Sustainable agriculture – a priority for UC
Maxwell Norton
Helping California agriculture make the transition to more sustainable farming systems is a priority for UC’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), which include Cooperative Extension, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and statewide programs such as UC SAREP.
ANR's goals are to:
- Help growers provide an adequate and dependable farm income
- Protect and enhance the natural resource base
- Reduce the use of non renewable resources and other production
- inputs
- Promote the economic viability, health and quality of life of local communities
To accomplish these goals, ANR’s programs cover the entire spectrum of agricultural production from traditional practices to organic farming, all of which comprise the vibrant mix of industries that make up agriculture today.
Work toward our goals is done by the hundreds of farm advisors, researchers, instructors and program representatives who conduct related research and educational programs all around the state. Learning about projects that are relevant to your interests and needs is easy: contact your local Cooperative Extension farm advisor. Additionally, there are three statewide programs that address sustainable agriculture:
- UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (UC SAREP), www.sarep.ucdavis.edu.
- UC Small Farm Program, www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/.
- UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project,
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/.
California agriculture continues to undergo tremendous transformation – and so does ANR and its programs. Making the transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly farming systems is being compelled by new regulations, the state’s exploding population and the economic pressures of the world marketplace. ANR is engaged and committed to helping California agriculture make these changes.
Recently ANR awarded almost a million dollars in grant funds as part of the core issues grants program. Many of these grants reflect the fact that sustainable agriculture is a high priority for the Division. A list of these grants can be found at http://news.ucanr.org/ and a full list of program priorities and target issues can be found at http://ucanr.org/.
