Agricultural innovation zones: voluntary incentive program.

Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee an environmental farming program that provides incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. This bill would, by January 1, 2018, require the Department of Pesticide Regulation, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, to establish a voluntary incentive program for farmers who use environmental farming practices, as defined, within an agricultural innovation zone, as defined. The bill would require priority be given to projects in agricultural innovation zones located in disadvantaged communities, as defined. The bill would require the Department of Pesticide Regulation, by January 1, 2021, and by January 1 every 3 years thereafter, to issue a report to the Legislature that details the impacts of the voluntary agricultural innovation zones incentive program and includes successes and challenges regarding the process for distributing incentives and the projects that use the incentives. The bill would require the departments to conduct these activities with existing resources, to the extent they are available.