2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region

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2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
2019
REPORT
The State of the
Food System in the
San Diego Region
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO
2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
The State of the Food System
in the San Diego Region

2019 REPORT
C OUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

NOVEMBER 2019
2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
Contents
  ix   Executive Summary                     75   Section 6: Nutrition and
                                                  Food Security
  5    Introduction
                                             93   Section 7: Labor and Employment
  11   Section 1: Inputs                          in the Food System

  19   Section 2: Food Production            101 Section 8: Education and
                                                  Workforce Development
  37   Section 3: Food Manufacturing
       and Processing                        117 Section 9: Wasted Food

  47   Section 4: Storage and Distribution   138 Acknowledgments

  63   Section 5: Consumer Demand            140 Appendices
2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
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                                                                                           EXECUTIVE
                                                                                           SUMMARY
                                                                             A food system includes all processes and infrastructure in place to feed a
                                                                             population. The overarching components of the food system are inputs, production,
                                                                             manufacturing and processing, storage and distribution, consumption, labor and
                                                                             workforce development, and disposal of food and food-related products. All these
                                                                             components are interconnected and can effect positive or negative impacts to the
                                                                             social, environmental, and economic conditions of a population, also known as
                                                                             the triple bottom line. Using this triple bottom line as a lens to assess the conditions
                                                                             of a food system and to guide its future state recognizes the role that the food
                                                                             system plays in people’s health and wellbeing, as well as its effect on environmental
                                                                             sustainability and on the economic welfare of society.

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2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
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In 2016, the County of San Diego (County*)                  and areas of opportunity. The report also                   government agencies, nonprofits, academic                                                           The State of California was in a five-year
Board of Supervisors initiated the Live Well                identifies metrics to track progress in the                 and research institutions, and industry groups                                                      drought from 2012 through 2016 where San
San Diego Food System Initiative to work                    different areas of the food system. The                     from throughout the San Diego region.                                                               Diego county was mandated to reduce water
towards a robust and resilient local food                   goal is for this report and its future iterations                                                                                                               consumption by 25 percent in urban areas,
                                                                                                                        Next steps will include establishing
system that builds healthy communities,                     to serve as an informative resource for                                                                                                                         and farmers were faced with a mandatory
                                                                                                                        partnerships to identify, prioritize, and pursue
supports the economy, and enhances the                      community education and engagement                                                                                                                              15 percent reduction on water usage. San
                                                                                                                        key opportunities that stem from this report
environment. One of the main priorities for                 and also help inform programs and policy                                                                                                                        Diego county has responded to water supply
                                                                                                                        and previous efforts to make improvements          THE FOOD SYSTEM REQUIRES CRITICAL
the Food System Initiative is to develop the                change.                                                                                                                                                         challenges through diversification efforts
                                                                                                                        in the different areas of the food system. This    NATURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND
State of the Food System Report for the                                                                                                                                                                                     (e.g. groundwater, recycled water, seawater
                                                            The creation of the State of the Food                       effort will require the continued collaboration    ECONOMIC INPUTS.
San Diego Region on a cyclical basis.                                                                                                                                                                                       desalination and conservation, and water
                                                            System Report was led by the County in                      of all organizations and stakeholders involved                                                      supplied through multiple irrigation districts),
                                                                                                                                                                           For example, agricultural land, soil, water,
The purpose of this report is to understand                 close collaboration with the San Diego                      in the creation of this report as well as the                                                       which have resulted in high water costs.
                                                                                                                                                                           ocean and coastal waters, energy and
what the food system looks like in San Diego                Food System Alliance and with the input                     engagement of community, industry, and                                                              This has led to innovation in water use
                                                                                                                                                                           equipment, and labor are essential. In San
county, its current state, its challenges,                  and contributions of representatives from                   decision makers in the region.                                                                      technology, such as automatic drip irrigation,
                                                                                                                                                                           Diego county, 242,554 acres of land are
                                                                                                                                                                           occupied by the agricultural industry for        and the use of hydroponics and aquaponics.
                                                                                                                                                                           grazing, orchards, vineyards, and the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            With San Diego county located along the
                                                                                                                                                                           cultivation of field and specialty crops.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pacific Ocean, commercial fishing and
                                                                                                                                                                           There are 5,082 farms in San Diego county
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            aquaculture utilize the bays and coastal
                                                                                                                                                                           where approximately 70 percent are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            waters to produce and harvest fish and
                                                                                                                                                                           considered small as they operate on less
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            seafood. There are three commercial
                                                                                                                                                                           than 10 acres. San Diego county has year-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            fishing harbors in San Diego county with
                                                                                                                                                                           round agricultural production due to the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            infrastructure that comprises only about 4
                                                                                                                                                                           mediterranean climate and the diversity of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            percent of the water and 1 percent of the
                                                                                                                                                                           soils that support different commodities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            land area that are potentially suitable for
                                                                                                                                                                           across marine to desert landscapes. Soils are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            commercial fishing. Commercial aquaculture
                                                                                                                                                                           crucial for the health of crops and to protect
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            is at a smaller scale in San Diego county,
                                                                                                                                                                           San Diego county agricultural land from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            with only one farm, which is located in the
                                                                                                                                                                           destructive natural events such as flooding,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
                                                                                                                                                                           wildfires, and drought.

*For the purposes of this report, County with a capital “C” refers to the County of San Diego government organization; whereas county with a lowercase “c” refers to the
 geographical area of the county.

