Spring 1994 (v6n2)
	Building Support for Sustainable Ag Policy by Kai Siedenburg, California SAWG Editor's Note: Kai Siedenburg is the coordinator of the newly established California sustainable Agriculture Working Group (CaSAWG). The California Sustainable Agriculture working Group (SAWG) is a new group dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture through policy work. California SAWG's key goals are to build alliances among a wide spectrum of groups concerned with food and farming, to broaden public participation in agriculture policy development, and to win passage of sustainable agriculture policies, particularly in the 1995 Farm Bill. SAWGs have already been organized in the Midwest, the Northeast, the South and parts of the Western region of the U.S. California SAWG's current emphasis is coordinating the state's participation in the National Dialogue for Sustainable Agriculture, an unprecedented organizing effort to incorporate sustainable agriculture policies into the 1995 Farm Bill. National Dialogue participants are organizing local meetings throughout the nation to generate practical policy options and build a strong coalition to support their implementation. In addition to work on the 1995 Farm Bill the California SAWG can provide a forum for other agriculture policy work. Pending additional funding, the group hopes to organize a statewide meeting in 1994 to coordinate work on the Farm Bill and set directions for future work. California SAWG is currently supported by a start-up grant from the California Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (CASA). California SAWG is committed to working with diverse participants to identify common ground, including farmers, sustainable and organic farm groups, labor advocates, environmentalists, consumer groups, and others. Opportunities for involvement include inviting SAWG representatives or publicizing SAWG work at local meetings, helping write or commenting on policy options and draft legislation, cultivating support from elected officials (particularly Congressional agriculture committee members), publishing articles in newsletters or generating press coverage, and issuing action alerts and lobbying for specific policies and appropriations. For more information, contact Kai Siedenburg, California SAWG, P.O. Box 1599, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; (408) 458-5304. [ Back | Search | Feedback ]