In California, the combination of population growth, extreme temperatures, and unforeseen climate events are increasing community concerns about the future of our food and where it will be grown.

Based on its capacity to sequester carbon in the soil, farmland is fundamental to mitigating the continued impacts of climate change while yielding harvests that feed our communities.

About Greener Fields in California

The California Greener Fields project is a community outreach campaign highlighting a variety of actions communities can take, from planning to policy to on-the-ground efforts, to support farmers, farmland, and climate-smart agriculture.

California Greener Fields promotes keeping land in farming and managing land sustainably as essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state. This is especially important considering California’s goal of reducing statewide GHG emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Research conducted as part of our Greener Fields project indicates that cutting farmland loss by 75 percent by 2050 would reduce our GHG emissions the equivalent of taking 1.9 million cars off the road each year.

Understanding agriculture’s potential impact on climate change mitigation in California is just a starting point. Each of us can contribute to farmland protection and climate-smart agriculture by increasing awareness and action in our communities.