The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is partnering with the Invasive Species Council of California to host a public webinar on April 29 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 to give stakeholders and the public an opportunity to review and comment on the Proposition 4 grant draft guidelines, application requirements and evaluation criteria for the invasive species grants.
When California voters approved Proposition 4 in 2024, it included $20 million for activities and projects targeting invasive species, in addition to funding for a variety of other projects supporting the state’s food systems, biodiversity, climate-smart agriculture and other nature-based climate activities. The invasive species funding will be invested in the form of grants that support work on minimizing the economic, ecological and human health impacts caused by invasive species that have been or are likely to be detected in California.
“Invasive pests and diseases are a constant concern for farmers and ranchers,” said Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary and co-chair of the Invasive Species Council of California. “These grants are an investment in protecting the security of our food systems that rely on the health and resilience of the natural and working lands of California.”
“Invasive plants and animals are a growing challenge in a changing climate,” said Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resources and co-chair of the Invasive Species Council of California. “They destroy infrastructure, eat crops, and spread disease. These grants will help our partners on the ground prevent and respond to these challenges earlier, protecting our farms and ecosystems, and all of us who depend on them.”
CDFA will also accept public comments on the draft guidelines between April 29 and May 29. Comments can be submitted at cisac@iscc.ca.gov or in writing to:
Victoria Hornbaker
Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
California Department of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street Sacramento, CA 95814
Proposition 4 includes a total of $300 million for a variety of activities related to supporting climate smart agriculture. This funding for invasive species work is in addition to funding for several other categories of work at CDFA: $74 million to improve the climate resilience of agricultural lands through two existing programs administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)—the Healthy Soils Program ($36 million) and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program ($38 million); $20 million to support farmers’ markets; and $19 million to fund urban agricultural projects.
California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross highlighted the International Year of the Woman Farmer during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA; a campaign prompted by the United Nations and the CA Grown program to raise awareness and promote the essential global role women hold in the agriculture industry, from production to trade.
“Women are helping to grow the future of California Agriculture. The number of dynamic, fearless, accomplished women leading farms, driving innovation and shaping the future of food has grown more than 13 percent in the last decade,” said Karen Ross, California Secretary of Agriculture. “We need to celebrate their contributions to the global agricultural industry here at the World Ag Expo where we are witnessing cutting edge technology, equipment and educational opportunities, and every day.”
California is home to over 45,000 women producers who collectively steward more than 11 million acres of farmland. Women play essential roles across the food system that are critical to food security, nutrition and economic resilience. Their essential role in every facet of the food and farming system is celebrated at the World Ag Expo, where more than 100,000 visitors from 70 countries are scheduled to visit. The event hosts over 1,200 exhibitors displaying state-of-the-art technology and equipment over a three-day period, as well as educational opportunities, including seminars by agricultural experts and cooking demonstrations by California Grown.
Secretary Ross was joined at the International Year of the Woman Farmer event by CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong. CDFA representation at this year’s World Ag Expo also includes Deputy Secretary Arima Kozina and staff from the department’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) and Inspection Services Division, as well as the State Board of Food and Agriculture.
Food influencers including Alison Needham a creator for the California Grown campaign, Aida Mollenkamp the founder of Salt and Wind Travel, prune grower Hilary Porter of Erick Nielsen Enterprises, U.S. Sweet Potato Council President Sarah Alvarnaz, and many more women in agriculture are in attendance during a reception to honor their contributions.
The California Grown program brings together industry and government resources to increase the awareness, consumption and value of California agricultural products, helping consumers enjoy the best of the California lifestyle, and to recognize the Golden State’s role in food, beverage and flower production across the nation and the globe.
The campaign was established by proclamation of the United Nations to raise awareness of the critical roles women play in the global agricultural industry that is often unrecognized. Learn more about the worldwide campaign by visiting https://californiagrown.org/yearofthewomanfarmer/. Media assets may be downloaded here.
