Industries
Agri-food tech

Nestled at the epicenter of California’s agricultural heartland, Greater Sacramento is innovating across the supply chain, from farming to food processing to food and plant science. The region’s industry is fueled by an ever-growing pipeline of plant and food scientists from UC Davis—the #1 agricultural sciences university in the U.S.
#1
ag science university in the U.S.
2x
U.S. average concentration of biological scientists
1.8x
U.S. average concentration of life scientists
Sources: World University Rankings 2025, JobsEQ
Global leaders in the region








Agri-food tech specialties
- Plant and seed research
- Microbiome and enzyme research
- Alternative and cultivated proteins
- Farm robotics


Expertise across the supply chain
From discovery to distribution, foodtech and agtech solutions are built in Greater Sacramento for use worldwide. Experts across the industry have clustered in the region, facilitating connections and catalyzing innovation.
Agricultural inputs
International leaders like Bayer Crop Science, BASF, Novenesis and Syngenta host plant science and biotech research and development operations in Greater Sacramento.
Food production
Greater Sacramento is home to renowned producers like FRC, Muller Ranch and Morning Star. The region’s millions of acres of farmland produce billions in agricultural value. Top crops include wine grapes, processed tomatoes, walnuts, almonds and rice.
Food processing
The region is home to 200+ food processing businesses including industry leaders like Pacific Coast Producers, Nippon Shokken, Blue Diamond Almonds and Sunsweet.
Retail
Two grocery retail leaders, Raley’s and Nugget Markets, have their headquarters in Greater Sacramento, offering companies a direct line to bring their products to market.
Home of UC Davis, the country’s top ag science university
UC Davis is among the most published and cited U.S. research universities in agricultural, environmental, food and soil sciences. UC Davis has more than 2,300 acres devoted to agricultural research and teaching. The university is also home to the world’s largest and most productive academic research program in the study of grapes and wine.
#2
for plant and animal sciences in the world
$1 billion
in research funding
Sources: U.S. News & World Report 2025, QS World University Rankings 2025, UC Davis
UC Davis food and ag competencies and partnership opportunities:
- Technology transfer and economic development through patents, licensing and entrepreneurship
- Research on and production of clean plant materials for agricultural production
- Development of insect-resistant grape varieties for the wine industry
- Establishment of air quality standards with California’s Central Valley dairy industry
- Development of food safety partnerships with leafy-green growers
- Facilitation of growth in California’s seed industry
Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
UC Davis’ Robert Mondavi Institute hosts world-class research and teaching facilities, including the world’s first winery, brewery and food and dairy processing facility certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum. The institute is home to three centers facilitating industry, research and educational efforts related to olives, honey and pollination and wine economics.
Additional foodtech and agtech asssets
The March Fund
The March Fund is an early-late stage foodtech venture capital fund headquartered in Greater Sacramento that focuses on transformative biotechnologies, machine intelligence and nutrition product businesses.
Food & Ag Council
GSEC’s Food & Ag Council is comprised of esteemed industry professionals focused on aligning industry assets and resources, providing leadership on policy and initiatives and identifying new sources of capital for the industry.
Seed Central
Seed Central is a public-private partnership that facilitates communication and research between UC Davis and the seed and ag-biotech industry (including some 100 seed-related companies surrounding the university) to bring science to market faster.
iCAMP
UC Davis’ iCAMP (Integrative Center for Alternative Meat & Protein) is the first center of excellence dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of plant, fungal, fermentation and cell-based alternative meat and proteins to address global food security.

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