Economists Have A Solution To California’s Water Crisis (But It Will Require Some Serious Consideration)

Economists suggest that an efficient way of reducing acreage is by fallowing crops that produce the least in terms of the water spent on them. Such crops usually include corn and alfalfa used as diary feed. But these crops can’t just be ignored because they have the least financial compensation.

In areas where there isn’t a water shortage, farmers can make money off these low-value crops. When it comes to farming, crop production depends on affordability. Richer farmers can spare more money to grow their crops and can, therefore, afford to plant more high-value crops.

But in times of drought, it's difficult to abandon high-paying crops like grapes because quite a lot of investment has already been made. Furthermore, if these crops are abandoned, then there is the likelihood of owners trying to cover costs and abandoning farm workers as well.

Farmworkers are one of the poorest fractions of society, and they certainly deserve better. But if the suggestion for fallowing is strictly reserved for low-value crops such as alfalfa, which requires a lot of water and is harvested by machines, it can create employment opportunities for people.

If the farms shift from low-value crops to vegetables, then it might be a good idea to turn to this. This is especially true in a state like California, which suffers from water shortages and has a conflict when distributing water between farmers and citizens.

The Answer To California’s Water Problems

In a state where only 0.8% of the industry is farming, it might seem to be a good idea to get rid of it altogether. After all, recent years have proven that California is no longer equipped to farm on a large scale anymore.

But it is not possible to completely get rid of an industry, given the number of people employed within it. Even if the industry covers 0.8%, in a state like California with a population of over 40 million, that’s still a significant number of people involved in the farming sector.

So, what can be done about this?

What Do Experts Say?

Experts believe that it’s time to accept that large-scale farming is a thing of the past. While California has supplied various crops to the nation and the world, its time has come. Now, the state must consider alternatives for growing crops in an arid climate.

With farming, it is important to know and be able to control the environmental impact of your region. So, the matter relies heavily upon farmers themselves. What kind of crops are they willing to give up?

Economists believe that they should stop growing low-value crops that require too much water. After all, even if the tiniest portion of farmland is fallowed, it opens massive opportunities for water to be utilized elsewhere.

It is strongly recommended that farmers stop flooding fields and instead switch to drizzling or spraying whatever. California needs to adapt, and even the California Farm Bureau Federation agrees that they’ve managed water poorly.