The Climate Science Alliance, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, hosted the 2020 Climate Change Consortium for Specialty Crops on February 27, 2020 at the San Diego County Farm Bureau.
The Climate Science Alliance, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), hosted the 2020 Climate Change Consortium for Specialty Crops of Southern California Region on February 27, 2020 at the San Diego County Farm Bureau.
The 2020 Consortium is part of CDFA’s long-term efforts to help support California’s highly valuable specialty crop industry in the face of a changing climate. In 2012, CDFA hosted the first Climate Change Consortium for Specialty Crops series, which convened a group of 21 specialty crop representatives, including growers, agricultural associations, technical advisors, and researchers, to identify potential climate change adaptation strategies. Recommendations from the 2012 Consortium highlighted needs, opportunities, and ideas for addressing climate change including research, planning and resource optimization, outreach and education, and technology and innovation, summarized in the Climate Change Consortium for Specialty Crops Final Report. Consortium recommendations have since informed State and Federal programming, advancements in research and technical tools, and the creation of Climate Resilience Incentive Programs and the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI).
Building off of these statewide efforts, the 2020 Consortium brought together over 40 producers, researchers, technical advisors, and other partners from across the Southern California region to address the concerns of regional producers and identify strategies and solutions to address the impacts of climate change. Throughout the day, attendees learned about regionally-specific climate science, technical assistance tools, resources, and opportunities available, and the strategies local producers are testing on their land. Additionally, attendees participated in interactive discussion sessions to share climate-related challenges, and identify strategies and recommendations for building on-the-ground resilience.
In the coming months, the Climate Science Alliance and CDFA will continue to gather the input of Southern California and South San Joaquin specialty crop producers and representatives as part of the 2020 Consortium. The input from the 2020 Consortium will help guide CDFA’s future activities and funding priorities to continue their long standing commitment of supporting California agriculture now and into the future.
Thank you to our partners at CDFA for supporting these efforts, and to the San Diego County Farm Bureau for hosting this event.
Please visit www.climatesciencealliance.org/resilient-roots to learn more about the Climate Change Consortium for Specialty Crops and how you can get involved!