(a) It shall be the policy of this state to preserve and encourage agricultural activities in the state, promote consumption of agricultural commodities produced and harvested in California, provide for research, governance, and accountability, including the ability for agriculture to act collectively and to assess itself through the process of referenda.
(b) It shall also be the policy of this state that the program authorized in this chapter shall engage in activities that are not more extensive in scope than is necessary to accomplish its purposes, and that the powers and duties of this program are designed to directly and materially advance the state’s interest in a stable, thriving agricultural industry. Further, this policy can be implemented most effectively by the collective actions authorized in this chapter while not preventing individuals from additionally engaging in self-help activities.