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2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
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                                                                                                             growers generating over $71 million in             upwards of $10 million annually. Methods         responsibly sourced in the world. Although,              Commercial aquaculture, or the farming of
                                                                                                             total organic product sales. The highest           and techniques used for fishing comply           local seafood is responsibly sourced,                    seaweeds, fish and/or shellfish in tanks on
                                                                                                             yielding edible crops grown in San Diego           with strict regulations and science-based        there is a lack of waterfront infrastructure,            land or in coastal waters, is a relatively young
                                                                                                             county are avocados, citrus, and vine-             management meant to safeguard against            including offloading and storage, to support             industry in the region. As such, there are
                                                                                                             ripened tomatoes. Conducting business              overharvest of stocks, capture of bycatch, and   distribution, regulatory limitations, and a lack         regulatory obstacles in siting facilities in San
                                                                                                             and profitability, along with water, soil,         environmental impacts, making San Diego          of workforce training and development which              Diego county, and California in general
                                                                                                             and pest management were identified as             county’s local catch some of the most            is limiting further expansion of the industry.
                                                            ALTHOUGH 95 PERCENT OF AGRICULTURAL
                                                                                                             key challenges for commercial agriculture.
                                                            LAND IN THE COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO
                                                                                                             Furthermore, climate change may have an
                                                            FOOD PRODUCTION, ONLY 30 PERCENT
                                                                                                             increased impact on production challenges,
                                                            OF THE TOTAL ECONOMIC VALUE OF
                                                                                                             such as increased heat and a diminishing
                                                            AGRICULTURE DERIVES FROM FOOD
                                                                                                             water supply.
                                                            PRODUCTION WITH THE REMAINING
                                                            70 PERCENT DERIVING FROM NURSERY                 Urban agriculture is emerging in densely
                                                            AND CUT FLOWER PRODUCTS.                         populated areas of San Diego county to
                                                                                                             provide food access and promote community                                                                                                                    THE NEXT STAGE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM
                                                            Commercial agriculture as a whole ranks as
                                                                                                             development. Examples of urban agriculture                                                                                                                   IS MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING
                                                            one of the largest industries in San Diego
                                                                                                             are community or school gardens, community                                                                                                                   WHICH TRANSFORMS RAW INGREDIENTS
                                                            county and contributes significantly to the
                                                                                                             supported agriculture based in urban                                                                                                                         LIKE LIVESTOCK AND AGRICULTURAL
                                                            local economy through $1.8 billion in annual
                                                                                                             areas, and the use of innovative food                                                                                                                        CROPS INTO EDIBLE PRODUCTS FOR
                                                            total sales and a total economic impact of
                                                                                                             production methods such as hydroponics                                                                                                                       CONSUMPTION.
                                                            $2.8 billion.
                                                                                                             and aquaponics in urban settings. Some
                                                            Approximately 91 percent of farms in the         challenges with urban agriculture in San                                                                                                                     San Diego county imports raw products
                                                            county are under 50 acres, and about 70          Diego county are the high cost of real estate,                                                                                                               (e.g. wheat flour, corn meal, and yeast) for
                                                            percent of the total farms are less than 10      high cost of water at residential rates, and the                                                                                                             the production and manufacturing of bakery
                                                            acres, well below state averages, highlighting   diversity of policies and regulations related                                                                                                                products and tortillas. Also, San Diego county
                                                            the prevalence of small farms in San Diego       to urban agriculture throughout San Diego                                                                                                                    imports cacao and coffee beans from overseas
                                                            county. San Diego county has the highest         county’s 19 jurisdictions.                                                                                                                                   and locally manufactures chocolate (valued
                                                            concentration of organic farmers in the                                                                                                                                                                       at $27.8 million in 2015) and coffee (valued
                                                                                                             Commercial fishing operations in San                                                                                                                         at $63.4 million in 2015). In addition to
                                                            United States with more than 350 U.S.
                                                                                                             Diego county currently harvest from the                                                                                                                      importing, San Diego county exports milk
                                                            Department of Agriculture Certified Organic
                                                                                                             wild and land over 60 species valued at                                                                                                                      production valued at $6.9 million in 2015

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2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
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to be pasteurized and packaged. Similarly,                  The manufacturing and processing industry is                                                      Diego-sourced seafood within the city of
meat processing of cattle and calves valued                 regulated through a hierarchy of jurisdictions                                                    San Diego was limited to seafood markets
at $26.8 million in 2015 does not occur                     from the national to local level in order to                                                      and restaurants located within 1 km (0.6
within the county. However, the largest                     ensure the nation’s food system protects                                                          miles) of the coast.
crops produced in San Diego county                          the public from foodborne illness through
                                                                                                                                                              There is high demand for locally
are citrus (valued at $151.7 million) and                   food safety practices and regulations.
                                                                                                                                                              sourced food; however, distributors lack
avocados (valued at $121 million) which                     Inspection and permitting for all local retail   FOOD PRODUCED IN SAN DIEGO                       a coordinated system or platform for          SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S DEMOGRAPHICS
are sold whole rather than going through                    food facilities is conducted by the San Diego    COUNTY IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH                    viewing the crop supply by farm in order      AND CONSUMPTION PATTERNS DRIVE
processing and manufacturing.                               County Department of Environmental Health.       THREE PATHWAYS:                                  to meet demand of locally sourced food.       CONSUMER DEMAND FOR LOCAL FOOD.
                                                                                                                                                              On the other hand, small producers do
                                                                                                             1) Directly to the consumer through farmers’
                                                                                                                                                              not benefit from economies of scale and       San Diego county is home to approximately
                                                                                                             and fishermen’s markets and shares in
                                                                                                                                                              it is difficult for them to meet the volume   3.3 million people with the second highest
                                                                                                             consumer supported agriculture (CSA), 2)
                                                                                                                                                              demanded from larger organizations and        percentage of millennials (born between 1980
                                                                                                             directly to organizations and businesses
                                                                                                                                                              businesses. The challenges of distributors    and 1994) in the nation, comprising nearly
                                                                                                             and 3) through traditional distributors to
                                                                                                                                                              and producers are passed on to the            one-third of the San Diego county population.
                                                                                                             organizations and businesses.
                                                                                                                                                              consumer in the form of higher prices.        Through food choices, consumers influence
                                                                                                             The prevalence of small farms in San Diego       Therefore, a concerted effort needs to        food production, food processing, and
                                                                                                             county present challenges for farmers to          take place to build up community             ultimately food prices. Consumer purchasing
                                                                                                             work with distributors because the revenue       awareness around the value of local food,     behaviors – particularly among the
                                                                                                             splits required to do so cut into profits to     in order for businesses, organizations, and   millennial age cohort, the largest, most
                                                                                                             levels that are not economically sustainable     communities to place a higher value on        diverse cohort in U.S. history – have shifted
                                                                                                             for the farmers. Therefore, some small farms     local food. Efforts also need to take place   due to the growing awareness of the
                                                                                                             choose to sell directly to small businesses      to address equity issues for disadvantaged    connection between food, the environment,
                                                                                                             and organizations and to consumers through       communities who may not be able to access     and health. This awareness has led to
                                                                                                             CSA deliveries.                                  and afford higher-priced, local food.         increased consumer demand for better
                                                                                                                                                                                                            food, food that is fresh, healthy, local,
                                                                                                             There is a strong geographic barrier to                                                        organic, and sustainable.
                                                                                                             access locally sourced seafood if not directly
                                                                                                             from the fishermen’s market. Two recent                                                        With these purchasing behaviors and San
                                                                                                             studies revealed that the availability of San                                                  Diego county’s strong tourism industry,

