California Water & Irrigation Cuts and Food Production Creates Jobs

**Farmers across California are facing severe cuts in irrigation supplies, and now officials are imposing new conservation measures for urban consumers.

Regulations, adopted by the California State Water Resources Control Board, require local water agencies to impose restrictions to make up for potential 20% shortfalls.

Meanwhile, California farmers are getting no water deliveries from the federal Central Valley Project and only a 5% allocation from the State Water Project.

**The production, processing, storage, transportation, and marketing of farm and food products headed for export markets support a large number of jobs throughout the U.S.

The USDA’s Economic Research Service says in 2020, U.S. ag exports supported the equivalent of more than 1.13 million jobs on and off the farm.

With U.S. ag exports valued at more than $150 billion in 2020, every $1 billion in exports creates 7,550 jobs.

**The USDA announced the framework to transform the food system and supply chain to provide more options, increase access, and create new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers.

As the pandemic evolved and Russia's war in Ukraine caused supply chain disruptions, USDA says it became clear we “cannot go back to the food system we had before.”

USDA plans to build a more resilient food supply chain that provides more and better market options for consumers and producers while reducing carbon pollution.