The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Netherlands have reaffirmed their commitment to work together on climate smart agriculture in addition to water management, ag-tech, food waste, antimicrobial resistance, and dairy farming. CDFA secretary Karen Ross and the Netherlands assistant vice minister for agriculture, Guido Landheer, met today in Fresno to sign a letter of intent renewing an international collaboration that began in 2015. The parties agreed to exchange knowledge and expertise to work towards climate smart agriculture by fostering innovation and sharing ag technology solutions.
“The ongoing collaboration that exists between the Netherlands and California speaks to our innovative spirit and shared understanding of the importance of this work,” said Secretary Ross. “In connecting from different parts of the world, we share not only what we have learned, but collectively aim for global solutions to address climate change, and ensure resiliency and agricultural sustainability worldwide.”
The signing was part of a visit from a Dutch government delegation to California’s Central Valley. The goal of this visit is to further develop ideas for a Dutch ag tech presence in California. California and Dutch stakeholders — including the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) and FME, the entrepreneurial organization for the Dutch technology industry — also met as part of a roundtable meeting to discuss opportunities for digitalization and automation.
Source: CDFA