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2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
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          HOW CAN RESIDENTS SUPPORT THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM?                                                                                   recent laws and regulations like the            advances have led to a rise in the production
                                                                                                                                             Cottage Food Law, Pacific to Plate, and         of inexpensive, highly processed, and
                                                                                                                                             the Agricultural Promotion Program in           nutritionally poor foods.
                                                                                                                                             unincorporated San Diego county present
                                                                                                                                                                                             Prices and access to healthy foods remain
                                                                                                                                             unique opportunities for producers to
                                                                                                                                                                                             a significant barrier to healthy eating.
                                                                                                                                             diversify their operations and revenue
                                                                                                                                                                                             International organizations define food
                                                                                                                                             sources and for consumers to engage with
                                                                                                                                                                                             insecurity as a situation that exists when
                                                                                                                                             local producers. San Diego county has 36
        Choose stores and                    Ask for locally-sourced seafood      Visit and shop at local      Sign up for Community                                                         people lack secure access to sufficient
         restaurants that                      at markets and restaurants       Certified Farmers’ Markets    Supported Agriculture to       Certified Farmers’ Markets, 21 farm stands,
                                                                                                                                                                                             amounts of safe and nutritious food for
        source food locally                   and try the San Diego local      and the Fishermen’s Market.     receive a share of fresh      17 CSA programs, 1 dockside fishermen’s
                                                                                                                                                                                             normal growth and development and an
       and support workers.                       varieties of seafood.                                       produce from a local farm.     market, and an emerging local farm-to-
                                                                                                                                                                                             active and healthy life. In 2017, an estimated
                                                                                                                                             table and ocean-to-table movement.
                                                                                                                                                                                             443,000 (1 in 7) people in San Diego
                                                                                                                                                                                             county experienced food insecurity.

                                                                                                                                                                                             In addition to food insecurity, food deserts
                                                                                                                                                                                             also persist in San Diego county. Food
                                                                                                                                                                                             deserts are residential areas with limited
                                                                                                                                                                                             access to affordable and nutritious food.
        Get involved with                               Buy produce             Buy “ugly” produce, which     Track where and how food                                                       Living in a food desert has been linked
     community gardens and                            that is in season.       is aesthetically unappealing     is wasted at home and                                                        to poor diet and greater risk of obesity,
       urban agriculture.                                                          but just as nutritious.       reduce portion sizes.
                                                                                                                                                                                             while people who live near grocery stores
                                                                                                                                             THE QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF                 are more likely to consume fruits and
                                                                                                                                             THE FOOD AND DRINK WE CONSUME                   vegetables and less likely to be obese. In
                                                                                                                                             IMPACTS THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING                2010, approximately 23 percent (or over
                                                                                                                                             OF ALL PEOPLE ACROSS OUR LIFE SPAN.             700,000 people) of the San Diego county
                                                                                                                                             The methods of production, processing and       population lived in a food desert. As
                                                                                                                                             preparation, as well as consumption, all play   researchers have documented in the San
  Donate excess edible food at                 Contact a gleaning group to       Volunteer with a small-         Limit your use of plastic   a role in whether food helps to nourish the     Diego region and other regions in the U.S.,
  your local pantry or food bank               donate any excess produce          scale farm, food bank,        (straws, silverware, bags,                                                   food deserts have emerged over time as
                                                                                                                                             body or results in adverse health impacts.
    (San Diego Food Bank and                        grown at home.               gleaning group, or local     etc.) and styrofoam (takeout                                                   the result of policy and planning decisions
       Feeding San Diego).                                                                pantry.                containers, dinnerware).    A shift towards large-scale commodity crop
                                                                                                                                             production coupled with technological           that often times have not been favorable to

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2019 REPORT The State of the Food System in the San Diego Region
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                                                          historically disadvantaged groups and            Even though the food services and drinking                                           face similar challenges in education and                programs. Educational opportunities are
                                                          have led to white flight, suburbanization,       places is one of the largest and fastest                                             workforce development with the average                  further limited because the populations who
                                                          disinvestment and store closures among           growing segments of the regional food                                                age of commercial farmers and fishermen                 could most benefit from training or further
                                                          these areas. Organizations and programs          economy, they are the lowest paid jobs in                                            about or over 50 years old. Therefore, San              education face numerous barriers to program
                                                          such as BrightSide Produce and the Live Well     the San Diego food system. Furthermore,                                              Diego county food system education                      participation, including transportation,
                                                          Community Market Program work to reach           overall wages within the San Diego food                                              and workforce development is key to                     childcare, financial support during the
                                                          food insecure and low-income communities         system are significantly lower than in                                               remain sustainable and resilient in the                 duration of programs, and stable housing.
                                                          with healthy affordable food.                    the rest of the economy. In addition to        IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A WELL-TRAINED   long term. Educational programs, formal
                                                                                                           low wages, food system workers face other      WORKFORCE BE PREPARED TO ADDRESS      and non-formal, are available in the county
                                                                                                           economic and social issues, including          THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE ACROSS   to provide the region and its residents
                                                                                                           inconsistent implementation of legal           ALL ASPECTS OF THE FOOD SYSTEM.       access to information and classes. However,
                                                                                                           protections, wage disparities, and economic                                          there is a greater need than the collective
                                                                                                           insecurity. These issues are also related      Agriculture and seafood production    capacity of providers for food system training
                                                                                                           to race, ethnicity, immigration status, and
                                                                                                           gender of food system workers. In 2017, 37
                                                                                                           percent of food system workers in San Diego
                                                                                                           county were immigrants (compared to 27                                                                                                       WASTED FOOD OR FOOD LOSS IS ANY
                                                          HUMAN LABOR IS ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY               percent in non-food jobs) and 64 percent                                                                                                     FOOD THAT IS GROWN AND PRODUCED
                                                          COMPONENT OF THE FOOD SYSTEM.                    were people of color (compared to 51                                                                                                         FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, BUT THAT
                                                                                                           percent in non-food jobs). The vast majority                                                                                                 IS ULTIMATELY NOT EATEN.
                                                          Ten percent of San Diego county’s
                                                                                                           of workers throughout the food system were
                                                          economy is represented by food system                                                                                                                                                         In the United States, 40 percent of the food
                                                                                                           Latinos, especially in farming where Mexican
                                                          jobs. There are approximately 163,281 jobs                                                                                                                                                    that is grown is never consumed, resulting in
                                                                                                           immigrants alone represent 55 percent of
                                                          in San Diego county’s food economy. The                                                                                                                                                       over 50 million tons of wasted food that ends
                                                                                                           the workforce.
                                                          majority of food-related employment is                                                                                                                                                        up in landfills annually. At the State level, 6
                                                          found in food service, eating and drinking                                                                                                                                                    million tons of food is thrown away each year,
                                                          places, accounting for over 100,000 jobs or                                                                                                                                                   which makes up 18 percent of all the material
                                                          63 percent of the food economy, which is                                                                                                                                                      that goes to the landfills. It is estimated that
                                                          consistent with the strong tourism industry in                                                                                                                                                in San Diego county, over 500,000 tons of
                                                          the San Diego region.                                                                                                                                                                         food is wasted each year, while 1 out of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        every 7 residents face food insecurity. In

