Title of Session: Food Sustainability Panel
Length of Session: 1 hour, 11:00am – Noon, Friday May 12, 2017
Speakers: Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, CDFA; Jeanne Merrill, Policy Director, California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN)
Description of Session: An overview of advances being made in California to advance sustainable food production, including mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.
Educational Objective:
• Learn about what this California Administration is doing to promote sustainable agriculture. A representative of the State Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will highlight the departments work in healthy soils, water efficiency and other environmental farming practices.
• Hear why and how California can set an example in ‘climate-smart” agriculture. The advocate for sustainable and organic agricultural practices will demonstrate the need for and a pathway to achieving “climate-smart” agriculture in California’s $43 Billion industry.
• Witness what is being done in the field to meet California’s sustainable agriculture goals. A local farmer will explain what is being done locally and outline the real-word challenges farmers face in being sustainable.
Anticipated Educational Outcomes for Session - Attendees will learn:
• What “climate-smart” and “sustainable” agriculture means in the California context;
• About policy and practical steps being taken to advance sustainable agriculture in California; and
• How food safety and access interface with principles of food sustainability.