What We Do
CalCAN advances policies that scale up sustainable and organic agricultural solutions to the climate crisis
Agriculture’s Powerful Climate Solutions
The following suite of solutions provides climate and other benefits to farmers and all Californians.
Healthy Soils
& Biodiversity
Cultivating healthy soils sequesters carbon, reduces dependence on fossil fuel-based chemicals, and helps farms cope with drought and flooding.
Water
Stewardship
Improving on-farm water use efficiency and solar-powered irrigation is crucial in water-scarce California, and also reduces energy demand for water delivery and pumping.
Livestock Methane
Reduction
Transitioning to alternative manure management systems reduces methane emissions while also improving air and water quality, reducing odors and pathogens, and producing valuable compost.
Farmland
Conservation
By conserving our farmland and rangeland, we limit the energy-intensive sprawl of urban development and protect lands that can sink carbon, help with flood control, and store groundwater.
Wildfire
Resilience
Farmers, ranchers, Tribes, and other land stewards can use targeted grazing and cultural and prescribed burning to reduce fuel loads, and improve soil health and manage invasive weeds after wildfires.
Technical Assistance & Research
Technical assistance supports farmers and ranchers with the transition to climate-resilient farm management practices. This is especially critical for small and mid-sized producers, farmers of color, and beginning farmers who often have fewer resources to access grant programs.
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Our Guiding Principles
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There is power in structural change
Policy change can drive a widespread transition to sustainable and organic agricultural practices that achieve economic justice and health equity.
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Climate-resilient agriculture benefits
all CaliforniansOrganic and sustainable agriculture practices offer environmental and public health benefits for all Californians, urban and rural.
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Farmer experience must lead
Farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and other agriculture experts must be meaningfully consulted and engaged in leadership roles in order to develop and implement policy that leads to change on California’s farms and ranches.
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All producers can contribute
Agricultural sustainability is a continuum, and improvements can be made on all farms.
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Policy must redress racial and
economic injusticeAgriculture and climate policy must explicitly address the needs of small and medium-scale farmers and those who are low-income/low wealth, people of color and women, as well as farmworkers and other marginalized populations that have been systematically disenfranchised by generations of injustices and health inequities.
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Public resources can advance equity
Public funding and technical assistance must be prioritized for small and medium-scale, diversified, and systematically disenfranchised farmers.
Progress In The Field
The journey to a sustainable food system begins with the efforts of our dedicated farmers. See our real farms and farmers stories that reveal the innovative practices, ongoing challenges, and significant achievements of those we support.
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