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addition to source reduction and prevention,              designed to divert organic material from             •   Support water, waterfront, and land uses      •   Support land use policies and regulations        that addresses common concerns
there are efforts to recover edible food                  landfills, including food, as a way to reduce            that help take advantage of the available         that accommodate more urban                      surrounding fishing and aquaculture
before it is wasted through pantries and                  greenhouse gases. Moreover, there are laws               potential of the commercial fishing and           agriculture. For instance, the Urban             (e.g., environmental impacts and health
gleaning organizations.                                   that support reduction of wasted food by                 aquaculture industries.                           Agriculture Incentive Zones Act.                 concerns).
                                                          facilitating food donation and helping people
In 2016 the County of San Diego led the                                                                        FOOD PRODUCTION                                   •   Incentivize the inclusion of urban           •   Seek opportunities to expand the
                                                          make informed decisions about when food
creation of a Food Donation Action Plan that                                                                                                                         agriculture components as part of new            distribution of local aquaculture products
                                                          is still safe to eat versus when it should be        •   Commit financial resources to incentivize
was produced in collaboration with food                                                                                                                              housing developments.                            throughout the San Diego region.
                                                          discarded.                                               farmers and ranchers to implement
system and food donation stakeholders
                                                                                                                   carbon-farming practices and to support       •   Make parkland available for community        MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING
in the region. The goal of the plan is to
support and improve food donation in the                  WHERE DO WE GO FROM                                      pilot projects.                                   gardens.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  •   Support food manufacturing and
San Diego region in order to help address                 HERE?                                                •   Promote “dense” planting among                •   Improve waterfront infrastructure in the         processing infrastructure that promotes
food and nutrition insecurity, while also                                                                          growers. The practice puts more trees             San Diego region to capture a share of the       a shared economy by encouraging
reducing food loss. In support of the                     Continued collaboration and engagement                   in production per acre than previous              $28 million worth of fish and seafood that       the development and shared use of
Food Donation Action Plan, the County                     of key stakeholders and decision makers will             practices. Outcomes include increased             is landed annually by San Diego county           community kitchen spaces.
Board of Supervisors took action on                       be key to the sustainability and advancement             production per acre, reduced labor per            fishermen in ports north of the county.
December 12, 2018, to waive Department                    of the food system in the San Diego region.                                                                                                             STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION
                                                                                                                   unit produced, and reduced water use
of Environmental Health permit and                        The following areas of opportunities can                                                               •   Promote the practice of harvesting lightly
                                                                                                                   per unit produced.                                                                             •   Increase opportunities for seafood
registration fees for pantries and to                     inform next steps for improving the different                                                              across an array of fish species to reduce
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      direct marketing and other alternative
provide funding to support food donation                  components of the local food system:                 •   Support experimental plantings that               the risks of impacting stocks, increase
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      marketing arrangements where fishermen
efforts and food safety.                                                                                           could lead to established commercial              our ability to respond to climate change
                                                          INPUTS                                                                                                                                                      sell to restaurants and markets, which
                                                                                                                   production, which are currently taking            challenges, and provide a more stable
Not only are valuable resources wasted                                                                                                                                                                                would result in shorter, more local
                                                                                                                   place with coffee, dragon fruit (pitahaya),       business model.
when food is not consumed, organic material               •    Continued support of land preservation                                                                                                                 seafood supply chains that potentially
                                                                                                                   olives, mandarins, and other crops.
that is left to decompose in landfills creates                 efforts to secure land for agricultural uses.                                                     •   Seek opportunities to expand the                 increase the availability of local product
methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes                                                                     •   Support the expansion of hydroponic               establishment of fishermen’s markets in          within the county. An added benefit of
                                                          •    Support farmers to implement smart
to climate change. Food that is no longer                                                                          and aquaponic production methods as               the San Diego region.                            more direct sales is the connection of
                                                               irrigation technology to help reduce
suitable for donation can be diverted from                                                                         environmentally sustainable alternatives                                                           seafood producers and consumers which
                                                               water use and costs.                                                                              •   Provide consumer education on
landfills for agricultural and industrial uses                                                                     for food production that can also help                                                             raises awareness of local fisheries.
                                                                                                                                                                     species that are sourced locally and
and for composting and anaerobic energy                   •    Investment is needed in infrastructure              address issues of land availability.
                                                                                                                                                                     how to prepare them and provide more         •   Create a coordinated system or platform
production. In addition to local efforts, State                that supports commercial fishing, such as
                                                                                                                                                                     information/conduct public outreach              for displaying and sharing crop supply by
and federal legislation and regulations are                    storage and processing facilities.

