Current Projects

Promoting Positive Farm Labor Practices on California Farms
Based on our recent case study research highlighting sustainable farms with positive farm labor conditions, CIRS is conducting a series of workshops promoting the adoption of improved farm labor practices among growers throughout California. Funding for this effort has been provided by the Columbia Foundation, the Western Center for Risk Management Education and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

Promoting Sustainable Water Conservation Practices in California Agriculture
Irrigated agriculture is by far the leading consumer of developed water in California, accounting for 80% of total use. Current trends are depleting our rivers and groundwater reserves. With funding from the Compton Foundation, CIRS is conducting case study research highlighting California farms implementing a range of water conservation practices. The case study findings will inform the development of a water conservation policy platform currently being developed by the Polaris Institute, with funding from the Columbia Foundation.

 

Organic Transitions

With funding from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) and in collaboration with University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), CIRS is currently conducting a survey of California growers that have discontinued registration with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Organic Program. The survey comes as a follow-up to previous research consisting of telephone interviews with conventional, mixed and deregistered growers. The purpose of this research is to identify the main reasons growers stop farming organically and to identify types of support to help organic growers continue farming organically. The results will be available in Summer 2007.

 

Labor Conditions in Organic Agriculture

With funding from the Columbia Foundation, CIRS is currently conducting a survey of farm labor conditions on organic farms in California. The survey comes as a follow-up to previous research consisting of case studies with 12 California farms with a reputation for positive workplace conditions. The research will gauge the extent to which organic agriculture is currently able to offer socially equitable farm labor conditions and will also identify areas for improvement. With growing consumer interest in food from farms with good labor conditions, this represents a win-win for growers and farmworkers.

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Farmworker Food Security

In collaboration with University of California Cooperative Extension, Building Food Security Working Group and with funding from the California Nutrition Network, CIRS is currently engaged in Year 3 of a 4 year effort to improve diet and nutrition among farmworkers in California’s Central Valley. In conjunction with Fotonovelas del Valle, we are developing a 3-part “telenovela” style Spanish-language video promoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption, reduced fat intake and reduced consumption of non-diet sodas. The video will be disseminated during Year 4 and an impact evaluation will be conducted.

 

This project follows on an assessment of food security among farmworkers in Fresno County that CIRS carried out during Years 1 and 2. In collaboration with the University of California Cooperative Extension Building Food Security Work Group and Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, and with funding from the California Nutrition Network and the Community Food and Nutrition Program, CIRS conducted a survey with Fresno County farmworkers to assess hunger, diet and nutrition, access to food assistance programs, barriers to food security, and means of increasing food security. Face-to-face interviews were completed with 450 farmworkers during the winter and summer of 2005. A sub-sample of 60 Mixteco farmworkers was also included in the analysis. This Power Point presents preliminary findings from the surveys. The final report will be available in early 2008.

 

Click here to download a Power Point presentation on the assessment findings.

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ALBA Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Assistance The Agriculture and Land Based Training Association (ALBA) has contracted with CIRS to develop an internal monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system that will allow ALBA to track the progress of its different programs and initiatives, identify outcomes and highlight areas for improvement. Through this process, CIRS will identify and operationalize outcomes and indicators and will develop data collection tools and methodologies that ALBA can use to track its progress.

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Central Valley Air Quality Coalition (CVAQ)

With funding from The California Endowment, CIRS will be conducting a three-year evaluation of the Central Valley Air Quality (CVAQ) Coalition , a partnership of more than 70 community, medical, public health, environmental and environmental justice organizations dedicated to improving air quality in the San Joaquin Valley through policy advocacy, leadership development and public education about the health impacts of air pollution. The evaluation will identify programmatic outcomes as well as the impacts of a broad-based collaborative effort as a means of promoting environmental justice in the Central Valley.

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Promotores Communitarios de Salud Evaluation

In collaboration with Harder+Company Community Research, CIRS is conducting a 3-year evaluation of The California Endowment's Promotores Communitarios de Salud Strategy, a grassroots education and mobilization strategy for improving community health. The strategy, which is being implemented in eight agricultural communities throughout California, utilizes a popular education approach to help agricultural workers and other community residents understand and respond to physical and social environmental threats to their health. The evaluation will identify community level outcomes and provide on-going feedback to improve project design and implementation.

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