expected to enter the market. In 2018, global
hemp retail sales reached $3.74 billion, with an annual growth rate of 15%, according to New
Frontier Data.

These historical trends provide important perspectives on how growers have adapted in the past
and will continue to adapt with new crop varieties and production methods as they make room
for a new generation in 2040. As the amount of U.S. cropland continues to decline due to
urbanization, there will be a focus on growing more on less acreage and doing so in a sustainable
fashion.

New technological innovations, like precision breeding, artificial intelligence and robotics offer
promise for solving labor and environmental challenges and, increasingly, meeting consumer
demands. Public researchers, combined with private investors, seem eager to provide solutions.
According to the latest AgFunder annual report, a total of $2.6 billion was invested in agrifood
tech startups in 2017.

www.Agri-Pulse.com 17