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    farm and develop methods for providing                     underserved communities to ensure that              and supporting small stores through          •   Seek opportunities to connect existing           programs and grants that help address                    incorporate use of alternative energy
    greater real-time transparency of crop                     it can be available to all.                         financial, marketing and technical               farmers and fishermen with new                   infrastructure needs, such as storage,                   sources and mitigate the environmental
    availability for distributors and buyers.                                                                      assistance.                                      generations of producers to share                refrigeration, and transportation.                       and economic impact of wasted food.
                                                          •    Seek opportunities to develop niche                                                                  knowledge and expand workforce
•   Seek opportunities for small farmers to                    products and markets to cater to the            •   Consider the effects of gentrification,          development in these sectors.                •   Support gleaning organizations with                 •    Invest in infrastructure to process food
    aggregate their crops for distribution                     region’s diverse ethnic groups and                  suburbanization and disinvestment over                                                            funding and infrastructure to expand                     scraps and explore opportunities to co-
    in order to reduce costs and build                         their unique preferences for flavors and            historically disadvantaged groups when       WASTED FOOD                                          food rescue efforts.                                     locate organic waste processing facilities
    collective economies of scale, such as the                 products from their native lands.                   developing policies and plans that affect                                                                                                                  at landfill and wastewater treatment sites.
                                                                                                                                                                •   Develop and fund directed educational        •   Seek opportunities to connect potential
    development of a local food hub.                                                                               food access.
                                                          NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY                                                                               campaigns to teach people how to                 donors of food not suitable for human               •    Increase education and training around
•   Seek opportunities for fishermen                                                                           LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT                                 properly store food, shop smarter, cook          consumption to farms in need of spent                    on-site residential and commercial
                                                          •    Continue to support nutrition assistance
    to collaborate with other producers                                                                                                                             from root-to-leaf/nose-to-tail, and how to       grain and other food donations to feed                   composting and develop policies that
                                                               programs that help secure access                •   Support policies that promote and
    (e.g. through port-wide marketing                                                                                                                               meal plan to reduce wasted food.                 animals.                                                 support these efforts.
                                                               to nutritious food for underserved                  advance fair labor practices for all.
    associations) to help meet demand and
                                                               populations.                                                                                     •   Support the food donation network in the     •   Explore strategies to utilize wasted food
    take advantage of economies of scale.                                                                      EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE                              San Diego region by investing in incentive       for biofuel and bio-products in order to
                                                          •    Seek opportunities to address                   DEVELOPMENT
•   Conduct outreach to raise public
                                                               underlaying poverty conditions that lead
    awareness around the value of local food,                                                                  •   Seek opportunities to make education
                                                               to food insecurity.
    in order for businesses, organizations,                                                                        and training opportunities related to the
    and communities to place a higher value               •    Support breastfeeding practices by                  food system accessible to disadvantaged
    in local food.                                             advocating for worksite breastfeeding               populations.
                                                               policies, breastfeeding friendly community
CONSUMER DEMAND                                                                                                •   Seek opportunities to expand Farm to
                                                               healthcare centers and childcare providers,
                                                                                                                   School programs by developing policies
•   Develop methods to track and                               home visiting programs, educational
                                                                                                                   and funding infrastructure to support
    understand how much food produced                          forums for families and providers, scientific
                                                                                                                   consistency in programming at schools.
    locally remains within the county so                       research, direct breastfeeding counseling,
    opportunities can be identified to                         and the establishment of the first milk         •   Provide economic incentives for small
    increase local food production and                         bank in San Diego.                                  school districts to start a Farm to School
    consumption in the region.                                                                                     program.
                                                          •    Pursue opportunities to address food
•   Increase the accessibility of local food to                deserts by building on existing resources

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INTRODUCTI ON

                                                                                       INTRODUCTION
                                                                         THE SAN DIEGO REGION FOOD SYSTEM

                                                                         A food system includes all processes and infrastructure in place to feed a population;
                                                                         from all the inputs that are necessary to grow food, to the management of wasted
                                                                         food at the tail end, and everything in between: production, manufacturing and
                                                                         processing, storage and distribution, consumption, and disposal of food and
                                                                         food-related products. Each of these overarching components include other sets
                                                                         of systems that support more specialized functions, such as water systems for
                                                                         growing, supply chain for distribution, etc. All the components of the food system
                                                                         are interconnected and can have positive or negative impacts on the social,
                                                                         environmental, and economic conditions of a population, also known as the triple
                                                                         bottom line. Using this triple bottom line as a lens to assess the conditions of a food
                                                                         system and to guide its future state recognizes the role that the food system plays in
                                                                         people’s health and wellbeing, as well as its effect on environmental sustainability and
                                                                         on the economic welfare of society.

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INTRODUCTI ON

                                                           San Diego county is known for its nice            a shortage of waterfront and regionwide           about the value of food and the importance                  consciously willing to adapt and to adopt                 settings. San Diego county farmers look for
                                                           weather, which favors the region’s $1.7 billion   seafood system infrastructure, regulatory         of preventing its waste and rescuing edible                 practices that enhance the environment                    opportunities to save water and implement
                                                           agriculture industry where a third of the crops   limitations, a lack of workforce training and     food from going to the landfill to repurpose                and make the region more resilient against                water-saving irrigation techniques as a way of
                                                           grown are food. However, climate change           development, and the potential negative           it for higher uses, such as feeding people                  climate change. The very challenges that                  facing the challenges that drought conditions
                                                           presents an important challenge to the local      effects of climate change.                        who experience food insecurity. There is also               threaten our food supply have given way to                and water costs present to their operations.
                                                           food supply. With the changing climate the                                                          growing interest in “zero waste” policies that              innovation in the way we grow our food. The               As the changing climate will continue to
                                                                                                             While most of the population in the San
                                                           region has already started to experience                                                            keep organics, including food, out of the                   use of aquaponics and hydroponics are rising              present challenges to local agriculture,
                                                                                                             Diego region enjoys a secure and varied
                                                           more severe droughts and wildfires, which                                                           landfills to prevent greenhouse gas emissions               as new efficient, environmentally friendly                climate-smart agricultural and ranching
                                                                                                             food supply, food access continues to be an
                                                           negatively affect the agriculture industry.                                                         as a result of the decomposing process.                     food production methods which can also                    practices have the potential to significantly
                                                                                                             issue to 1 in 7 San Diego county residents
                                                           Additionally, the high costs of land and                                                            Additionally, San Diego county farmers are                  be implemented out of the fields in urban                 lower greenhouse gas emissions while
                                                                                                             who are food insecure. This comes at a
                                                           water present an important barrier for new                                                                                                                                                                                improving soil health, reducing water use,
                                                                                                             time when 40% of the food produced in
                                                           and young farmers to enter the commercial                                                                                                                                                                                 increasing crop yields, improving livestock
                                                                                                             the nation is wasted. Sometimes, the very
                                                           agriculture market, a concerning situation                                                                                                                                                                                health, and protecting lands against the
                                                                                                             people working to produce that food and
                                                           when considering that the average age of                                                                                                                                                                                  threat of wildfires.
                                                                                                             make it available to society face challenges
                                                           the region’s farmers is over 60 years, with no
                                                                                                             to access it for themselves and their families.                                                                                                                         The steady growth of San Diego county’s
                                                           succession plan in place.
                                                                                                             While California has a number of labor laws                                                                                                                             agricultural diversity indicates that the
                                                           The region’s commercial agriculture               protecting workers, protections for workers                                                                                                                             agricultural industry is working to become
                                                           landscape includes thousands of small farms       across the food system are not implemented                                                                                                                              more resilient to economic shocks and
                                                           (less than 10 acres) which are successful at      consistently and food system workers tend                                                                                                                               natural and/or human-driven hazards that
                                                           producing a variety of food crops. These          to have lower wages than workers from                                                                                                                                   have the potential to disrupt production.
                                                           small farms face important obstacles to           other industries. This situation coupled with                                                                                                                           New experimental crops continue to emerge
                                                           help get that food onto people’s plates           our region’s high cost of living (housing,                                                                                                                              as viable economic opportunities for the
                                                           locally, such as lack of economies of scale to    transportation, etc.) can negatively impact                                                                                                                             region’s growers. This is an important
                                                           compete with larger out-of-county producers       the quality of life of local food system                                                                                                                                opportunity to the local food system as
                                                           and lack of infrastructure and few marketing      workers.                                                                                                                                                                market niches can develop for new and
                                                           channels that fit their production scale.                                                                                                                                                                                 diverse crops taking advantage of the ethnic
                                                                                                             However, the food system in the San Diego
                                                           Comparable challenges are shared by the                                                                                                                                                                                   and cultural diversity of county residents and
                                                                                                             region is well positioned to positively
                                                           local fishing industry, which once gave the                                                                                                                                                                               their unique tastes and needs for food. The
                                                                                                             contribute to the triple bottom line. There
                                                           region the title of the ‘Tuna Capital of the                                                                                                                                                                              regions diverse population includes a large
                                                                                                             is a growing awareness in San Diego county
                                                           World’ and today faces challenges with                                                                                                                                                                                    group of millennials who have an increased

