Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/599676
f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 1 5 | 1 0 7 Another interesting instance of a terroir's power- ful influence can be seen in Egypt's original cattle. They have been repetitively annihilated by epidem- ics during the long and rich history of the country, but nevertheless the current Egyptian cattle bear an uncanny resemblance to cattle portrayed in 5,000-year-old artwork even though the modern species originally comes from different continent. Protecting and Treasuring the Land Agriculture changed the face of the earth and human destiny from its birth around 15,000 years ago; civilization was born from the bounty of the land, from the work of farmers and their relation with their local terroir. A farmer was an active and beneficial part of the ecology of his region before large-scale industrialization of the food industry and the collateral damages it brought to the planet. The future of industrial agriculture is tied to genetically modified organisms (GMO), but is it a future we really want, knowing (as we are reminded by the Union of Concerned Scientists) that "the impacts of industrial agriculture on the environment, public health, and rural communities make it an unsustain- able way to grow our food over the long term, and that better, science-based methods are available." The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Develop- ment (IAASTD, funded by the World Bank) debunks the myth that industrial agriculture is superior to small-scale farming in economic, social, and ecologi- cal term. According to globalagriculture.org, "The report argues for a new paradigm for agriculture that recognizes the pivotal role that small-scale farmers play in feeding the world population. Small-scale, labor-intensive structures that focus on diversity can guarantee a form of food supply that is socially, economically and environmentally sustain- able and that is based on resilient cultivation and distribution systems." Farming is nourishing the land, farming is being conscious of the ecosystem that makes up a specific terroir, farming is nurturing the amazing diversity of life forms that feed a plant, farming is interdepen- dency and symbiosis, farming is growing products that express the full potential and characteristics of the growing habitat. Protecting California's Cannabis Terroir The area known as the Emerald Triangle, in Northern California, has been a refuge for many Earth-conscious farmers, and is also the largest growing region for cannabis in California. If we follow the blueprint for success written by the wine industry, three generations of small farmers will change the face of medicine and give birth to a multi-billion dollar industry from their dedication to the land and to a banned plant. The concept of terroir and the system of Ap- pellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC, or Registered Designation of Origin) that is used in the wine industry has to be replicated in an effort to protect California's heritage cannabis and the livelihood of the farmers who grow it. The terroir of Northern California is apparent in the wine it produces—wines that are recognized worldwide for their quality and diversity due to the variety of distinct microclimates and to the land's geological and topographic characteristics. The uniqueness of these wines is directly related to the grape variety, the region, and the growing and wine- making methodology. This very same terroir has also worked its magic on a variety of cannabis genetics brought to the area in the late '60s and the '70s from all over the planet. Today's cannabis heirloom progenies are the expres- sion of the land's uniqueness and the manifestation of generations of farmers/growers dedication and love for the plant and their land—the source of the Emerald Triangle's deserved reputation for quality. The wine classification system has been so successful in promoting the production of quality and protecting small enterprises that it has been adopted worldwide and has been actually custom- ized successfully to other agricultural products like cheese, butter, chickens, lentils, and honey, to name but a few. California is on the verge of creating a multi-bil- lion-dollar world market sustained by small farming and Earth-friendly methodology, all based on an agricultural product that has not only the potential to transform medicine and the well-being of human- ity but to heal the planet as well. PHOTO: KIM SALLAWAY "Terroir, agriculture, and human evolution are intercon- nected at the deepest level." To learn more about how you can support local farmers/growers in their efforts to further legitimize the expanded use of the cannabis plant, visit the websites of these organizations: National Cannabis Industry Association - www.thecannabisindustry.org Emerald Growers Association - www.emeraldgrowers.org California Cannabis Industry Association - www.cacannabisindustry.org ■cr