Sustainable Vegetable Production in California: Current Status, Future Prospects

Issues of agricultural sustainability have increasingly become a focus of agricultural research and extension educational activity. Concerns over the apparent degradation of natural resources (soil erosion, loss of soil organic matter, pollution of surfaceand groundwater with pesticides and nutrients), fears of increased pest resistance, food safety, and flagging farm profitability have prompted government, universities, and agricultural commodity groups to invest in developing and promoting alternative production methods that are more environmentally sensitive and economically sound. Thevegetable industry in five western states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) dominates U S . vegetable production, accounting for nearly half the acreage and more than 60% of the yield of fresh and processed vegetables; California alone produces nearly 40% of the national total (Table 1). The industry is characterized by large, highly mechanized farms. The use of irrigation is nearly universal, as is the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Given the geographical concentration of the industry, and the intensive production practices employed, the aforementioned environmental issues are of serious concern throughout the region. Despite much research and educational activity over the past decade, the adoption of “sustainable” vegetable production practices in the West has been slow. In my experience, many growers consider most of these efforts to be irrelevant to their operations, primarily on economic grounds. The objectives of this review are to evaluate current vegetable production practices in California, discuss the major sustainability issues the industry faces, and highlight the roadblocks to adoption of commonly suggested alternative practices. While agricultural sustainability is often discussed in the context of the long term, the perspective presented here is confined to a shorter time period. The intent is to objectively evaluate the situation from the vantage point of the current generation of vegetable growers, the individuals who will be responsible for implementing change in the next 15-20 years. Consideration of this perspective may be useful for both researchers and extension educators who desire to significantly influence that change. In evaluating the main issues regarding sustainability, this paper will focus on the production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and processing tomato (Ljcopersicon esculentum Mill.), the largest acreage and highest value