Dive Brief:
- Today, the California Strawberry Commission released a first-ever statewide economic report detailing the $3.4 billion economic contributions of strawberry farming to the state. The report, titled, Sustaining California Communities: Economic Contributions of Strawberry Farming (February 2014), showcases the positive impact strawberries have on local communities.
- California's strawberry farmers are responsible for growing nearly 90% of the strawberries in the U.S. on less than 1% of the state's farmland.
- The state's 400 family-owned strawberry farms generate an estimated 70,000 farm jobs, and the industry contributes an estimated $108 million in annual tax revenue.
Dive Insight:
As we saw here, California plays a central role in America's food culture. Strawberries are just one of the crops it contributes to the nation's fruit supply, giving the state good cause to argue that what's good for Californian agriculture is good for America. Unfortunately, the weather has not been ideal in the state, and we will be seeing the impact of these conditions in higher produce and meat prices this year.