Agricultural Technology
Watch Our Region’s AgTech Innovation Video
Agri-business leaders like H.M.Clause, Bayer Crop Science, and Monsanto know the value of the Central Valley. Revolutionary technology is developed and implemented here every day. And these industry innovators have a significant presence in Greater Sacramento, the heart of the Central Valley region.
Major food processing companies like Pacific Coast Producers and Nippon Shokken recognize the economic benefits of processing and packing food products when they are at their most fresh. Food manufacturer San Francisco Spice Co. moved its operations from San Francisco to Woodland in part to be closer to its supply chain, but also to take advantage of the significant cost savings of doing business in Greater Sacramento.
World Food & Agriculture Innovation Zone
California’s Capital Region contains the World Food & Agriculture Innovation Zone, a discovery-to-distribution network in the heart of California’s Central Valley. The World Food & Agriculture Innovation Zone builds tech and biotech solutions that are used worldwide.
Education & Scientific Innovation
UC Davis is the #2 university in the world for agricultural studies. The City of Davis is #2 in the United States in educational attainment, second only to Palo Alto
Farming & Cultivation
Yolo County had a gross agricultural value of $662 million in 2016. Top commodities in Yolo County include processing tomatoes, almonds, walnuts, and grapes.
Food Processing
The World Food & Agriculture Innovation Zone is also one of the top locations in the world for developing and teaching food safety standards.
Food Packaging & Distribution
The City of West Sacramento provides food packaging and distribution to the World Food & Agriculture Innovation Zone. Anchored by the deep water Port of West Sacramento, West Sacramento is a global food industry hub.
Building Healthier Outcomes from the Global Food System
The World Food Center bridges the gap between farm & health
Grow California’s Innovation Economy
The World Food Center showcases investment opportunities in food and agtech, and shapes ideas into marketable products. A main goal of the Center is to explore public-private partnerships between UC Davis and outside entities.
Uncovering Sustainable Solutions
The World Center is at the nexus of water & energy efficiency, where resource, innovation, and policymaking work together to balance demands on our environment and our resources.
Connecting Global Excellence to the Public
The World Food Center works to leverage the international reputation and networks of UC Davis to bring forward solutions locally and globally
The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine & Food Science
Funded Through $25m Gift by Robert G. Mondavi
Robert Mondavi was a California vineyard operator whose technical improvements and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition to the wines of Napa Valley. The mission of Robert Mondavi’s gift was to provide a prestigious form of collaboration for the Departments of Viticulture & Enology and Food Science & Technology.
Department of Viticulture & Enology
The Mondavi Institute for Wine & Food Science also houses the world’s largest and most productive academic research program in the study of grapes and wine.
Department of Food Science & Technology
This department at UC Davis provides the most highly published and cited US research in food science. The school is the only academic institution in California that offers a Ph.D. in Food Science.
Mondavi Institute’s Areas of Expertise
The Mondavi Institute’s areas of expertise include the study of foods for health and quality of life; food and microorganism interface; food analysis and material properties; sensory science; and malting and brewing science.
UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Agricultural Innovation
The seed capital provided for agriculture innovation begins at UC Davis. The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is a world leader in researching and developing technological and innovative solutions to increase crop yields and explore ways to use water most efficiently.
Drones & Biotechnology
Drone technology and biotechnology firms thrive in Greater Sacramento. Proximity to Silicon Valley allows these companies to maintain their edge, while lower cost, more space, and a marketplace at their doorstep allows them to become highly profitable.
Agricultural Technology
Agriculture technology companies have access to all the ingredients necessary to develop the innovative strategies and bring those strategies to market in Greater Sacramento. Access to one of the world’s top agriculture universities, some of the most bountiful soil on the planet, and a distribution chain that includes rail, road, air, and sea.
Seed Central
Seed Central is a combined academic and industry initiative at UC Davis to build on the strength of the university as one of the strongest life sciences, food, and agricultural programs in the world. The Sacramento Region is well positioned to continue growing as the “go-to” location for food technology research. Its location in Northern California’s Central Valley places it in the largest agricultural region in the U.S. and the hub of technology innovation and investment in the U.S., and progressive policy affecting the industry is being established in the capital of California on an ongoing basis.



AgStart Food & AgTech Business Incubator
AgStart is a non-profit organization that cultivates the ag solutions of tomorrow and helps transition these solutions from concept to commercialization by providing crucial connectivity between agritech startups, forward-thinking growers, astute investors, and inspired researchers.
Brings Multiple Disciplines Together
Combines the expertise and resources of agricultural science, technology, practical farming and growing, business investors and management, as well as startup and scale-up expertise.
Agricultural Entrepreneurship
Teaches entities from multiple disciplines how to become successful entrepreneurs, and helps build a mentorship network.

America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital
Sacramento is America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. Food doesn’t get much farm-fresh than when you indulge in the Sacramento Region. With an enormous variety of regionally-grown crops, one of the most extensive craft beer networks on the West Coast, and some of the best wineries in California, there’s no excuse for not being a foodie.
We’re a Big Coffee Town
California’s capital city was ranked the #1 destination for coffee in the world by travel website Matador. There are almost as many different roasts as there are coffee houses.
Farm-to-Fork Celebration
Sacramento becomes the foodie capital of the world during the Farm-to-Fork Celebration in September, and keeps building throughout the year with dozens of regional events.