Climate Change Resiliency Through Ag-Food-Tech
The University of California, Merced is in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world and a testbed for innovation. We partner with industry leaders, growers, and natural resources managers as well as the UCANR Agricultural Research and Extension Center to develop the next generation of agricultural leaders, to establish employment-education experiences and preparation, and to invent the next technological solution to agricultural, food and natural resource issues in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.
Secure Water Future (SWF)
Secure Water Future is a collaborative of investigators from across the semi-arid
western US aiming to improve agricultural and environmental water resilience through
innovations in measurement, management, and markets. Funded by the USDA and
lead by UC Merced, the team combines the expertise of researchers, extension
specialists, and educators working across California, New Mexico, and Utah.
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The AI Institute for Transforming Workforce &
Decision Support (AgAID)
AgAID's mission is to build and foster partnerships between AI and Ag communities
and create a transdisciplinary ecosystem for technology innovation and knowledge
transfer. Its research focuses on water allocation, farm operations intelligence, the
human-machine interface, AI modeling, and multi-scale decision support. UC Merced
participates as a core member of AgAID further developing the intersection of
technology and agriculture.
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Labor and Automation in California Agriculture (LACA)
Funded in 2021 by the University of California Office of the President Multi-Campus
Research Program Initiative, Labor and Automation in California Agriculture (LACA)
assembles interdisciplinary researchers to solve food system resilience and human-
centered agriculture technology to transform the workforce and environment of
the future. This MRPI includes researchers from University of California Merced,
Berkeley, Davis, and Riverside.
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UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm
Established in 2022, the Farm at UC Merced is a 40-acre research facility dedicated to advancing
agricultural innovation, sustainability, and education. As an Agricultural Experimental Station (AES),
UC Merced leads research in automation, climate resilience, and workforce development. The
Experimental Smart Farm envision sa future where technology, sustainability, and community collaboration
converge. From automation to environmental monitoring, the Farm is a beacon of
transformative research, where tech is tested and developed for decision-making and resource
management.
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Internet of Things for Agriculture NSF Engineering
Research Center (IoT4Ag)
IoT4 Ag is a National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC)
launched in 2020, uniting expertise in agronomy, agricultural engineering,
communications, economics, environmental science, electrical and computer
engineering, cyber systems, social science, and more to develop and deploy precision
agriculture technologies to address the global grand challenges of food, energy, and
water security. UC Merced faculty are among the researchers funded by this
Engineering Research Center. The mission of IoT4Ag is to create and translate to practice
Internet of Thing (IoT) technologies for precision agriculture and to train and educate a
diverse workforce that will address the societal grand challenge of food, energy, and
water security for decades to come.
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Farms Food Future (F3)
F3 at UC Merced is the result of a partnership between the Central Valley Community
Foundation, agricultural industry leaders, and the university’s researchers. This
collaboration was formed to harness UC Merced’s research strengths and the Central
Valley’s agricultural expertise to innovate sustainable farming practices, aiming to uplift the
local economy and set a precedent for global food production.
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