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CDFA and CalEPA Regulatory Alignment Study

In November 2022, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) contracted with Crowe LLP and their partner, Blankinship & Associates, (collectively, Crowe) to conduct a regulatory alignment study. CDFA, in collaboration with the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), are working with Crowe to evaluate agriculture’s food safety and water quality regulatory reporting requirements as part of an effort to streamline the administrative processes and optimize information collected by the state. As part of the process, Crowe will map current CDFA and State Water Board ag-related food safety and water quality reporting requirements and prepare a final report with recommendations. The study is projected to be completed by 2025.

What is the goal of the Regulatory Alignment Study?

To meet this goal, Crowe will be responsible for the study’s five (5) objectives:

1. Evaluate state regulatory requirements within the areas of water quality and food safety for the agricultural community and identify environmental and public health protections.
2. Conduct listening sessions to gather input from the agricultural community relating to their experiences with the reporting requirements and process in these areas.
3. Convene the agricultural community and regulators to review and map existing regulatory pathways for water quality and food safety to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and information sharing.
4. Identify and prepare implementation plans for recommended process improvements to streamline reporting requirements.
5. Provide recommendations to CDFA, CalEPA, and the State Water Board for technological enhancement to ease the administrative burden of the agricultural community.

How can I stay involved in the Regulatory Alignment Study?

There will be multiple opportunities for stakeholder and community input:

• Information Session – May 18th, 2023
  Watch the Recording
  View the Presentation Slides
  Read the full Press Release
  
• Listening sessions were conducted throughout 2023.
  

  The listening sessions gathered stakeholder and community input on the experiences related to meeting food safety and water quality regulatory requirements.

  Please contact RegulatoryAlignmentStudy@crowe.com to schedule a listening session.

• Additional workshops will be scheduled for 2024.
  • Interested parties will have an opportunity to review a preliminary report and provide feedback via workshops and written comments.

  Written comments related to this effort are encouraged. Any interested parties are welcome to submit comments to CDFA at RegulatoryAlignmentStudy@cdfa.ca.gov.

• Study update released January 2024.
  • Crowe has prepared this update to provide details on key milestones to date including the evaluation of regulatory requirements, an overview of the listening sessions, as well as next steps for the release of the interim report (Concept Paper) and workshops for 2024.
  • Please read the full study update for more information.