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California Crops Under Climate Change

California is home to a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry that provides thousands of jobs and produces more than 400 agricultural commodities, built on fertile soil, a temperate climate, and a complex network of water storage and delivery systems that have created an agricultural oasis where grasslands -- or even desert -- would naturally reside. However, with more frequent weather extremes and scientists projecting a hotter and drier future, California's agriculture is at risk. This story map provides a broad overview of California as "America's Fruit and Nut Basket," the challenges specialty crop production will face, and the potential climate-adaptive opportunities that can support California agriculture in an uncertain future.