                                                                                                                                                               ProduceGood gleans citrus from San Diego residential orchards that would otherwise go to landfill.

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INTRODUCTI ON

sense of awareness of the implications of                  are its challenges and areas of opportunity.      of San Diego county. Data and metrics            charts, and maps to produce the report.            data was not available. Data has not been
their food choices for the triple bottom line,             The report also identifies metrics to track       identified by these two efforts were included    With close collaboration of County staff,          captured/researched for a number of metrics
of knowing where their food comes from,                    progress in the different areas of the food       in the State of the Food System Report.          content contributors, and the consultant           that were identified by the Stakeholder
what is in it, and how it is produced. As the              system. The goal is for this report and its                                                        MIG Communications, the final report was           Advisory Group as key to tracking progress
                                                                                                             The creation of the State of the Food
focus on local food continues to grow, it is               future iterations to serve as an informative                                                       produced.                                          in the different areas of the San Diego region
                                                                                                             System Report was led by the County in
important to take advantage of the region’s                resource for community education and                                                                                                                  food system. A table with existing food
                                                                                                             close collaboration with the San Diego           Next steps will include establishing
unique strengths and opportunities to                      engagement and also help inform programs                                                                                                              system metrics is included as an appendix to
                                                                                                             Food System Alliance and with the input          partnerships to identify, prioritize, and pursue
continue to build a thriving food system for               and policy change.                                                                                                                                    this report. A wish list of additional metrics is
                                                                                                             and contributions of dozens of food              key opportunities that stem from this report
San Diego county.                                                                                                                                                                                                also included to help inform potential future
                                                           Other important efforts in the region have        system stakeholders throughout the San           and previous efforts to make improvements          research opportunities to help close the gap
STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT                            taken place in previous years to examine the      Diego region (a full list is included in         in the different areas of the food system. This    for local food system data.
FOR THE SAN DIEGO REGION: PURPOSE,                         local food system: 1) the 2010 report Assessing   the Acknowledgments page) including              effort will require the continued collaboration
PROCESS, AND NEXT STEPS                                    the San Diego County Food System:                 representatives from government                  of all organizations and stakeholders involved     Some of the main data sources for this
                                                           Indicators for a More Food Secure Future          agencies, nonprofits, academic and               in the creation of this report as well as the      report include reports such as the United
In 2016, the County of San Diego (County)                  from UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability         research institutions, and industry groups.      engagement of community, industry, and             State Department of Agriculture’s Census of
Board of Supervisors initiated the Live Well               Institute and the San Diego Food System           Stakeholder input was included through an        decision makers in the region.                     Agriculture (Ag Census), which is produced
San Diego Food System Initiative (Food                     Working Group; and 2) the 2011 Final              initial stakeholder meeting in January 2018,                                                        every five years. Given the availability
System Initiative) to work towards a robust                                                                                                                   DATA LIMITATIONS
                                                           Recommendations of the San Diego Urban-           to help inform the content and develop                                                              of data to inform the State of the Food
and resilient local food system that builds                Rural Roundtable (SDURR), convened by the         an outline for the report. Subsequently,                                                            System Report, from the Ag Census and
                                                                                                                                                              The creation of the State of the Food
healthy communities, supports the economy,                 San Diego Food System Working Group               a Stakeholder Advisory Group—a subset                                                               other important data sources that update
                                                                                                                                                              System Report required the research and
and enhances the environment. The Food                     and the nonprofit Roots for Change. The           from the initial stakeholder meeting—was                                                            information on a periodic basis, this report
                                                                                                                                                              analysis of existing data from local, State
System Initiative supports the County’s                    San Diego Food System Working Group was           formed and continued to convene through                                                             will be updated on a five-year cycle.
                                                                                                                                                              and federal sources, including government
Live Well San Diego vision of a region that                an ad hoc collaboration of growers, public        late 2019 to refine the content/outline of the   agencies, research institutions, and nonprofit
is building better health, living safely, and              health and environmental experts from local       report as well as select metrics to research     organizations. Primary research was not
thriving. One of the main priorities for the               government and nonprofit agencies, and            and include for the different areas of the       included within the scope of this report.
Food System Initiative is to develop the State             other food system stakeholders. The SDURR         food system. The Stakeholder Advisory            Although the focus of the report is on the
of the Food System Report for the San Diego                consisted of a series of meetings among           Group also helped identify contributors          local food system (for the purposes of this
Region on a cyclical basis.                                numerous leaders and stakeholders from            from different sectors who would provide         report, local is being defined as contained
The purpose of this report is to understand                throughout the San Diego region to develop        content and data to help write the different     within the boundaries of the county of San
what the food system looks like in San Diego               a set of recommendations with the goal of         sections of the report. Content contributors     Diego), State and national data are also
county, what is its current state, and what                improving the food system for all residents       provided key information, data, pictures,        referenced in the report whenever local

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INPUTS

                                                                                           SECTION 1

                                                                                         INPUTS
                                                                           WHAT ARE THE INPUTS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR FOOD
                                                                           PRODUCTION?

