Newsom Announces $81 Million for Climate-Smart Agriculture Across 55 California Counties
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced at the COP31 United Nations climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 13 that California will invest $81 million in climate-smart agriculture projects across 55 counties, helping California farmers save water, improve soil health, cut pollution and build resilience to drought and climate change. The funding will be delivered through the California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), with local partners helping farmers access the funding and put climate-smart practices to work. The Governor's Office said the Trump administration has canceled a $3.1 billion federal program that helped farmers cut emissions and improve soil.
Newsom said California agriculture feeds the country and its farmers are already dealing with a hotter, drier climate, and that the state is backing them with proven tools to save water, build healthier soils, cut pollution and keep farms productive for the long haul, calling it practical, measurable climate policy built around the people doing the work.
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said building a healthier, more resilient food system starts with supporting the farmers who grow the food, and that through initiatives such as Farm to School, California is connecting that work to the next generation. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said California voters recognized the importance of investing in climate resilience when they approved the climate bond in 2024, and that the funds will help ensure farmers and ranchers have the tools, technical assistance and regional support needed to improve water efficiency, increase soil health and support long-term sustainability.
According to results released by the Governor's Office, SWEEP has supported more than 1,300 on-farm projects since 2014 to improve irrigation water and energy use efficiency, reducing 1 million metric tons of CO2e and conserving 1.5 million acre-feet of water. Since 2017, the Healthy Soils Program has funded more than 2,300 on-farm projects, reducing 1.6 million metric tons of CO2e, equal to removing about 370,000 cars from the road for a year. Together, the two programs have cut emissions equal to removing 610,000 cars from the road, impacted nearly 390,000 acres and provided over $320 million in grants to producers for climate-smart agriculture.
The $81 million comes from Proposition 4, the $10 billion climate bond California voters approved in 2024. The bond includes $300 million for climate-smart agriculture, including $65 million to improve soil health and store more carbon in the ground and $40 million for SWEEP, which helps farmers save water and energy. The Governor's Office said the list of awardees and their service areas will be posted on the CDFA website, and that the awards are tentative until CDFA receives approval through the bond accountability process.
California is the nation's leading agricultural producer, growing more than 400 commodities and supplying nearly half of the country's vegetables and over three-quarters of its fruits and nuts, and it produces about 20 percent of the nation's milk. In 2025, California agriculture generated $64.7 billion in sales, accounting for 11 percent of total U.S. agricultural sales, and exported $26.1 billion in goods, according to the Governor's Office.
(Source: Office of the Governor of California)
Source: Office of the Governor of California
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州州长 Gavin Newsom 在 COP31 联合国气候变化大会记者会上发言。加州州长办公室官方图。 / Photo: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a COP31 UN Climate Change Conference press conference. Official photo, Office of the Governor of California.
