
About
UC Santa Cruz has a rich history of leadership in sustainable agriculture. The foundation of the UCSC AgTech Alliance traces back to a 2020 convening of faculty from across campus, who came together to envision the future of agricultural technology on campus and beyond.
What we do

Research
The AgTech Alliance leads research in key areas, including:
- Agro-robotics
- Aquaculture
- Greenhouse technologies
- Sensing and imaging

Outreach
- Talks and seminars showcasing AgTech innovations
- Poster sessions highlighting student and faculty research
- Social hours for networking and idea sharing
- Events to engage the broader campus community
- Public events and workshops
- Collaboration with local organizations

Educational opportunities
- Integrating AgTech into existing UCSC courses
- Engaging student clubs
- Investigating seed funding for student AgTech projects
- Offering hands-on research opportunities for students
- Expanding workforce development through industry and community partnerships
Uniquely positioned to lead

Our approach
UC Santa Cruz’s history in agriculture dates back to 1967. Since then, we have continued to expand and build on the success of our strong educational focus on organic soil management, alternative pest control measures, water conservation, biodiversity, and more recently, innovative agriculture technology.
We lead with cross-divisional collaboration that pairs technical expertise with a deep commitment to addressing social and environmental challenges.
Agricultural Experiment Station
In November 2022, UCSC joined a nationwide, federally funded network of Agricultural Experiment Stations that study potential improvements to food systems and deliver useful innovations to farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture and food production. New state and federal funding through this designation will support more groundbreaking research on our campus, including in AgTech.
The UC Santa Cruz campus is strategically located near leading agricultural production regions and Silicon Valley’s technical hub. Our access to cutting-edge research centers, including the Center for Agroecology, positions us to experiment collaboratively on innovative research with positive impact.


Integrated expertise
The AgTech Alliance at UC Santa Cruz was launched with help from the Institute for Social Transformation, CITRIS, and Baskin Engineering, as part of our campus’s participation in the Public Interest Technology University Network. Our efforts in the AgTech space are growing rapidly.