                                                                           Food production requires natural, environmental, and economic inputs. The
                                                                           commercial agriculture industry requires land that is suitable for raising animals and
                                                                           growing crops, animal feed, nutrient-rich soil, seeds, fertilizer, and clean water to
                                                                           support food production. Healthy fish populations, waterfront property, and access to
                                                                           harbor water are essential inputs for commercial fishing and aquaculture operations,
                                                                           or farmed seafood, which is the breeding and cultivation of plants and animals in all
                                                                           water environments (1). Finally, energy, equipment, and labor are essential inputs
                                                                           to all food production methods. The availability and cost of each of these inputs is
                                                                           subject to a range of natural, market, and regulatory forces.

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AGRICULTURAL LAND                                           Agriculture (3). Approximately 70 percent of        exceeds 62 years (4). Many new farmers who           SOIL                                                 related environmental co-benefits is largely            resulted in a two-fold increase in water prices
                                                            these farms are categorized as “small” as they      do enter the food production market tend                                                                  dependent on the ability and/or willingness             over the past 12 years, which makes the
According to the San Diego County 2018                      operate on less than 10 acres (3).                  to be older and have access to adequate              Soil health and quality is crucial for food          of farmers and ranchers to commit financial             production of several water-intensive food
Crop Statistics & Annual Report, in San Diego                                                                   financial resources. Interestingly, farming is       production. A wide variety of soils exist            resources to this effort (8). It is difficult to        crops financially challenging in San Diego
county, 242,554 acres of land are occupied by               High property values in San Diego county            not the only source of income for the majority       in San Diego county due to the region’s              boost soil health quickly because agriculture           county (11). Although the diversification of
the agricultural industry for grazing, orchards,            make the purchase of agricultural land an           of agricultural producers in San Diego county.       Mediterranean climate, location, unique              management practices that sequester carbon              water supply by local agencies has helped
vineyards and the cultivation of field and                  ongoing challenge for entry-level farmers.          According to the University of California            geologic features and hazards (e.g. active           are long-term processes. However, other                 to secure municipal water for agriculture,
specialty crops. Approximately 95 percent                   Land ownership is more desirable for                Cooperative Extension (UCCE) 2018 Growers’           fault lines, steep topography, earthquakes and       environmental co-benefits from these practices,         it is worth noting that San Diego county
of agricultural land (230,279 acres) in the San             agriculture than leasing because farmers            Needs Assessment survey, roughly 74 percent          weathering). The diversity of soils and geologic     such as climate resilience, erosion prevention,         is currently in abnormally dry conditions
Diego region is dedicated to food production                are hesitant to make long-term capital              of agricultural producers have an income             features, specifically 34 soil classifications,      and improving the soil’s ability to absorb              despite the State of California no longer
with the remaining 5 percent to nursery and                 investments on leased land. Because land            outside of farming (4). The U.S. Department of       contribute to the microclimates that support         and hold water can be realized more rapidly,            being in a drought since 2017. Regions with
cut flowers (12,275 acres) (2). As a whole,                 prices serve as a barrier to entry-level farmers,   Agriculture also highlights a similar statistic of   roughly 30 natural vegetation communities and        allowing soil to regenerate and boost nutrients         abnormally dry conditions experience some
the San Diego region farmland is comprised                  land prices are also a contributing factor to the   off-farm sources of income, which, on average,       the growth of over 200 different commodities         (9). More information on carbon sequestration           water deficits and a slowing of crop growth
of 5,082 farms, more than any other county                  aging population of principal farm operators        account for more than 90 percent of all farm         across marine to desert landscapes (6,7).            practices is included in Section 2.                     (12), so the availability of municipal water for
in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census of                in San Diego county whose average age now           household incomes in the U.S. (5).                   The combination of the climate and the soil                                                                  agriculture becomes even more relevant for
                                                                                                                                                                     varieties provide year- round agricultural           WATER                                                   our region’s agricultural production.
                                                                                                                                                                     production in San Diego county (7).
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          According to the San Diego County Water                 The State of California was in a drought
                                                                                                                                                                     Time, climate variation, human impacts, as           Authority, 95 percent of water was imported             from 2012 to 2016, where in early 2014, then
    PURCHASE OF AGRICULTURAL                                The County of San Diego has an agricultural conservation program known as the Purchase of
                                                                                                                                                                     well as physical, chemical, and biological           by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern          Governor Jerry Brown declared a State
    CONSERVATION EASEMENT                                   Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) Program. The PACE Program promotes the long-
                                                                                                                                                                     characteristics all play a role in soil health and   California in 1991. In an effort to diversify           drought emergency. In the State declaration,
                                                            term preservation of agriculture in the County of San Diego.
    PROGRAM (PACE)                                                                                                                                                   quality (8). Even though healthy soil develops       and secure the region’s water supply, by 2020           residents of California were urged to
                                                            Under the PACE Program, willing agricultural property owners in the County unincorporated                over thousands of years, this resource has not       about one third of the San Diego region’s               voluntarily reduce water usage by 20 percent
                                                            communities are compensated for placing a perpetual easement on their property that limits               traditionally been well understood or highly         water will be supplied by the Metropolitan              and that individual municipalities would
                                                            future uses to agriculture. As a result, the agricultural land is preserved and the property             regarded. Through educational campaigns,             Water District, about one third by the                  implement mandatory water restrictions
                                                            owner receives compensation making the land’s continued use for agriculture more viable.                 healthy soil and vegetation are increasingly         Imperial Irrigation District Transfer, and the          (13,14). In response to the declaration, the San
                                                                                                                                                                     recognized as necessary to protect San               remaining one third of water will be supplied           Diego County Water Authority implemented
                                                            Since the inception of the County of San Diego’s PACE program in 2013, 26 properties                     Diego county lands from wildfires, flooding,         through local diversification of groundwater,
                                                            covering approximately 2,328 agricultural acres have been preserved. The cost of these PACE                                                                                                                           a “drought alert” which mandated water
                                                                                                                                                                     drought and other destructive events.                recycled water, seawater desalination and               conservation up to 20 percent (15). Local
                                                            easement acquisitions is approximately $5.99 million at an average cost of $2,600 per acre, not          The ability of the agricultural industry to          conservation (10). The cost to diversify
                                                            including administrative costs.                                                                                                                                                                                       growers and farmers who purchased
                                                                                                                                                                     improve soil health and address other                and secure the water supply has, however,               water from local agencies did not face the

