As California agriculture faces both challenges and opportunities, a coalition of state, academic and agricultural industry partners is introducing the California Agricultural Research & Innovation Roadmap, a blueprint to guide and accelerate scientific discovery, and commercialization and real-world adoption of next-generation tools.
Guided by farmer and rancher input, the plan was developed collaboratively by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), the California State University Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), California Community Colleges, Western Growers and the California AgTech Alliance.
The roadmap provides both a long-term focus via 10-year research priorities identified in collaboration with all partners, and near-term solutions through innovation priorities, spearheaded by the California AgTech Alliance and updated every two years. Download the roadmap.
“No single institution can carry the future of agricultural research and innovation alone, and the significance of this plan is the commitment from multiple parties to work together to turn the plan into action,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This roadmap clearly shows the need for inter-disciplinary approaches to the many challenges we face now and into the foreseeable future. California’s world-class public academic institutions have long been partners in the innovation of California farming and ranching. With the support of agricultural leaders, they have the power to accelerate the discovery of solutions to drive the health of our rural communities, the environment, and all California citizens.”
Source : ucanr.edu