The Next California PHASE II: Preparing for Action 1

The report outlines a multi-phase strategy to establish a specialty crop industry in the Mid-Mississippi Delta (Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee) as a climate-resilient alternative to California's production. It identifies suitable crops, analyzes labor and infrastructure gaps, and proposes innovative, equity-focused business models to ensure wealth creation for underserved farmers. The project has transitioned from research to action through the 'Collective Impact Framework' and the launch of the Delta Harvest pilot project.

• California's dominance in specialty crops is becoming unsustainable due to "water scarcity, catastrophic wildfires, increasingly extreme weather, and labor challenges," necessitating a shift in some food production.
• The Mid-Mississippi Delta is highly suitable for specialty rice, as it is already a production hub with the necessary human capital and high water-holding capacity, making it a prime candidate for shifting production from California.
• Other viable crops for the region include specialty soybeans (edamame), specialty corn (popcorn, blue, sweet corn), and grains like quinoa, amaranth, teff, and millet, as well as vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, peas, and pumpkins.
• Fruit production faces significant hurdles in the Delta due to infrastructure and geography, though blueberries, peaches, muscadine grapes, and blackberries are identified as potentially suitable.
• A major labor gap exists; the Delta would require "thousands of additional workers" to match California's annual specialty crop labor force, particularly in support activities like soil preparation and pest control.
• Racial inequity is a critical barrier in the Delta, where Black farmers own only 1% of farmland, and their farms are only one-fifth the average size and earn just 33% per acre compared to all farms.
• The project aims to mitigate the risk of land conversion—where natural ecosystems are transformed into farmland—by intentionally directing production to the Delta rather than allowing unplanned expansion into natural habitats.
• To ensure equitable wealth creation, the report proposes innovative ownership and funding models, including perpetual purpose trusts (PPT), reverse convertible notes, and 'hub and spoke' models.
• Buyers are increasingly concerned about supply chain security due to California's erratic weather and are showing a greater willingness to engage in long-term contracts to secure supply from new regions.
• The 'Delta Harvest' pilot, launched in January 2024, focuses on specialty rice grown by Black and women farmers to demonstrate the project's goals of nutrition, equity, and climate-friendliness.
• The project has adopted the 'Collective Impact Framework' to coordinate a network of stakeholders toward a common agenda of creating a sustainable and equitable specialty crop industry.
• Environmental risks in the Delta include increased pesticide and fungicide use due to the humid climate, as well as potential energy and waste increases from new processing infrastructure.

APA

Cooper, C., Malone, T., & Moberg, E. (2024). The Next California PHASE II: Preparing for Action 1. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/179/1h3mk9kjn5_NextCA_PhaseII_TC0809AllHyperlinks_FINAL_DELTA_HARVEST.pdf

Chicago

Cooper, Courtney, Trey Malone, and Emily Moberg. The Next California PHASE II: Preparing for Action 1. WWF International, 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/179/1h3mk9kjn5_NextCA_PhaseII_TC0809AllHyperlinks_FINAL_DELTA_HARVEST.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cooper |first1=Courtney |last2=Malone |first2=Trey |last3=Moberg |first3=Emily |title=The Next California PHASE II: Preparing for Action 1 |publisher=WWF International |date=May 2024 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/179/1h3mk9kjn5_NextCA_PhaseII_TC0809AllHyperlinks_FINAL_DELTA_HARVEST.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cooper2024next, author = {Cooper, Courtney and Malone, Trey and Moberg, Emily}, title = {{The Next California PHASE II: Preparing for Action 1}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/179/1h3mk9kjn5_NextCA_PhaseII_TC0809AllHyperlinks_FINAL_DELTA_HARVEST.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }