NEXT STEPS IN THE BIFS PROGRAM
This is a relatively new program and yet interest in it has grown extensively. We received proposals requesting support for new BIFS projects that totaled $2.1 million in the 1998 funding cycle; however, only approximately $600,000 was available. To date, projects have been funded in winegrapes and cotton/vegetable crop rotations. New projects expand the commodities supported to prunes, citrus, rice, walnuts and strawberries. However, there are many other commodities and regions that have expressed interest and will be looking for support in the next few years. With the implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, California growers of over 250 "minor" crops will need help in maintaining the economic viability of these farming systems while potentially losing various pest and soil management tools through this regulatory action. The BIFS program should be expanded to enable support for projects in new commodities and new areas in the state so as to assist California agriculture with these challenges.
In addition to expanding BIFS projects into new cropping systems, there is a need for BIFS projects to support innovative animal production systems – both ranching and confinement feeding operations. The latest Request for Proposals (RFP) (see Attachment 7) will enable funding of innovative animal production projects that protect the environment and human health through integrating animal production with resource conservation at the watershed level. Several of the pre-proposals submitted through this RFP on December 11, 1998 include alternative animal production systems that could qualify for funding. The BIFS program should expand even further support of innovative animal production projects.
The UC SAREP BIFS program can provide greater understanding and mutual respect between the agriculture industry and consumers. This will become critical with increasing land-use pressure from the expanding urban and suburban areas and with increasing pressure from the consumer for agriculture to address environmental and human health concerns. The team-based on-farm demonstration approach and intensive monitoring and documentation of the BIFS projects can be used to educate consumers about the tough issues confronting agriculture but also highlight creative approaches that specific industries undertake. For example, the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission in its final year of receiving BIFS funding is looking into using an "eco label" based on the BIFS practices to obtain greater market support for their integrated farming systems efforts.
UC SAREP BIFS program will continue to work with other institutions, particularly regulatory agencies, which are interested in this approach. See Attachment 4 for an overview of the BIFS-like projects currently underway in California. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation used the BIFS program as a model for their Pest Management grants program developed in 1995 and their Pest Management Alliance program developed in 1997. The US-EPA Region 9 supported the BIFS approach from the start and is now assisting UC SAREP with using the BIFS approach to help growers prepare for the implementation of FQPA. The University of California Integrated Pest Management Project, another UC Statewide Special Project, recently released the Request for Proposals for USDA Smith-Lever funds, which presents a changed approach to support more team-based extension efforts, emulating the BIFS program.
The BIFS program should encourage more proposal submissions from within the University of California Cooperative Extension system. Cooperative Extension is facing rapid change and is confronted with financial challenges such as tighter budgets. The BIFS program provides a competitive process by which interested UC farm advisors and specialists together with industry and regulatory partners can obtain support to expand on-farm demonstration and extension efforts. UC Cooperative Extension’s participation in BIFS projects can make or break a project.
UC SAREP is uniquely positioned to continue to lead an expanding BIFS program. As a statewide program within the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources with a mandate to support research and education in sustainable agriculture for all of California, the BIFS program fits well within the tripartite approach of sustainable agriculture, i.e. agriculture that is economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsible. UC SAREP has a multi-disciplinary staff that can provide biological and social science support to encourage the development, evaluation, and adoption of alternative farming and animal production systems.