About CA GROWN
California Grown was formed in 2001 to increase awareness and consumption of high-quality California agricultural products. The organization is represented today by more than two dozen commodity organizations and dozens of agricultural entities licensed to use the popular California Grown brand. For more information about California Grown, contact Cherie Watte at cher@californiagrown.org.
This September there’s more than one reason to raise a glass. September 1 kicked off California Wine Month, officially designated by the California State Legislature as a statewide recognition of one of the world’s most iconic winegrowing regions. And on September 9, the Golden State marks its 175th birthday.
“California Wine Month is a celebration of the people, places and traditions that make our wines truly unique,” said Robert P. Koch, president and CEO of Wine Institute. “California wine brings people together across cultures and generations, and behind every bottle is a community that supports more than 1.1 million U.S. jobs and contributes $170 billion to the economy. This month is a reminder of how deeply rooted wine is in our state’s identity and how vital it is to our future.”
Throughout September, wineries across the Golden State are hosting California Wine Month events and activities, from behind-the-scenes harvest tours and grape stomps to wine and food festivals.
“California Wine Month shines a light on the hard work and heritage of our state’s winegrowers, many of them multigenerational farmers who care deeply about their land, their communities and the future,” said Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Wine connects people to California in a way that’s uniquely personal. Whether you’re walking a vineyard at harvest or enjoying a bottle at your table, you’re experiencing something truly rooted in our state’s culture and values.”
From vineyard to table, California wine brings out the best in local flavors, from Sonoma oysters to Santa Maria tri-tip. Back by popular demand, the “Iconic California Dishes to Celebrate California Wine Month” e-book offers delicious inspiration for pairing local wines with California’s seasonal bounty.
“California wine country is not one singular destination or experience,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “It’s the perfect blend of world-class wines, stunning landscapes and unforgettable hospitality. California welcomes visitors from around the world to explore our wine regions, where every tasting is a chance to connect, reflect and raise a glass to what makes the state special.”
10 Great Moments in California Wine History
California’s wine community has come a long way during the last 175 years — and it’s just getting started. Here are some of the most memorable and impactful moments in the state’s wine history.
1850: California gains statehood. This sets the stage for the wine industry’s growth as Gold Rush migration to Northern California spurs demand and vineyard plantings.
1933: Prohibition is repealed, allowing wine sales to resume.
1934: Wine Institute is founded to support the California wine industry’s rebirth.
1960s–1970s: A new wave of wineries across California usher in a modern era, pairing innovation in winemaking with welcoming visitor experiences that set the stage for global recognition.
1967: Table wines outsell dessert wines by volume in the U.S. for the first time since Prohibition.
1976: At the Judgment of Paris, California wines beat France in a blind tasting, gaining worldwide recognition.
1993: Sales of wines labeled by grape name surpass generic wine sales in the U.S.
2002: Industry leaders introduce the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing.
2004: California Wine Month is established to celebrate the wine community’s cultural and economic contributions.
2005: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that states can’t favor local wineries over out-of-state ones when it comes to shipping wine directly to consumers. This gives wine lovers across the country better access to California wines.
About CA GROWN
California Grown was formed in 2001 to increase awareness and consumption of high-quality California agricultural products. The organization is represented today by more than two dozen commodity organizations and dozens of agricultural entities licensed to use the popular California Grown brand. Image of Locy can be downloaded here. For more information about California Grown, contact Cherie Watte at cher@californiagrown.org. californiagrown.org.
What started off as a potentially disastrous year for the pistachio industry is now shaping up to potentially be one of the largest crops ever for California growers. Watch this brief interview with Richard Matoian from American Pistachio Growers as he provides an update on the crop and invites growers to APG’s Summer Luncheon this week. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Sacramento, Calif., (April 16, 2018) – When it comes to featuring nutritious California-grown foods, two of the best built-in ambassadors we have are in Anaheim – Disneyland and the California Adventure park. They host millions of visitors from around the world every year, providing an excellent opportunity to showcase our state’s agriculture.
