Congressman Harder pushing for new federal law promoting America first when it comes to farmers

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Congressman Josh Harder believes there ought to be a law requiring country of origin labels to be “clearly” displayed on the front label or top of canned goods.

The Tracy Democrat has introduced federal legislation to do just that.

Harder gives two reasons for the proposed law.

He wants to make sure American consumers know the origin of where the food they are buying is green, imported or produced domestically.

The other reason is protecting American farmers and associated jobs they generate, such as picking, processing, and shipping food products.

Given his district include almost all of San Joaquin County — one of the nation’s top 10 agricultural producing counties based on the 2022 Census of Agriculture — there is clearly a local benefit.

By the way, it should be noted nine of those Top 10 farm counties in the United States are in California with seven of them in the San Joaquin Valley.

Harder points out the valley produces 25 percent of this nation’s food based on fruit, vegetable and nut production.

It’s a good idea that should be expanded to prepackaged veggies and apples as well as general signage for produce sold “loose” in supermarkets.

It is basically a low-key job protection law.

There is also an inferred concern about quality which also can meet food safety.

The United States Department of Agriculture does spot checks on imported vegetables and fruit that are shipped in bulk.

That said, foreign grown veggies and fruits may have somewhat less intense oversight when it comes to safe farming practices.

The real benefit, though, is better educating people as to where their food is grown in terms of in the United States or a foreign country.

There is a huge disconnect many people have in terms of what is on our table.

It skews everything from attitudes toward domestic water policy to farmland conversion for urbanization.

An example is the line of thinking some in the “fish first” movement when it comes to California water policy, as well as urban users that don’t want to share the pain during drought pursue in saying we can cut off farm water deliveries and import food instead.

It’s a dangerous argument for two reasons.

First, food security is a national security issue.

Conceding control of our collective ability as a nation to place food on our own tables is even more fraught than relying on other nations for our energy supply.

At any time, foreign nations can use food price and/or supply as a weapon.

It also conveniently ignores the fact when we are in drought so are many other parts of the world.

Harder obviously isn’t anchoring his argument that deep.

Still, people knowing where Americans’ food comes from is more than just an America first gambit.

Labeling, assuming it is read, is a way to help people understand the contents of the canned goods on their shelves or the “fresh” food on their tables is the result of an intricate and interlocking global agricultural system.

A prime example are watermelons.

The only reason you can eat them in the dead of winter in the United States is because they are imported from Mexico or farther south.

Manteca-based Perry & Sons, the largest melon broker on the West Coast, often labels melons by their nation or state or origin.

With a little education, consumers would also understand the subtleties of various regions and microclimates when it comes to the taste of fruit.

Those labeled as product of Mexico or Arizona tend not to be as sweet and juicy, as those grown in California, especially near the Delta.

That’s because soil conditions that combine with hot days and cooling night breezes provides for more optimum vine fruit whether it’s grapes or watermelons.

It’s sort of a tangent from Harder’s point, but it scores how useful country of origin information can be to a consumer.

For the most part, a posting of where veggies and fruit come from that are sold in supermarket produce sections will give you a clue to general freshness.

A prime example are gala apples.

In September, fresh crops harvested in California or even in the Pacific Northwest compete with apples shipped from Chile.

All things considered, an apple harvested in the United States that has a much shorter trip to market than in Chile will be fresher.

Yes, there are cold storage and chemicals that can retard the spoiling process.

That said, an apple traveling almost 6,000 miles from Santiago in Chile won’t be as fresh as one that travels less than 150 miles.

And while Harder is on the subject of food labels, if the congressman can come up with a way that requires “best used by dates” on everything from 100 percent juice products and packaged produce to canned goods and frozen food he’d likely score a lot of points with constituents in the grocery aisle.

It should be mandatory that such dates appear in a place, color, and type size that makes them easy to find and read.

Packaged produce might be the worst as well as plastic caps on juice containers, but more than a few canned goods are stamped with “best used by dates” that are hard to read or decipher.

Basic information that consumers should be able to rely on when purchasing food that they will eat needs to be visible and readable.

Circling back to Harder’s stated concerns about country of origin food labels, it would also help people understand that there is more food they consume from Mexico besides avocados that would be cost sensitive to tariffs.

Harder’s main goal is loud and clear.

It is about putting American farmers and American jobs first.

After all, as the former Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill liked to remind people, all politics is local.

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