About Research Funding & Results
At the Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS), science plays a critical role in shaping our programs and informing state policies. In addition to supporting on-farm practices, OARS funds targeted research to develop innovative, science-based strategies that make agriculture more sustainable and resilient. Our research investments prioritize approaches that support producers and local communities while contributing to statewide goals.
Livestock and Dairy Research
California’s dairy and livestock production operations are key to a healthy, secure food system for California, the US, and beyond. These sectors also are major contributors to California’s methane inventory. California’s Senate Bill 1383 calls for a 40% of methane emissions reduction from the livestock and dairy sector from 2013 levels by 2030. This is why OARS invests in cutting-edge research that helps producers reduce methane emissions in safe, practical, and science-driven ways to secure our food production systems while addressing the need to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock and dairy sectors.
Pest Management
California leads the nation in specialty crop production, growing more than 400 different crops across its diverse agricultural landscape. With such variety comes a complex web of pest management challenges that demand innovative, research-driven solutions. Through a suite of targeted grant programs (Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS), Adaptive Integrated Pest Management for Invasive Agricultural Pests (Adaptive IPM), and IR-4) OARS supports cutting-edge research and extension efforts that align with the goals of California’s Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap. Together, we’re transforming pest management into a more sustainable, science-based practice for farms across California.
Soil Research
California is the leading US state in agricultural cash receipts and one of the world’s largest producers of food and fiber. It produces more than 400 commodities, with over one-third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts grown in California. The Healthy Soils Program (HSP) aims to promote the adoption of conservation agriculture practices statewide to increase agriculture climate resilience and sustainability. Because of its diverse landscapes, farm sizes, and crop systems, there is no one practice that fits all. The HSP Demonstration Grants aim to help California growers access the best available science and knowledge. The HSP Demo Type A Research Grants fund studies on innovative new practices that have the potential to improve soil health, reduce GHG emissions, be supported by future HSP Incentive Grants, and become widely adopted. The HSP Demo Type B Grants focus on practices already eligible for HSP Incentive Grants, showing growers implementation strategies, while filling knowledge gaps in soil health and co-benefits.