The main vineyard at the University of California, Davis, currently relies on 4 to 6 gallons of water to produce each gallon of wine. As soon as next year, researchers hope new technologies can reduce that vineyard demand to as little as 1 gallon of water per gallon of wine.

Ten large, shiny tanks stand near the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at UC Davis, holding more than a year of rainwater and the key to processing food and drink during a drought. The water tanks, and the teaching-and-research winery they support, are showing students and winemakers throughout the world how to reduce processing costs, improve wine quality, and protect the planets dwindling natural resources.

An interactive forum will highlight food equity efforts in California, with a special focus on the Central Valley. Facilitated dialog between the speakers and audience will address the obstacles and opportunities for leveraging the resources and research capacity of the university to promote equitable food systems change.