Checking assumptions: Please raise your hand if yes

Transcription

1 Innovation, California Agriculture, & Agricultural Global Sustainability Food Systems Institute Tom Tomich W.K. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Sustainable Food Systems Founding Director, Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) Director, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) Professor of Community Development, Environmental Science and Policy University of California, Davis Checking assumptions: Please raise your hand if yes Did you grow up on a farm or ranch? Have you worked on a farm or ranch in California? Do you feel you know more about information technology than you know about the food system? 1

2 Overview Agriculture and innovation / California and the rest of the world From agricultural innovation to food system transformation We talk The bare essentials: GLOBAL AGRICULTURE CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE 2

3 Successful 2 nd half of 20 th Century Can global food system stay on trend? Increasing food prices (or variation in food prices) from tightening global food supply demand balance? Possible reversal of positive trend in food supply per capita? Intensifying competition for fresh water (seems inevitable). Big uncertainties (bad news): energy prices, climate change and compounded uncertainties on yields, water supply, pests. Big offsetting caveat (good news): food crisis induced a strong and constructive food policy response. Policy uncertainties. People considering investments in food and agriculture need to be aware of policy issues and political pressures in specific countries, including the US. Basics: agricultural production What is distinctive about agriculture? Many producers Spatially dispersed Great variety in conditions: context matters! Seasonality and variability: on the spot decision making matters a lot! Small farms are not scale models of large farms. Economies of scale exist in R&D, marketing, processing, and finance; not so much in production per se. Agriculture inevitably has a large social and environmental footprint. California agriculture: complex, intensive, diversified, high value, dynamic Since the Gold Rush, California agriculture has reinvented itself each generation. 3

4 Foot print of California agriculture some soft, rounded figures USD 50 billion per year (farmgate value) 4% of California s economy 8% of California s energy use 20% of California s land area 40 80% of California s fresh water What have been big drivers of California agriculture? Historical perspective: * Big three: Technology, Population, Economic growth Foundations: five types of capital Nature: climate, water, soils Financial capital: public and private investment Human capital: labor supply; management, marketing skill Physical capital: roads, ports, water, power supply, Social capital: research, education, extension, *W Johnston and A McCalla, Giannini Foundation Special Report 04 1, California Agriculture in the 21 st Century 4

5 What you REALLY need to know about AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY Basics: agricultural innovation Long term, ongoing, global shift from resource based to information based technological change and productivity growth. Agricultural innovation responds to market forces. Private R&D investment is surpassing public R&D. Innovation involves networks of people; it is not a simple linear transfer from researchers to users. Learning by using feedback between users and researchers is central to the innovation process. Familiar stuff? 5

6 How does agricultural innovation happen? Linear transfer model 6

7 Innovation system model (simplified) Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (Almonds) SAREP (staff scientist) UCCE Farm Advisors CAFF (growers organization) Commodity Organization Information on beneficial insects Growers Information on cover crops PCAs KD Warner, 2007 Agroecology in Action, p. 176 Reframing opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship FROM AG SECTOR TO FOOD SYSTEM 7

8 Issue Comprehensive to indicator Indicator linkages Database Green: Indicators Blue: Component Red: Integrated Yes, IT S COMPLEX! 8

9 What do we mean by food system? One definition: the set of activities and relationships that interact to determine what, how much, by what method, and for whom food is produced and distributed. - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Climate systems Political systems Science & technology innovation systems Energy system Drivers FOOD SYSTEM Resource stocks & flows Human well being Flows of food system services Health and sanitation systems Education systems Social security systems Safety nets Transportation system 9

10 Examples of actors in the food system Drivers Environmental advocates Development policy shapers Resource stocks & flows Food consumers Development policy shapers International organizations Social advocates Labor unions Certifiers Input providers Certifiers Development policy shapers Food manufacturing companies Farmers & ranchers Commodity buyers Finance & risk management Human Well Being Food retailers Food consumer organizations Social advocates Certifiers Community organizations Development policy shapers Flows of Food System Services Wholesale International trade Direct marketing Certified organic Mixed organic/ conventional Eco-labeling Conservation practices IPM conventional Ag publications Journalists Authors TV, radio, newspaper Artists National Local, independent Foundations Individual philanthropists Corporate donors Farmers Specialty crops Commodity crops Animals, dairies Diversified Ranchers Fishermen Foresters Small scale Medium scale Large scale Ag agencies Environmental agencies Natural resources agencies Health agencies Transportation Elected officials and policy makers Media Policy institutes Landscape architects City & regional planners Housing developers Equipment designers Native American & tribal government International development Other coalitions & alliances Family farm Beginning farmers Farm workersturned- farmers Producers Donors Others Government Pediatricians Public health Nutritionists Health advocates Health care institutions Educators Health sector Students K-12 4H, FFA Colleges, universities Non traditional Sustainable agriculture Student organizations Farm workers Labor advocacy organizations Farm labor Legitimacy ASI strives for a base of diverse stakeholders in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, geographic region, urban/rural, socioeconomics, age, etc. Researchers & Extensionists Ag organizations Farm bureau Commodity organizations Farmers market org. s Community food systems Sustainable agriculture Educational farms Urban agriculture Community gardens Coalitions and alliances Food & Ag industry Alternative Energy UC faculty and extension specialists UCCE advisors and county directors ANR statewide programs UC institutes and centers Other UC staff Other universities USDA- ARS Community research institutions Master gardeners International & national researchers Environmental organizations Community organizations Consumers Distributors Wholesale Marketers Processors Food service Retailers Restaurants Climate change Land use Watersheds Water Energy Air quality Biodiversity Wildlife Coalitions and alliances Immigration Animal welfare Housing Hunger Homelessness Religious/faith Coalitions and alliances Customers of co-ops, CSAs, farmers markets, supermarkets, etc Parents Institutional customers Consumer organizations and advocacy groups International trade & finance Financial & business sector Ag services Pest control advisers Veterinarians Crop consultants Nurseries, seed, chemical companies Irrigation advisers Weather services Certifiers & auditors 10

11 Matthew Lange, Dept of Food Science and Technology, UC Davis Recap: some implications One size fits all / command and control does not work: not for agricultural production, not for modern agricultural innovation, not for (some? most?) food system innovation opportunities. Bear in mind: California s growers typically are highly innovative. Often, the leading innovators can be far out ahead on technology. And if not, your first question should be: why not? Think outside the production box : opportunities exist upstream (innovative inputs, finance) and downstream (marketing, processing, consumer behavior, health and wellness). Looking ahead: growing awareness of need to manage food and agriculture s social and environmental footprint policy 11