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same restrictions as were experienced by                    sensors in the soil of his avocado orchard,         An estimated 21 acres of harbor water and        The operational aquaculture facilities           land dedicated to commercial fishing and                a loss of responsibly sourced food, job
residential and commercial users.                           which enables the farmer to monitor and             8.5 acres of waterfront land is dedicated to     seem relatively small scale but estimating       aquaculture is a relatively small fraction              opportunities, and money. In 2019 the
                                                            adjust the irrigation when necessary. With the      commercial fishing across the county’s three     the water area that is potentially available     of potentially suitable area. Regulatory                Southwest Fisheries Science Center revealed
However, with the continuation of the                       implementation of this technology, the farmer       commercial fishing harbors: San Diego Bay,       for aquaculture is difficult and requires        challenges surrounding seafood production,              that between 1997-2016, San Diego county
drought, in early 2015, then Governor Jerry                 is saving on water and overall production           Mission Bay, and Oceanside Harbor. These         assessments of not only the physical and         consumer choices (imports vs locally sourced            lost out on an average of 57,197 metric tons
Brown issued an Executive Order (EO B-29-                   costs (2). Other innovative strategies to           estimates total only about 4 percent of the      biological requirements of the farmed            seafood), and the community’s decisions                 of seafood landings per year valued at $28.3
15) which mandated reductions in water                      address water constraints is the use of             water area and 1 percent of the land area        species and farm infrastructure, but also        regarding competing water and waterfront                million per year to ports north of the county
use statewide, specifically, reducing water                 hydroponics, or the production of food or           that are potentially suitable for commercial     the needs of a multitude of other ocean          land uses, all contribute to a seafood industry         due to a lack of supporting infrastructure and
consumption in urban areas by 25 percent                    plants without soil, and aquaponics which           fishing, but that are dedicated to other         users. A Preliminary Assessment Report with      that operates well below its potential in               resources in the San Diego region (25-27).
(16). In this case, farmers and growers in San              is a subset of hydroponics, where fish and          uses that have similar requirements. These       such analysis was recently conducted for         San Diego county. The impacts of this are
Diego county experienced a mandatory                        plants are produced utilizing the methods of        other uses include operations and berthing       the San Diego Bay and adjacent waters by
15 percent restriction in water use for the                 hydroponics and aquaculture (19). Through           by commercial marine sales and services,         the San Diego Ocean Planning Partnership
remainder of the drought.                                   an aquaponics production system, a farmer           commercial recreational fishing and boating,     concluding that 1,800 acres inside the bay
In addition to potentially being affected by                in San Diego county is concurrently growing         and private sportfishing (20-22).                and about 7,000 acres outside the bay were
possible water usage restrictions during                    lettuce and tilapia fish. This production                                                            farmable; however, commercial fishing
                                                                                                                An estimated 2.5 acres of land and 25 acres
drought events, farmers operating in                        system allows the farmer to use less water as                                                        and environmental groups have concern
                                                                                                                of water of the 66-acre outer area of Agua
groundwater basins governed by the State                    the soilless water that flows through the fish                                                       over the amount and location of identified
                                                                                                                Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad, are dedicated to
of California’s Sustainable Groundwater                     tanks carries nutrients and acts as a filter to                                                      areas. Using only this San Diego Bay region
                                                                                                                commercial aquaculture for food production at
Management Act (Upper San Luis Rey,                         the lettuce (2).                                                                                     information on potentially available area for
                                                                                                                the Carlsbad Aquafarm. An additional estimated   aquaculture in San Diego (i.e., not including
Borrego Valley, San Diego River Valley, and                 OCEAN                                               0.14 acres of water in San Diego Bay are
San Pasqual Valley) may be subject to new                                                                                                                        potential aquaculture sites in or adjacent
                                                                                                                dedicated to businesses piloting operations      to the county’s other coastal waters), only
well-monitoring and pumping restrictions                    Ocean inputs support San Diego county’s             in hopes of establishing the production of
as a result of this regulation, in order to                 commercial fishing industry and aquaculture.                                                         about 0.3 percent (27.5 out of 8,800 acres) of
                                                                                                                shellfish and seaweed for food. An offshore      available water area is currently utilized by
strengthen management and sustainability of                 Fish and shellfish (e.g., lobster, crabs, prawns,   fish farm, the Pacific Ocean Aquafarms
local groundwater (17, 18).                                 sea urchins, snails) are wild harvested, and                                                         aquaculture (24).
                                                                                                                Project (formerly Rose Canyon Fisheries) led
                                                            at a smaller scale aquaculture is utilized          by Hubbs Sea World Research Institute, has       Although difficult to assess in absolute terms
In response to pressures on the cost and                    for seafood (e.g., clams, mussels, oysters,
supply of water, farmers have invested in                                                                       been proposed for a location three to four       due to a lack of information on potentially
                                                            seaweed) production which is grown in tanks         miles off of Mission Beach in Federal waters,    useable land and water area in the entire San
water use technology. For example, a San                    on land or using gear (e.g., lines, racks, bags)
Diego county farmer adopted an automatic                                                                        but has not yet been permitted (20, 23).         Diego region, the total area of San Diego
                                                            in local coastal waters.                                                                             coastal waters and adjacent waterfront
drip irrigation system along with wireless

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References                                                                                     (13) California Department of Water Resources. Water Basics: Drought. https://water.              Collaborative Fisheries Research West. https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/sites/default/files/
                                                                                               ca.gov/Water-Basics/Drought                                                                       marketers%20summary_0.pdf
                                                                                               (14) NPR. Jerry Brown Declares A Drought Emergency In California. 2014. https://www.npr.          (27) Talley, T. S., H. Warde, N. Venuti. 2016. Local Seafood Availability in San Diego,
(1) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). US Department of
                                                                                               org/2014/01/17/263494972/jerry-brown-declares-a-drought-emergency-in-california                   California Seafood Markets. Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture and Society 4 (2):
Commerce. Aquaculture, Overview. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/aquaculture
                                                                                                                                                                                                 40-49. Available at https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/sites/default/files/TalleyEtAl2016_FOFJ_
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1 6 // T H E S TAT E O F THE F O O D S Y S TEM I N THE S AN DIEGO REGION                                                                                                                                                                                                                       T HE S TAT E O F T HE F O O D S Y S T E M I N T HE S AN D I E G O R E G I O N // 17
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