Active Advocacy for Ag: Why It’s Really up to You

Poorly structured government regulations often bar the way to industry growth and innovation. Their far-reaching, unplanned consequences can agitate the marketplace and unload needless obligations on companies’ already sagging backs, often making a situation worse, not better. We’ve seen it in the controlled-environment industry. Now, what are we going to do about it?

It’s no secret the controlled-environment greenhouse industry navigates a regulatory minefield these days. Trucking regulations, with their inflexible restrictions on hauling agricultural commodities, have inadvertently affected produce and ornamentals growers alike, substantially raising costs to ship their products. At the same time, labor laws regarding worker pay and the financial burdens of using H-2A workers have impacted all sizes of growing operations across many crop categories.

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Recent food-borne illness outbreaks of years past haven’t been linked to greenhouse operations, but the public outcry for stricter food safety laws will most likely result in increased scrutiny and costly regulations for greenhouse growers. And this in an industry already losing out to cheaper imported Mexican produce.

On the cannabis and hemp side, it’s apparent the red tape legal growers must wade through will persist like a bad habit far into 2020 and beyond. Meanwhile, the financial toll of meeting regulatory demands leaves legal growers at a competitive disadvantage and possibly fuels growers’ motivation to remain in the black market, off the governmental radar.

The good news is we have seen some glimmers of hope and change with the government, and that’s certainly better than nothing happening. The Agricultural Trucking Relief Act introduced by Senators Perdue (R-GA) and Merkley (D-OR), if passed, may correct some problems that benefit ag producers. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act recently passed the House, and with any luck, this agricultural labor reform legislation will have the same success in the Senate. This development is particularly hopeful, as it’s the first time in three decades legislators have acted to tackle agricultural labor issues.

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The fact is, though, these types of changes don’t come about by chance. There are intense advocacy efforts leading up to the legislation. And since positive reform benefits all growers, all growers have an obligation to make their voice heard. The controlled-environment industry has a lot to say about the regulatory changes they would like to see. Are we speaking up with a loud enough voice? Or, is the task of making our needs heard left to just a few, when the impact of many could drive the point home. If so, shame on us.

It’s not that government regulations are a bad thing; let’s just make sure they’re sensible and evidence-based. With so many new specialty crop growers entering the industry, there has never been a better opportunity to drive change and keep legislative momentum, such as it is, going.

We start with raising awareness. Tell your story to the changemakers in Washington. Let them know how these regulations impact you and your business. Ask them to take action to correct the problems and hold them accountable. And most important, stay active in your advocacy.


What do you think is the good, bad, and ugly of government regulations? How do you plan to advocate for industry needs in 2020? Submit a comment below.

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