Disney embraced that this year with its 2018 Food and Wine Festival, featuring sustainably-grown California wines and California-grown asparagus, avocados, citrus, berries, greens, cucumbers, strawberries, chicken, beef and olive oil, among other foods.
The festival is an innovative way to foster agritourism in California, and Visit California has found that millions of visitors travel here because of the state’s well-deserved reputation for food and wine. Studies show that spending in the food and beverage sector amounts to 20 percent of direct tourism revenue – billions of dollars.
We know that travelers seek culinary experiences in California beyond wine tasting, from farm tours and farm-to-fork dinners, to artisan purveyors, and culinary tours, and we know they like to visit places like Napa and Sonoma, to name our most famous agritourism regions, and also places like Temecula, the Sierra Nevada foothills, the Central Coast, Lodi and the Central Valley.
Recognizing that, CDFA started working with Visit California and the California Grown marketing agreement in 2013 to produce “California: Always in Season,” a program designed to market California’s agricultural abundance and highlight the pioneering and innovative spirit of the state’s chefs, farmers and ranchers. The focus is the relationship between California farmers and their collaboration with local chefs, the diversity and abundance of specialty crops throughout the state as well as stories that demonstrate that California’s culinary pioneers are part of the fabric that makes the state an iconic destination.
The Disney Food and Wine Festival is a natural extension of that campaign, and we all hope that vacationers who experience the festival will choose to travel more widely in our food and farming regions.
I attended a California Sustainable Wine Growers Alliance/Wine Institute spotlight event connected to the festival earlier this month, and it underscored the strong value of public-private partnerships in promoting agriculture. CDFA joined with its faithful partners California Grown, Visit California and–of course–Disney in supporting this great event. It was part of ‘Down to Earth Month,’organized by the Wine Institute to educate consumers, policy leaders, media and the wine trade on the benefits of sustainability and its widespread practice.
California is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing practices in terms of wine acreage and case production. As of November 2017, 127 wineries producing over 74 percent (211 million cases) of California’s total wine production and 1099 vineyards farming 134,000 acres (22 percent of statewide wine acreage) are “certified sustainable.”
Sustainability is the key to our future. A hungry state, nation and world are depending on it.
by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture
Sacramento, Calif., (February 22, 2018) – Each time I drive through California’s Central Valley I am in awe of how much food it produces. The Valley is responsible for almost 10 percent of the country’s agriculture value and is home to many of California’s most productive dairies. In fact, 90 percent of California’s milk is produced in eight counties – all located in the center of our great state. California is the country’s number-one milk producer and our dairy farmers work diligently to provide the highest quality milk for America’s families.
A great many of these dairies are family run. They have been passed from one generation to the next and have become a staple of the Valley’s landscape. But along with milk, Central Valley dairy farmers are increasingly producing something they never have before – renewable energy – and are doing it using manure from cows.
Earlier this month I joined hundreds of dairy farmers, industry representatives, public officials and academics for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Lakeview Dairy Digester and two other digester facilities in Kern County. The mood was electric (although that might have been the electricity buzzing through the digester system!)
As I spoke with our partners who helped make this project a reality, I could not help but appreciate a genuine synergy. When we were developing the Dairy Digester Research and Development and Program that helped fund the project, we knew that sister agencies like the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board, and the California Public Utilities Commission as well as private partners like California Bio Energy would be integral in bringing these projects to life and having them stay operational for many years to come. It was refreshing and energizing to see dairy families working with public and private partners to create something that produces benefits for all Californians.
Digesters work by capturing methane released by manure in covered lagoons. The captured methane is then broken down in a high-efficiency generator, where it produces renewable electricity. By using this system, the Lakeview Dairy Project is expected to cut methane emissions by approximately 75 percent and produce 6.7 million kWh of electricity annually – enough to power 757 homes for one year!
Along with energy production, these three projects will collectively reduce an estimated 503,990 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent over 10 years, which is equal to taking 107,921 passenger vehicles off the road. In total, the 24 projects supported by the DDRDP will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent.
