Our Mission

Our mission is to work toward a rural California that is socially just, economically balanced, and environmentally sustainable.  Each of these elements is integral to the larger goal of sustainable development.  As a non-profit research organization, we are committed to pursuing these long-term goals through sound empirical research that is directly relevant to progressive social change.  While our commitment to the scientific method is at the foundation of our credibility, we recognize the inescapable role that values play in shaping the fundamental questions that researchers pose.  Our philosophy of science is therefore based on the principle that scientific inquiry should consciously serve the long-term public interest.