Climate Smart Agriculture in California

California has a suite of grant programs that incentivize farmers and ranchers to use management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon, as well as improving air and water quality and the health of farmworkers and rural communities. To date, the state has invested over $300 million in grants that improve soil health, reduce on-farm water and energy use, lower methane emissions on dairies, and protect farmland from urban development. The California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN) has been a leading champion for these programs since 2009. Renata Brillinger from CalCAN will provide an overview of these programs and the types of agricultural practices they support.

Renata Brillinger is the co-founder and Executive Director of the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), a statewide coalition that advances state and federal policy to realize the powerful climate solutions offered by sustainable and organic agriculture. She also serves on the steering committee of the Center for Sustainability at CalPoly University in San Luis Obispo and the advisory board of UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute.