From the Director

After a decade of working to advance sustainable agriculture through research and education, we are actively planning SAREP’s next ten years. At the March meeting of our Public Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee, we revisited our purpose and developed the following mission statement.

SAREP provides leadership and support for scientific research and education to encourage farmers, farmworkers, and consumers in California to produce, distribute, process and consume food and fiber in a manner that is economically viable, sustains natural resources and biodiversity, and enhances the quality of life in the state’s diverse communities for present and future generations.

Many goals can be pursued under this mission. In consultation with our committees, we selected the following three programmatic goals for the next five years:

• California farmers and ranchers are more able to manage their land and businesses in ways that are economically viable and that protect and enhance both human and natural resources.

• Consumers have a closer connection to agriculture and California’s communities are strengthened through participation in sustainable food systems.

• Government programs and policies encourage and support the development of sustainable farms, ranches and communities in California.

Those goals are deliberately very broad, difficult to measure, and unlikely to be achieved in five years. We are now working to set measurable, achievable objectives that will help advance our goals. At UC SAREP we will try to continue to articulate “the big picture” and move toward it in deliberate, effective steps. —Bill Liebhardt, director, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.