The Next California Phase II: Preparing for Action

California dominates commercial agriculture production in the US, growing more than two-thirds of fruits and nuts and nearly half of all vegetables, but this is increasingly unsustainable. As the climate continues to change, some food production will need to shift.

WWF has been working to build a sustainable and equitable commercial-level specialty crop industry in the Mid-Mississippi Delta (western Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas) to ease the pressure on California, avoid land conversion (transforming natural ecosystems to farmland) elsewhere in the country, and create an equitable engine of growth in the Delta region.

The Phase I report examined the major opportunities and hurdles of such a shift in the Delta. This Phase II report outlines all work on the project to date, providing context on farming in the region today and a vision for the future. It candidly discusses potential challenges to and unintended consequences of large-scale implementation. The report also explores proven successes of innovative business and finance models, and opportunities to break into large markets, concluding with next steps for Phase III of the project.