Climate Action and Agriculture Symposium

06/14/23

On May 25, 2023, the local University of California Cooperative Extension hosted their 5th annual symposium on climate action and local agriculture at the San Diego Farm Bureau offices in Escondido. The symposium was developed to bring together policymakers, governmental agencies, researchers, educators, consultants, and other public and private agricultural service providers to better understand the status of climate and agriculture in the region. The intended purpose of the symposium is to ensure policy and program leaders have a clear understanding of the changing climate and its impacts to the unique agricultural environments and industry in San Diego.

SpeakerSpeaker addressing the attendees

Presenters at the event included representatives from the San Diego Farm Bureau, the County of San Diego Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Foodshed San Diego, various University of California departments, among others. Meghan Kelly, Project Manager for the County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), also presented on efforts to support the local agricultural community that will be included in the Climate Action Plan Update.

What We Heard

Discussion at the event was centered around:

  • Local agricultural operators are suffering from increasing costs to necessary inputs such as land and water
  • These pressures will continue to worsen with climate change
  • There is a lack of demand for locally produced food in San Diego
  • More could be done through programming and education to support local agricultural producers through advertising the importance of buying local to consumers in the region

The public input we heard during the symposium will help inform the development of strategies and measures that will be included in the CAP Update to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support local agriculture in the county. This includes efforts to preserve agricultural and natural lands, incentivize carbon farming and climate-friendly farming practices, and develop educational materials and policies to support the local food system.

Sustainability staff look forward to attending next year’s event.