Photos: Johnny Magdaleno / Thomson Reuters Foundation

EnvironmentSociety USA20. November 2019

Silicon Valley is on a 500-Million-Dollar Mission to Preserve Local Farmland

Santa Clara County, where the famous Silicon Valley – home to tech giants such as Apple, Facebook and Google – is located, is planning to preserve 12,000 acres of farmland to secure its future in agriculture and help local farmers.

The county is purchasing local farmland at market rates, as part of a county-wide agricultural preservation program. The initiative will require $500 million to pursue and benefits to preserve the land include a significant potential in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

“You protect farmland and that prevents sprawl, and the prevention of sprawl takes more cars off the road or at least has them driving less,” says Michael Meehan, a Santa Clara County planner. County officials explain that incentives for carbon neutral farming and other eco-conscious services should see benefits reaching all farmers – not only those who participate.

Source:
Thomson Reuters Foundation / Place

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