The Lakeview project also serves as an excellent example of California’s innovative “hub and spoke” model for meeting our low carbon fuel standards, reducing emissions, and upgrading California’s transportation infrastructure. The concept is simple. One centrally located operation (the hub – in this case Lakeview) collects raw dairy biogas through low pressure PVC pipelines (spokes), from a group of existing dairies. The hub then serves as focal point for cleaning, conditioning and upgrading the gas to be used as fuel for transportation. Not only does this model significantly reduce construction costs and environmental impacts, but also demonstrates how cooperation and collective action helps us modernize transportation to meet our climate goals.
I am particularly proud of the environmental rigor in these projects. These digesters have met the strictest water and air quality requirements by double-lining their lagoons to meet the San Joaquin Valley’s strict NOx air quality limits and ensure protection of groundwater from nitrates. These technologies also help reduce odors and reduce overall dairy operating costs.
It was heartening to hear the experience of Cal Bio Energy’s management team explain their appreciation and positive experience in meeting the new requirement for community outreach. According to them, this turned into a great opportunity to understand any existing concerns, answer questions, and explain to employees, neighbors and other local community stakeholders how the project operates.
I want to applaud the leadership of all the parties involved in making these projects possible. Achieving our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals will require cooperation between industry, government agencies and the public. To quote Governor Jerry Brown, “Taking significant amounts of carbon out of our economy without harming its vibrancy is exactly the sort of challenge at which California excels.”
Sacramento, Calif., (January 18, 2018) – The gypsy moth, an interloper from Europe and Asia, is threatening California’s majestic oaks in Ventura County.
Invasive desert knapweed, which comes from Africa, has made its first North American appearance in in California’s Anza-Borrego Desert, where it has started to crowd out native plants.
Asian citrus psyllids are slowly spreading the devastating huanglongbing disease in Southern California citrus.
River rats from South America, called nutrias, are munching voraciously on wetland plants in some areas of Stanislaus, Merced and Fresno counties.
These are just a few of the insects, weeds, animals and diseases that have entered the state of California from elsewhere on the globe, causing tremendous ecological damage and huge economic losses to agricultural crops, which ultimately affect every resident of California.
Based on historical data, a new invertebrate species establishes itself in California about every six weeks, on average. They don’t all become serious pest problems, but many evade eradication efforts, disrupt carefully balanced integrated pest management programs, hijack sensitive ecosystems, and spoil valued recreational resources and urban landscapes.
A diverse group of university scientists, federal and state government representatives, county agricultural commissioners and non-profit organization leaders who are battling these pests converged at a summit in the state capitol Jan. 11 and 12 to coordinate their efforts, pool intellectual resources, and plot a strategy for protecting agricultural crops, natural resources, unique ecological communities, cityscapes and residential neighborhoods.
“We are a big, beautiful, special place, blessed with great weather and diverse geography,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross at the summit. “That means a lot to our many visitors – including pests.”
Glenda Humiston, vice president of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, said research is a fundamental component of the fight against damaging invasive species.
“We know that collectively, we have the tools and expertise to prevent invasive species from entering California, spreading and becoming established,” Humiston said. “I am so pleased with the numbers of people here today, and the expertise that you bring.”
A fundamental component of the fight against damaging invasive species is research, Humiston said, adding that the European grapevine moth in an apt example. The pest was detected in California’s wine country in 2009, and later found as far south as Fresno County. A multi-agency collaboration responded quickly.
UC ANR academics studied the moth’s biology, life cycle, host range and proven management practices. They developed a pest management program that relied on mating disruption with pheromones and application of carefully timed insecticides. In short order, the moth population plummeted, and the state was declared free of European grapevine moth, lifting a quarantine, enhancing farmers’ ability to export its product, and preserving the communities’ economic wellbeing.
“This multi-agency collaboration contributed to a successful, science-based response plan to a serious pest threat,” Humiston said.
She noted, however, that prevention is the best option.
