$15 million statewide collaboration unites state, university and industry leaders to fast-track agricultural innovation, workforce development and regional economic growth.

California has launched the California AgTech Alliance, a $15 million statewide initiative designed to transform how agricultural technology moves from lab to field.

Announced this week at FIRA USA, the Alliance brings together the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

The Alliance will coordinate nine regional innovation hubs that will deploy cutting-edge technology, train the next generation of agricultural workers and attract millions in private investment to California's $50 billion farming economy.

“The California AgTech Alliance gives us a statewide platform to connect research, industry and farmers in a more coordinated way,” said Gabriel Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR. “UC ANR’s role is to convene, to build the bridges between regions, producers, innovators and government that help good ideas scale up. This is about collaboration at every level, so the technologies developed here deliver real impact in the field.”

“Agriculture has always been the backbone of California’s economy and our way of life,” said Karen Ross, secretary of CDFA. “As producers face climate change, water scarcity and other production challenges, innovation becomes essential. The Alliance ensures farmers of all sizes, especially small and mid-scale operations, have access to the tools and partnerships that keep them productive and sustainable.”

The Alliance tackles the full life cycle of agricultural innovation, from moving technology out of the lab and onto farms, to training workers who can operate and maintain these systems, to coordinating regional ecosystems that attract investment and scale solutions statewide. It operates through three strategic pillars:

• AgTech Deployment & Commercialization: The Alliance will help accelerate the path from prototype to production by connecting startups and researchers with growers, test sites and regulatory support. This includes a statewide network of field demonstration hubs that enable companies to pilot technologies in real-world conditions, along with $2 million in innovation grants to support commercialization and adoption.
   
• Workforce Development & Training: Through programs like the Farm Robotics Challenge and Academy and AgSTEP, along with partnerships with colleges and universities, the Alliance will expand training for both new and seasoned farmworkers. The goal is to prepare Californians for the growing demand in high-skill ag tech jobs, combining technical training, digital literacy and hands-on learning to ensure that the benefits of innovation reach every community.
   
• Regional Collaboration & Investment: Spanning nine regional innovation hubs, from the North State to the Imperial Valley, the Alliance will coordinate research, entrepreneurship and capital across California’s diverse agricultural landscape. This regional structure ensures that innovation is both locally informed and statewide in impact, promoting inclusive growth through the California Jobs First framework.

“Technology isn’t the bottleneck, adoption is,” said Walt Duflock, senior vice president of Innovation at Western Growers and co-chair of the Alliance’s Industry Advisory Board. “Growers need proof these tools work, training to use them and confidence they’ll deliver ROI. The Alliance removes those barriers by putting industry at the center of development, ensuring we build solutions farmers will actually use.”

Training people to use the new tools will be a key to success.

“You can’t have agricultural innovation without investing in people,” said Karen Aceves, founder of ARKEN Strategies and lead for the AgSTEP Workforce Program. “The Alliance creates pathways for Californians, including those in underserved communities, to access high-wage, high-growth careers. We’re building a diverse, skilled workforce that can support this industry for decades.”

The Alliance's statewide reach is powered by a diverse network of more than 50 partner organizations spanning every major agricultural region. Regional implementation is led by organizations including the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, F3 Innovate, Building Healthy Communities-Kern and California State University San Marcos, working alongside regional alliances like the Salinas Valley AgTech Alliance, Merced AgTech Alliance and North State-Redwood Coast AgTech Alliance.

Community colleges, UC campuses including UC Davis and UC Merced, workforce development boards, and community-based organizations ensure training reaches every corner of the state. The Alliance’s 13-member Industry Advisory Board – representing leading growers and agricultural associations from specialty crops to tree nuts – provides direct input from the field, ensuring technologies and programs meet real farming needs.

The Alliance is part of the California Jobs First initiative, a statewide effort to strengthen regional economies, encourage innovation and ensure an inclusive transition to a climate-smart, technology-driven future. 

Source - https://ucanr.edu