Water, environment, and socioeconomic justice in California: A multi-benefit cropland repurposing framework

Fernandez‐Bou, Angel Santiago; Rodríguez-Flores, José M.; Guzman, Alexander; Ortiz‐Partida, J. Pablo; Classen-Rodríguez, Leticia; Sánchez-Pérez, P.A.; Valero-Fandino, Jorge; Pells, Chantelise; Flores-Landeros, Humberto; Sandoval-Solís, Samuel; Charaklis, Gregory W.; Harmon, Thomas C.; McCullough, Michael E.; Medellín–Azuara, Josué

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159963

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Therefore, our findings support the notion that extensive fallowing or land retirement may be essential to achieve substantial reduction targets in areas with severe overdrafts 42 , 43 . Considering the risk of increased dust from unused land, repurposing such areas for habitat restoration, flood water capture for groundwater replenishment 44 , solar energy production, or sustainable industrial development 45 could mitigate the economic impacts of land retirement for both farmers and local communities. Detailed agricultural ET maps like the ones generated for this study can help determine the scale of land repurposing needed and identify priority areas for such initiatives under different constraints, including existing water rights 46 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field-scale crop water consumption estimates reveal potential water savings in California agriculture

Boser,

Caylor,

Larsen

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

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Efficiently managing agricultural irrigation is vital for food security today and into the future under climate change. Yet, evaluating agriculture’s hydrological impacts and strategies to reduce them remains challenging due to a lack of field-scale data on crop water consumption. Here, we develop a method to fill this gap using remote sensing and machine learning, and leverage it to assess water saving strategies in California’s Central Valley. We find that switching to lower water intensity crops can reduce consumption by up to 93%, but this requires adopting uncommon crop types. Northern counties have substantially lower irrigation efficiencies than southern counties, suggesting another potential source of water savings. Other practices that do not alter land cover can save up to 11% of water consumption. These results reveal diverse approaches for achieving sustainable water use, emphasizing the potential of sub-field scale crop water consumption maps to guide water management in California and beyond.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field-scale crop water consumption estimates reveal potential water savings in California agriculture

Boser,

Caylor,

Larsen

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

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“…Policymakers can support small and medium-sized farmers who are exposed to more financial and climate risk than large farms [66]. Small farms often have larger levels of crop diversity [67] and may be able to more easily pivot to new farming practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Together, these changes can have significant impacts for surrounding communities and contribute to environmental justice goals [44]. For example, in regions like California, where unsustainable water use for agriculture is driving a need for cropland repurposing, AVS may contribute to reducing water consumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other adaptations include idling land, although this solution comes at the detriment of growers' livelihoods and billions of dollars of lost revenues [43]. There is thus growing interest in ways to repurpose land while maximizing public benefits [44], including by converting portions of farmland to solar arrays [44,45]. These changes in the agricultural landscape, and the importance of the agriculture and solar power sectors, make AVS particularly relevant to California.…”

Section: Californiamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Drivers of agrivoltaic perception in California and North Carolina

Cuppari,

Fernandez-Bou,

Characklis

et al. 2024

Environ. Res.: Food Syst.

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The last decade has seen dramatic growth in solar power. In some regions, the most favorable land for solar panels is farmland, which is often flat and exposed to high levels of irradiance. At the same time, the agricultural sector is faced with growing challenges, notably changing water availability and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The combination of these trends presents an opportunity for a synergistic relationship between the agriculture and solar sectors: agrivoltaic systems (AVS). In an AVS, solar panels are placed above and between crops, such that the same land produces both food and energy. This system has beneficial microclimate impacts, such as reduced evapotranspiration. Yet, despite these benefits there has been limited uptake of AVS. One reason may be hesitation on the part of farmers, whose perceptions of AVS have been explored little. This analysis seeks to address part of this gap by exploring the relationship between farmer perceptions and interest in AVS. A Likert scale survey was designed and distributed to farmers across two large, agriculturally productive states, North Carolina and California. Responses from the 41 participants who fully completed the survey suggest that farmers who perceive AVS as diversifying their income or whose goals include reducing water use are the most interested in installing an AVS. Respondents also identified financial viability as a major concern, agreeing that upfront cost is a major barrier to AVS and markets as the most influential driver of crop decisions. These findings provide insights for policymakers interested in expanding AVS, particularly in response to environmental stressors, such as water scarcity and extreme weather events. They also suggest the aspects of AVS that may be most important to farmers, and most effective in encouraging AVS uptake. This information can support efforts to promote AVS, contributing to sustainable agriculture.

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Water Resources Allocation: Interactions Between Equity/Justice and Allocation Strategies

Valipour,

Ketabchi,

shali

et al. 2023

Water Resour Manage

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Water, environment, and socioeconomic justice in California: A multi-benefit cropland repurposing framework

Cited by 6 publications

References 31 publications

Field-scale crop water consumption estimates reveal potential water savings in California agriculture

Field-scale crop water consumption estimates reveal potential water savings in California agriculture

Drivers of agrivoltaic perception in California and North Carolina

Water Resources Allocation: Interactions Between Equity/Justice and Allocation Strategies

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