Economics   Click on your Choice: download this chapter in a PDF file view web pages: Guiding Principle - Point to Keep in Mind - Challenge Current Condition Priority Actions  Other Actions Benefits Key to Acronyms

A Conducive Business Climate

Priority Actions:

Regulatory Climate | Local Government | All Policy Areas | Federal Programs

ALL POLICY AREAS: 

Conclusion: Need to find ways to better consider the needs and requirements of agriculture and integrate them into all policy areas and all phases of policy development where agriculture has an impact or is impacted. 

Suggested Actions: Here are several ways in which this might be done: 

The Integrated Operating Plans, described above, should be a part of this strategy.

Policy makers and agency staff should be trained so they will be more knowledgeable about agriculture, and about the ways in which the Integrated Operating Plan can work to the benefit of each agency's mission and goals.

Agencies whose actions have an impact on agriculture should be encouraged to adopt the public policy, described under Priority Action 4-A in Section 1, that acknowledges the value of agriculture to the economy, the environment, the appearance of our landscape and our very survival. In addition, these agencies should be encouraged to:
Acknowledge and document the impact that their activities and decisions have on agriculture;
Devote time at regularly scheduled meetings to discuss these impacts and ways in which the interface between the agency and agriculture can be improved.

Consider conducting an Ag audit prior to proceeding ahead with any activity undertaken by government or private enterprise that might have an adverse impact on agriculture. As former Dade County potato grower Tim Williams says, "Just like economic impact or environmental impact ... require an AGRICULTURAL IMPACT statement before one more dollar is spent or one more acre is removed from the tax rolls."

Recommendations:

Who: DOACS, working with DCA, DEP, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida Department of Labor (DOL), Florida Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services (HRS) and the Governor's Office.
What: Need statewide effort. DOACS, working with DCA, DEP, FDOT, DOL, HRS and the Governor's Office, should develop strategies to ensure that agriculture is integrated into all phases of policy development where it has an impact or is impacted. This should include land use planning, environmental planning, transportation, labor, health, business development, community development, economic development, business promotion, tourism, etc. 

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