Coinciding with this week’s 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) being held in Glasgow, Scotland, the California State Board of Food and Agriculture focused on the state’s climate smart agriculture (CSA) programs, funding opportunities, on-farm innovations by growers, and future goals at its monthly Board meeting November 2.
During her monthly update to the Board, Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross said state leaders from several departments would be attending COP26 in rotation as delegates, including herself, and she hopes to come home with more international partnerships to share information and resources on specific climate action initiatives.
Secretary Ross and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Deputy Secretary Rachel O’Brien highlighted recent legislation and state budget allocations favorable to agriculture and CDFA programs. The current state budget of $262.6 billion includes $1.1 billion over the next two fiscal years (FY) to support state agriculture programs, with a major portion targeting programs for CSA for sustainability and resiliency. The budget funds grant programs that experienced a one-year funding gap in 2020 due to COVID-19. “California is a leader in investing in climate smart agriculture, ” Ross said.
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