The Next California

California is home to much of the fruit, vegetable, and nut production in the U.S. However, a changing climate and dwindling water supplies pose a growing threat to the state’s crops. That’s why WWF is working to identify and develop additional regions for production. By diversifying the areas in which these crops are grown, we’re helping to build a more climate-resilient food system while improving America’s food security. We’re also reducing the risk of future land conversion — helping to protect critical wildlife habitat — by proactively shifting production to suitable locations already under cultivation.

Since 2019, our work has focused on the mid-Mississippi Delta, an area spanning eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, and northwest Mississippi. Home to some of the nation’s richest soils, the Delta is currently dominated by large-scale commodity crops, many grown for animal feed, which provide scant profit for many farmers. Collaborating with local partners and drawing on the region’s deep agricultural roots, we supported creation of the Delta Ag Alliance, a group of stakeholders working together to de-risk the transition from commodity to specialty crops. Our goal is to transition 3% of mid-Mississippi Delta farmland to specialty foods by 2034, creating $3.2 billion in additional farmgate revenue annually.