This month, CDFA is hosting virtual roundtables to gather feedback from producers on how the state can better support producer-led solutions to sequester carbon and enhance biodiversity. Farmers’ and ranchers’ feedback from these meetings will  directly inform the implementation of Governor Newsom’s recent Natural and Working Lands Executive Order and the state’s Climate Change Scoping Plan.

Background on Governor Newsom’s Natural and Working Lands Executive Order

On October 7, 2020, Governor Newsom signed an executive order on biodiversity and natural and working lands climate solutions, instructing his administration to come up with a strategy to support carbon neutrality in agriculture.  The order requires the administration to work with agricultural stakeholders to identify farmer- and rancher-led solutions to include in the next Climate Change Scoping Plan — an important document developed by the Air Resources Board that outlines how the state can meet its climate goals in the coming years.

Why is this important?

Unlike the energy and transportation sectors, the state has never set a target for natural and working lands’ contributions to the statewide goal of achieving carbon neutrality, despite our lands’ unique ability to sequester carbon through multi-benefit solutions that also increase climate resilience. Consequently, climate investments in nature-based solutions on farms, ranches, forests, and wetlands have persistently dwarfed in comparison to climate investments in the energy, transportation, and industrial sectors.

This process provides an opportunity to demonstrate that farmers and ranchers care about solving climate change and are in fact already implementing a wide range of multi-benefit climate solutions, but will need additional support in the form of research, technical assistance, and incentives to maximize agriculture’s contribution to achieving the state’s carbon neutrality goal. Moreover, this is an opportunity to highlight that involving farmers and ranchers in the process of creating climate goals and policies only strengthens their likelihood of success.

Interested in attending?

If you are a California farmer or rancher and are interested in attending, you can register at the links below. The meetings are organized into three groups: 1) Livestock/Dairy, 2) Annual Crops, and 3) Perennial Crops. For each group, CDFA will host two meetings of approximately two hours each and hopes producers can attend both session. The first meeting will include an introductory presentation from CDFA and both meetings will include opportunities to provide feedback. If you wish to talk more about the Governor’s Executive Order, the state’s climate change scoping plan, or the policies and programs CalCAN advocates for, you can contact Brian Shobe at brian@calclimateag.org.

• Meeting #1, February 8 at 2 p.m.
• Meeting #2, February 12 at 9 a.m.

• Meeting #1, February 16 at 2 p.m.
• Meeting #2, February 19 at 9 a.m.

• Meeting #1, February 23 at 2 p.m.
• Meeting #2, February 26 at 9 a.m.