The Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences has received a $90,000 research award from California 100, the university announced Thursday.
The award includes a $90,000 grant and technical assistance from Institute For The Future. Cal Poly officials say the grant will enable the College of Agriculture to dig deeper into the current and future outlook of food systems in California.
California 100 says the grant is part of a statewide initiative that aims to shape the long-term success of California. The group is partnering with 18 research centers and institutes across the state, including groups from UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford and USC.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director for California 100, said he is excited to partner with Cal Poly for the project.
"We cannot talk about the future of California without understanding the critical role agriculture will play in our economy and our position as a global leader," Ramakrishnan said of initiative.
Cal Poly researchers acknowledged that California will face significant challenges in the coming years, including wildfire and drought, which make the project crucial.
"We will explore the past, present and future of California's food systems and consider potential future scenarios for California's food production systems," Anastasia Telesetsky, professor in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department and Cal Poly researcher, said in a release.
The research will be completed by the summer of 2022. Project planners say it will lead to a set of policy alternatives for the future of California.
