Report Exploring the Potential for Water-Limited Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley By Caitlin Peterson, Cameron Pittelkow, Mark Lundy Jul 20, 2022 As irrigated farmland comes out of production in the San Joaquin Valley, valley residents will face increased pests, weeds, and dust—as well as a loss of employment and economic activity. Water-limited cropping is one alternative to fallowing that can improve soil health and air quality, create habitat, and keep land in production.
blog post Video: Health Care Access among California’s Farmworkers By Stephanie Barton Jun 29, 2022 PPIC’s Paulette Cha presents new research on how recent policy changes affected insurance coverage and access to health care for farmworkers, and discusses farmworker health with an expert panel.
event Health Care Access among California’s Farmworkers Jun 23, 2022 Farmworkers are a key link in the food supply chain and important contributors to California’s economy. As farmworkers age and settle with family, their health care needs are changing—and cost and lack of insurance are often barriers to care. PPIC researcher Paulette Cha will present findings from a recent report and moderate a panel discussion on policies that could insure more farmworkers, and on health concerns farmworkers faced with COVID-19.
blog post Health Risks Persist for Older Farmworkers as COVID Lingers By Paulette Cha Jun 16, 2022 The aging of California’s farmworker population means greater health care needs, especially as the pandemic continues. Low-income farmworkers who are undocumented immigrants may lack access to essential services.
blog post California’s Labor Force: A Swift Recovery, but What’s Next? By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Apr 28, 2022 Total employment has recovered more quickly from the COVID-19 recession than from previous downturns. Still, current workforce pressures reflect ongoing challenges that California must address to foster long-term economic mobility and growth.
Report Health Care Access among California’s Farmworkers By Paulette Cha Apr 25, 2022 Farmworkers are a key link in the food supply chain and important contributors to California’s economy. As farmworkers age, their health care needs are changing—and cost and lack of insurance are often barriers to care. While recent state and federal policies have made insurance more accessible, not all policies improved coverage among farmworkers.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Health Care Access among California’s Farmworkers By Paulette Cha, Stephanie Barton Apr 25, 2022 California’s farmworkers, who are a key link in the food supply chain, often face barriers to health care—including cost or lack of insurance. Certain expansions to Medi-Cal led to gains in insurance coverage for some farmworkers; other policies, such as the employer mandate in the Affordable Care Act, did not seem to improve coverage.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Drought and California’s Agriculture By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Ellen Hanak, John Abatzoglou Apr 13, 2022 California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest: it generates more than $50 billion dollars in annual revenue and employs more than 420,000 people. The ongoing drought is taking a toll on agriculture, related sectors, and rural communities, but there are ways to increase resilience in a warming world.
Report Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao Mar 14, 2022 Most funding for California’s K–12 facilities comes from local tax revenues, which depend on property wealth. State funding could potentially address wealth disparities, but it has disproportionately benefited more-affluent districts. Policymakers should prioritize equity in facility funding so that all students have access to safe and effective learning environments.
blog post How Did the Pandemic Transform California’s Safety Net? By Caroline Danielson Mar 11, 2022 Government investments and service innovations reduced the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The impact of these approaches can inform safety net policy beyond the pandemic.
