Key Takeaways
➡️ UC Santa Cruz is launching the AgTech Alliance to foster ethical and responsible agricultural technology development.
➡️ The Alliance will support research, education, events, and workforce development in AgTech.
➡️ It brings together an interdisciplinary community, including engineers, researchers, farmers, students, and industry stakeholders.
➡️ The initiative will be administered by Baskin Engineering under the UCSC branch of CITRIS and the Banatao Institute.
➡️ A kickoff event is scheduled for February 27 to introduce the Alliance and its research focus areas.
UC Santa Cruz AgTech Alliance: A Community for Ethical Agricultural Innovation
The UC Santa Cruz AgTech Alliance aims to unite faculty, researchers, and industry stakeholders in the pursuit of ethical and responsible agricultural technology. By fostering collaboration across disciplines, the initiative seeks to create solutions that address the challenges of modern agriculture in the face of climate change.
“We believe that emerging technologies have the potential to dramatically reshape the agri-food system,” said Colleen Josephson, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and inaugural co-director of the AgTech Alliance. “The UC Santa Cruz AgTech Alliance is bringing together an interdisciplinary community of researchers, extensionists, engineers, activists, farmers, students, and others to help lead that transformation in a positive direction, through innovation, education, research, and empowerment.”
A Strong Interdisciplinary Foundation For UC Santa Cruz
The leadership of the AgTech Alliance is drawn from both Baskin Engineering and the Social Sciences Division, reflecting UC Santa Cruz’s commitment to interdisciplinary research.
Social Sciences Division Dean Katharyne Mitchell emphasized the importance of this approach: “Building ethical technology for tomorrow will require learning lessons from agriculture’s checkered past, developing trusted partnerships with stakeholder communities, and charting a path that addresses both social and environmental needs. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for that process, yet it is often undervalued.”
Research and Educational Impact
The AgTech Alliance will leverage UCSC’s strengths in both agricultural and technological research. The initiative builds upon the campus’ designation as a University of California Agricultural Experiment Station and its strong agroecology program.
Faculty and researchers affiliated with the AgTech Alliance bring expertise in diverse areas, including agro-robotics, greenhouse technologies, and aquaculture. Ongoing projects include an effort to improve leaf wetness sensors for disease prevention and a study using advanced imaging and modeling to better understand the global carbon cycle.
The initiative also aims to integrate agricultural technology into academic curricula, offering new courses and engaging students through clubs, community partnerships, and hands-on research opportunities.
Seeking Partnerships and Funding
To sustain its initiatives, the AgTech Alliance is actively seeking funding to support administrative operations, host events, and provide grant opportunities for student and faculty researchers.
The advisory board includes experts across multiple disciplines, such as Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Madeleine Fairbairn, UC ANR Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension Specialist Crystele Leauthaud, and Professor of Computer Science Engineering and Campus Director of CITRIS at UC Santa Cruz Katia Obraczka, among others.
Kickoff Event on February 27
The AgTech Alliance will officially launch with a kickoff event on February 27, where interested parties can meet the team and learn more about ongoing research projects. The event is open to anyone affiliated with UC Santa Cruz. RSVPs are requested but not required, and drop-ins are welcome.
