Davis highlight
Agricultural research
UC Davis is a leading center for agricultural research and innovation, with specialized programs in plant genetics, food science, animal research, and sustainable agriculture.
Agricultural research has been central to UC Davis's mission since its founding as an agricultural college. The university's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences operates extensive research facilities and programs devoted to improving California's agricultural productivity and sustainability. The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, founded at UC Davis, conducts research and education in wine, brewing and food production. UC Davis researchers have developed significant improvements to California crops, including advances in strawberry and chardonnay grape genetics, rice breeding, and specialized research in animal agriculture.
The research conducted at UC Davis extends across the full span of agricultural production, from soil and water management to crop genetics to post-harvest technology. The university's commitment to 'multidisciplinary, collaborative' research means that undergraduate and graduate students work alongside accomplished researchers on problems that have real-world application: improving crop yields, developing sustainable practices, and addressing food security. This research has direct economic impact on California's agricultural industry, which remains one of the most productive regions in the world.
Families in agricultural communities and in the Central Valley understand that the work of farming—whether corporate or small-scale—involves real risk and long planning horizons. A grower, a farm worker, a business owner who depends on the agricultural economy benefits from insurance protection that covers the years when income is essential and exposure to loss is greatest. Term insurance, sized to cover those years and then to end, matches the rhythm of agricultural work and family need.