Photo Caption: The California Organic, Agroecological, and Regenerative Transitions (COAR) Team at the University of California, Merced.

In early November, the California Organic, Agroecological, and Regenerative Transitions (COAR) project team gathered at UC Merced to reflect on the first year of work and align on priorities for the year ahead. This gathering marked a key milestone in the project’s progress, bringing together researchers, educators and staff to discuss research underway, share early insights, and strengthen collaboration across the various research projects that comprise the COAR transitions project. 

Agroecology brings together on farms and in our communities the principles of ecology, environmental sustainability, and social equity. Supporting farmers and ranchers in transitioning towards agroecological agriculture – from organic to regenerative practices – offers a pathway to restore soil health, strengthen biodiversity, and support rural community resilience in the face of greater weather extremes. While considerable research exists on land management practices that can increase farm-level climate resilience, biodiversity, and economic viability, more is needed to understand the opportunities to achieve California’s climate goals, including more than doubling organic agricultural production in the state by 2045.

The COAR transitions project is designed to directly support the people shaping California’s food system: farmers, policymakers, UC cooperative extension staff, and technical assistance providers. The project identifies real-world factors that influence whether farmers can adopt practices like cover cropping and compost application. These insights help to inform practical guidance for policymakers and state agencies on the kinds of programs, investments, and technical support that can make agroecological transitions more viable. Researchers are particularly focused on California’s San Joaquin Valley and North Central Coast – two major agricultural regions where the widespread implementation of agroecological farming practices could have significant positive impact. 

In parallel, the COAR transitions project is contributing to hands-on agroecology curriculum development for undergraduate, graduate, and UC extension courses, helping current and future practitioners gain the tools and knowledge needed to implement resilient farming systems. 

A Model for Policy-Informed Research 

The Berkeley Food Institute is collaborating with researchers from UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, as well as the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis and the Center for Agroecology (UCSC). The COAR transitions project brings together researchers, education specialists and policy experts across the UC system, while ensuring that research is relevant to state-wide policy goals. 

Central to the COAR transitions project is strengthening the connection between agroecology research and California state policy. For the entire duration of the project, the project team plans to be in direct communication with state agencies to create alignment between the research and the State’s plans and priorities on climate and agriculture. The project team has already met with staff from seven stage agencies.

For example, in a recent meeting at the Department of Water Resources, COAR researchers discussed how cover cropping affects water use and groundwater recharge in California’s water-constrained agricultural environments. The agency highlighted both the uncertainty and urgency surrounding these research questions. Dr. Hannah Waterhouse, an Assistant Professor of Agroecology and Watershed Ecology at UC Santa Cruz, is working to better understand farmer perspectives on the use of cover cropping – research that can directly inform the state’s management of sustainable groundwater resources. 

Uniquely, each of the research teams within the COAR project have a designated policy liaison to talk through how the researchers can connect their work with ongoing state policy initiatives that touch upon their research topics. Having policy liaisons embedded within the research teams means researchers remain plugged into state policy conversations as they continue to design and conduct their work.

“Research and policy often move too slowly to meet urgent challenges. By involving state agencies and policy makers early in the research process, we can generate research that leads to more durable, actionable change. For example, when regulators signal that understanding cover cropping’s impact on groundwater resources is a priority, we can shape studies that build healthy soils and protect water quality in water-scarce regions.” says Dr. Waterhouse.

This early coordination is laying the groundwork for more integrated collaboration, where research both informs and is informed by policy.

Research in Focus: Mapping California’s “Hot Spots” for Use of Agroecological Practices

One of the specific research efforts within the broader COAR transitions project is led by Timothy Bowles, Associate Professor of Agroecology at UC Berkeley and Faculty Director at the Berkeley Food Institute. The project uses images collected through satellites to identify where in the state agroecological farming practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and continuous living cover are being used – essentially mapping “hot spots” and “cold spots” throughout the state. Dr. Bowles’ team will also conduct interviews and focus groups with farmers to better understand why some farmers are implementing these practices in certain places and not others. 

“One step toward transitioning California to more organic and diversified agriculture is understanding where we are now, and creating metrics to track progress. I’m excited to be working with Kangogo Sogomo, an Environmental Science, Policy & Management PhD student, to map practices visible from the sky, like cover cropping, crop rotation, and hedgerows. These practices are only part of an equitable transition, but knowing where and how widely they occur is an essential starting point,”  says Dr. Bowles. 

The research will help scientists and state policymakers understand state progress on the use of agroecological farming practices, and will ultimately help inform state policy that could accelerate their use, such as initiatives to expand access to farmland.

Learnings from the Rural Justice Summit 

Immediately following the project team’s convening at UC Merced, several COAR project members facilitated an interactive workshop at the Rural Justice Summit, with the goal of better aligning the project with the perspectives of land stewards and farmers in California. 

Key themes from the summit workshop are shaping the next phase of the COAR transitions project, including: 

• The importance of centering farmworkers and Indigenous leadership in designing agricultural policy and research agendas; 
• The need to address structural issues, such as land access, alongside technical solutions like new practices and tools; and 
• The role of agroecology in advancing not just climate resilience but also cultural continuity, community self-determination, and economic justice. 

These conversations are helping researchers in the COAR transitions project refine their research questions, outreach strategies, and partnerships so that the project’s work is more directly accountable to communities. The goal is to co-create knowledge that supports equitable and effective transitions statewide. 

Policy-Responsive Research for Agricultural Transition

The COAR transitions project demonstrates how policy-informed research can directly help farmers, scientists, and policymakers make tangible progress towards California’s ambitious climate goals. By keeping researchers and policymakers in close conversation from the outset, the project is generating knowledge that is directly applicable to the social and climate challenges facing California’s food and agricultural systems.

For more information on the COAR project or to get involved, please see the COAR project website or contact Neha Sanghera, BFI Policy Director, at nehasanghera@berkeley.edu.