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Contact Us, Mission,
Priorities, Organization,
Advisory Board, Associate
Directors, Staff, Directions,
2004 Annual Report
Our Mission
Because of today's more intense competition for resources, continuing
environmental concerns and broader global linkages, public policy decisions
impacting California agriculture are more complex than ever before.
The UC Agricultural Issues Center's mission is to provide broadly-based
and objective information about these issues and their significance
for California's economy and natural resources. For 15 years, the Center
has served as a forum where important and often controversial trends
and issues involving California agriculture---ranging from water transfers
to international trade---have been identified, studied and debated.
The Center makes its findings available to policymakers, to government
agencies, to interest groups and to individuals through a continuing
series of conferences, workshops, in-depth and popular publications,
videos and its website.
Our priorities
- International trade and globalization of agriculture.
- Advances in productivity and technology in agriculture.
- Linkages between natural resources, the environment and agriculture.
- Rural-urban interactions, particularly land use issues.
- Agricultural personnel and labor issues.
- Commodity market and agribusiness issues.
Our organization
The Center consists of a director, several associate directors, a small
professional staff and an Advisory Board. The Board, made up of leaders
from the agricultural community and other public sectors, helps determine
the Center's agenda and provides policy guidance for its programs. The
associate directors, chosen from UC research and extension personnel,
lead our efforts in particular program areas. In a sense, the "staff"
of the AIC includes the entire UC faculty and more. When issues have been
selected for study, researchers from across the UC system and representatives
of government and industry are invited to help design and carry out the
effort. Center projects may involve 50 or more individuals for a year
or two, with the Center coordinating study groups and providing support.
Major projects have focused on such issues as:
- Chemicals in the human food chain.
- Irrigation water transfers from two Northern
- California counties.
- Animal agriculture's impacts on water quality.
- Maintaining viable agriculture at the urban edge.
- Exotic pests and diseases of plants and animals in California.
Other Center activities have ranged from "competitive edge" studies
of agricultural industries to development of a better system for estimating
California's farm exports. Significant financial support for the Center
comes from (1) the state appropriation established at the Center's inception,
(2) supplemental funding from the UC Division of Agricultural and Natural
Resources, (3) extramural grants for specific projects, and (4) an endowment
currently being built through gifts from individuals, foundations and
corporate donors.
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