“This is critical,” Humiston said. “Once the pests are here, they cost us millions upon millions of dollars to manage, not to mention the devastation and destruction inflicted on our crops, natural resources and the damage to local economies.”
In 2010, CDFA created a strategic framework for addressing California’s ongoing invasive pest problems and potential future introductions. Successful implementation of the framework requires partnerships involving government from the state to local levels, the agriculture industry and commodity groups, non-governmental organizations committed to the environment, and researchers at UC and other universities.
UC Cooperative Extension advisor emeritus John Kabashima led a break out session on arthropods during the summit.
UC Cooperative Extension advisor emeritus John Kabashima was instrumental in bringing the summit to fruition. Kabashima, who retired in 2015, continues to lead a battle against invasive shot hole borer pests in Southern California. The insects, originally from Asia, are killing thousands of Southern California trees, and have the potential to kill millions of trees in urban areas, natural areas and even on farms in parts of the state as far north as Sacramento.
“We convened this meeting to bring together experts in the field and people who are feeling the impacts,” Kabashima said. “We’re trying to start a 21st century invasive pest program that would then be implemented and funded to address the urgent issues before they cause any more devastation.”
At the end of the two-day summit, the participants voted to decide the most pressing issues and best strategies to take forward to their agencies, coalitions, research groups, legislators and constituents. Key strategies that emerged were:
Analyze the economic impacts of invasive species management and the cost of “doing nothing.”
Develop and maintain statewide surveys and map high-risk surveys.
Increase funding to study invasive species’ biology.
Create a standing rapid response workgroup to guide response to new invasive species. Fund a rapid response emergency fund.
Enact regulations to control high-risk vectors, such as soil, green waste, gravel, forage, straw and firewood.
Formalize the Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) and the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC).
Mark Hoddle, UC Cooperative Extension biological control specialist and director of the Center for Invasive Species Research at UC Riverside, said the summit was a valuable part of the ongoing battle against invasive pests.
Summit participants prepare to vote on most pressing invasive species’ issues and best management strategies.
“It’s good to see the number of agencies and organizations involved with invasive species issues,” Hoddle said. “I’m impressed with the energy in coming up with these priority lists.”
Summit outcomes will include sending recommended action items to the Legislature for funding consideration.
“Without financial support, many of the management tools that prevent unwanted incursions, find and monitor incipient pest populations, and develop sustainable, cost-effective management programs won’t be possible,” Hoddle said.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 20, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP). The program, which is funded through California Climate Investment dollars, provides financial assistance for the installation of dairy digesters in California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Reducing methane emissions is a critical component in the state’s efforts to combat climate change,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Digester technology is an excellent example of how state and private partnerships can protect the environment, reduce emissions all while also providing an economic benefit for our dairy producers.”
CDFA will allocate between $61-$75 million for potential projects. The final sum will depend on the needs of successful grant applicants. Additional funds have been allocated to support non-digester practices that reduce methane emissions from dairy and livestock operations through the Alternative Manure Management Program(AMMP). Milk producers and dairy digester developers can apply for up to $3 million for projects that provide quantifiable greenhouse gas reductions.
Prospective applicants can access the “Request for Grant Applications” at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD for information on eligibility and program requirements.
To streamline the application process, CDFA is partnering with the State Water Resources Control Board, which hosts the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). All prospective applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov. Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Friday, January 26, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
CDFA will hold two free workshops and one webinar to provide information on program requirements and the FAAST application process. CDFA staff will be present at the workshop to provide guidance on the application process, provide application examples and answer any questions. Individuals planning to attend should emailgrants@cdfa.ca.gov with their contact information, number of seats required and the workshop location.
Workshop locations include:
Modesto – Wednesday, January 3, 2018,
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner Office, Room HI,
3800 Cornucopia Way
Modesto, CA 95358
Tulare – Thursday, January 4, 2018
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner Office Conference Room
Agricultural Building
4437 S Laspina Street
Tulare, CA 93274
Webinar – Monday, January 8, 2018
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
To register for the webinar, please visit the program webpage at cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD.
