California State University Consortium for International Development

Capabilities of the Consortium

The California State University Consortium for International Development provides specific expertise in four critical areas:

Horticulture Sector Development
An obvious strength of the Consortium is that each of the five campuses is located in different agricultural regions, each with its own horticulture production profile. Therefore, Consortium experts can provide farmer-to-farmer technology transfer on a wide variety of horticulture commodities that include orchards, crops, vineyards, grains, fruit and vegetables. In addition, each campus has its own experimental/production farms, biotechnology labs, disease and pest labs, green houses and nurseries. These state-of-the-art facilities are fully capable of implementing train-the-trainer programs. In addition, Consortium member campuses work closely with the business sector and with community experts, who are often called upon to participate in development projects.

Irrigation and Water Resource Management
This is perhaps one area in which three out of the five campuses in the Consortium have excelled on the national and international arenas. For example, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo houses the Irrigation Training and Research Center; California State University, Fresno is the home of the Center for Irrigation Technology and California State Polytechnic, Pomona houses the Institute for Irrigation Research and Evaluation. Combined, these centers have implemented sustainable irrigation projects throughout the globe and trained foreign irrigation technologists to assume responsibility for these projects. In addition, as a function of their missions, these institutions conduct applied research which focuses on problem solving with regional-appropriate technology.

Animal Health Services and Animal Science
The Animal Science Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo houses production, testing and processing facilities for beef cattle, swine, sheep and poultry. Artificial insemination and embryo transfer are widely used for herds improvement. California State University, Fresno has a 4,000 acre research range closely affiliated with the industry in the San Joaquin Valley. The California State University, Pomona campus is also renowned for its expertise in equine through its Equine Research Center. In addition, dairy husbandry is a major industry in California and therefore expertise in dairy production and processing is available in at least three out of the five campuses.

Forestry, Natural Resource Management, and Conservation Education
Humboldt State University, Arcata is the leading institution in the state, if not in the country, which devotes its resources to the study and preservation of the environment and natural resources. This campus utilizes cross disciplines expertise to address forestry and natural resource management issues under the leadership of the College of Natural Resources and Sciences. In addition, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo houses the Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute. California State University, Chico has also identified the area of Extensive Lands Management Restoration as a priority applied research area.

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