General Information
Buy California
Background
California is the largest agricultural state in the U.S., producing over 350 commodities. It is the sole U.S. producer of many fruits and vegetables. Ironically, Californians take less advantage of this agricultural bounty than other U.S. citizens, eating 24% less fresh fruits and vegetables than the level recommended by leading health experts. At the same time, California farmers are losing their markets to foreign competitors, rural unemployment is at an all time high and family farms are struggling.
On July 28, 2001, the Governor signed a bill to provide a $5 million state contribution to the Buy California program. This program created a partnership between government and industry to promote consumption of California-grown agricultural products to California consumers, benefiting both public health and the state's economy.
Goal
The goal of this program is to create a cross-commodity marketing campaign for agricultural products targeted at Californians. The focus is on the concept of "California Grown" to communicate quality and local pride and to prompt increased consumer purchase of California products.
Components
A marketing agreement has been created to allow agricultural organizations to establish a marketing program under the guidance of an industry advisory board. The Board has contracted with public relations and advertising agencies to develop an appropriate consumer awareness campaign. The marketing agreement will be re-evaluated after five years.
Partnership with Industry
The state's $5 million contribution would be co-funded by non-state sources, including industry dollars. Industry is willing to contribute by direct assessment based on the value of various crops, special contributions for seasonal advertising that benefits specific commodities, and in-kind participation, by incorporating the "Buy California" theme into existing marketing programs.