Prospective applicants should refer to the DDRDP webpage (www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD ) for information on community outreach assistance coordinated by CDFA. For general program questions, contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 7, 2017) – After more than 16 years on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, with the last 7 years as Board President, Craig McNamara is stepping down from his position on the Board to participate as a 2018 Fellow in the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute program. The fellowship program offers an extraordinary opportunity for individuals to advance social impact at the local, national and global levels.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross with State Board President Craig McNamara at this morning’s session.
“Craig has been a visionary leader for the State Board and has been an unwavering advocate for California’s farmers and ranchers to both me and the Governor,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “I’m happy for Craig in his new pursuit, but will deeply miss his counsel and thoughtfulness on the issues impacting the agricultural community.”
Under Craig’s leadership the Board further advanced the California Ag Vision, helped to double farm contributions to food banks, addressed agricultural immigration issues, and was a critical voice for agriculture in a variety of water discussions related to drought and sustainable groundwater management.
As Craig departs the State Board he leaves behind a legacy of dedication to California’s farmers and ranchers and a reinvigorated Board mission of engagement and representation of the diversity of California’s agricultural sector to the governor and CDFA secretary.
The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and the CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs. The state board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials, agricultural representatives and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 5, 2017) – Irrigation efficiency, water conservation and water management are three terms that resonated over and over as we visited specialty crop farms and talked to water managers during our ongoing visit to Chile. These are important issues that Chile and California share, given that both counties have recently experienced historic droughts with significantly reduced snowpacks and greater reliance on groundwater.
Delegation members Jeff Creque of the Carbon Cycle Institute and Paul Robins of the Monterey County Resource Conservation District check out some Chilean soil.
We visited an avocado grower who pumps water approximately 1,600 feet up steep slopes with electrical water pumps for a highly efficient drip irrigation system. With little rain in the San Felipe region (north of Santiago), using efficient irrigation technologies like those incentivized in CDFA’s SWEEP program are critical to ensuring agricultural food production in this region.
Providing growers with access to an adequate water supply is a priority shared south of Santiago, as well. A water management agency in the Cachapoal River-area supplies approximately 100,000 acres of agricultural land with water and is investing in cloud seeding to stimulate additional precipitation. The government of Chile is also participating in this project and is assisting this agency and others in an effort to maintain water deliveries not only to agriculture, but to other sectors such as mining and urban areas.
Irrigation efficiency and water management are supported through innovative education pathways in Chile. We visited a high school that focuses on teaching its students about irrigation and public/private partnerships. They get hands-on experience with renewable energy use and water pump improvements. Understanding these technologies and providing growers with human resources and expertise to operate efficient irrigation systems is critical to future food production.
Secretary Ross with Chilean avocado grower Gonzalo Bulnes.
We also saw that if a grower selects the right plant variety, greater on-farm water efficiency can be achieved. A company we visited called SubSole has planted newer varieties that produce double the yield with half the water use. The company produces specialty crops like table grapes, avocados, kiwis, cherries and pomegranates and has invested heavily in sustainability and food safety programs to provide a high level of environmental and social responsibility certifications to buyers and consumers. SubSole uses very little nitrogen fertilizer for its table grapes because it has built organic (carbon) content in soil through the addition of compost and mulching; management practices that will soon be incentivized in CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program.
The delegation visited Escuela Agricola El Carmen De San Fernando, a high school providing irrigation instruction among other courses.
Many specialty crops farms in Chile are supported by agronomic experts from the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA). INIA is a government supported organization whose work is similar to the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cooperative Extension Services. These extension services are critical to ensuring growers have the right expertise as they invest in efficient irrigation systems and technologies to combat climate change events. What we have learned so far is that Chile is very similar to California and it is working hard to adapt to a changing climate through investment in specific technologies, education and outreach activities.
Secretary Ross is in Chile this week for an exchange on climate change adaptation. Joining her in the delegation are representatives from the agricultural, academic and policy sectors.
