Congressman. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, introduced bipartisan legislation, the American Consumer Awareness of National Source (American CANS) Act, to protect local producers by making it easier for shoppers to distinguish local products from foreign ones.
The American CANS Act requires that country-of-origin labels be clearly displayed on the front label or top of canned goods so shoppers aren’t left guessing about what they’re feeding their families.
The Valley is the fruit and nut basket of the world, producing 25% of the nation’s food, and Stockton was once home to one of the largest canneries in the country. But economic pressures and import competition have forced canning plants to close — in 2018, Seneca Foods shut down its Modesto peach canning plant, costing hundreds of jobs. Currently, shoppers have no way to know if their canned goods are coming from local producers or foreign suppliers.
“Families deserve to know if they're buying peaches from down the road or from halfway around the world,” said Harder. “This bipartisan bill pushes back on the imported products that are flooding our shelves by giving shoppers the transparency they need to buy local and support their neighborhood farms.”
“America’s farmers and producers work tirelessly to feed our nation, but we continue to stock our shelves with internationally grown canned products,” said Rep. Van Orden. “Our farmers deserve to have their hard work recognized. This legislation will ensure we have clear country-of-origin labeling on canned goods to support local agriculture production and increase transparency for consumers.”
“As a cooperative association of over 150 family farmers, we appreciate Representative Harder’s understanding of the value of USA grown food,” said Matt Strong, President and CEO of Pacific Coast Producers. “The American CANS Act will help to educate consumers, school administrators, and health care institutions on the origin of products that they are purchasing for our families, our schools, and our hospitals and health care facilities by making the importing country clearly visible to consumers.”
In just 2023, Valley farmers produced 25,300 tons of peaches, 1,140 of pears, 16,800 of apples, 3,050 of apricots, and 912,000 of tomatoes, generating over $176 million for the local economy.
The industry also supports 34,000 jobs — keeping those jobs strong starts with making sure consumers know where their food is coming from.
