Cal Poly Awarded Grant for Ambitious State Initiative

The Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences announced that it has received a research award from California 100, an ambitious statewide initiative to envision and shape the long-term success of the state in collaboration with 18 research centers and institutes across California.

The California 100 research award, which includes a $90,000 grant along with technical assistance from the Institute For The Future, will enable the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences to evaluate current facts, origins and future trends in which food systems will play a part in California’s next century.

“We are thrilled to add Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences to the California 100 family,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director for California 100. “We cannot talk about the future of California without understanding the critical role agriculture will play in our economy and our position as a global leader.”

Cal Poly’s research is led by Anastasia Telesetsky, a professor in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department, and Catherine Kleier, associate dean in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

“California, the nation’s largest producer of food, will face tremendous challenges in the years to come ranging from wildfire to drought,” Telesetsky said. “We will explore the past, present and future of California’s food systems and consider potential future scenarios for California’s food production systems. This award is a wonderful opportunity to be part of the California 100 Initiative and to begin to chart a path forward for California’s next century as a leader in food systems.”