The Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research Center – or CLEAR Center – is using research and extension to advance sustainability in animal agriculture.
Working for a better tomorrow
The CLEAR Center is led by Dr. Frank Mitloehner and based in the Department of Animal Science, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis. The CLEAR Center leverages its two cores, research and extension, to help the animal agriculture sector operate more efficiently in order to meet the demands of a growing population while it lessens its impact on the environment and climate. Research topics, among many, include quantifying and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.
Aside from being a professor and mentor at UC Davis, Dr. Mitloehner is a UC cooperative extension specialist. UC cooperative extension is best described as a vast network of UC researchers and educators who work together to develop and provide science-based information to solve important economic, agricultural, natural resource, youth development and nutrition issues locally and beyond.
Collaboration with animal agriculture is key
In keeping with the spirit of collaboration, we have formed an advisory board made up of various companies in the agricultural sector. In order to formulate and implement real-world solutions, it’s important for us to understand a variety of opinions and beliefs, and to build trust and respect among the many stakeholders in the industry. The board is a valuable resource to us. Although it has no governing authority over the CLEAR Center, like all good partners, it informs us and continually challenges us to push the limits of our ideas.
About CLEAR Center funding
While building foundational support, the CLEAR Center receives funding through State of California agencies, UC Davis, UCANR and philanthropy. Dr. Mitloehner’s position is funded through the University of California. He divides his time between teaching, researching, and engaging with the public and animal agriculture sectors as part of his cooperative extension work. Funding for research can be found on Dr. Mitloehner's CV.
The CLEAR Center also receives philanthropic gifts, including from Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), which is the public charity of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA). IFEEDER is committed to furthering the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship. IFEEDER’s support does not influence the CLEAR Center’s research. The CLEAR Center has also received two-years of grant funding from the National Pork Board.
We’re in this together
With a clear goal of helping the animal agriculture sector become more sustainable, we work closely with those in the food supply chain. Our collaborations with the agriculture sector highlight the trust producers and various organizations have in the work done at the CLEAR Center. That trust is key to implementing solutions that will help us fight climate change and address other serious issues.
The CLEAR Center actively conducts field work on farms to find real solutions that reverberate throughout the industry. We are steadfast in our belief that if we want to create a food system that encourages personal and planetary health, policymakers, researchers, the agriculture sector and NGOs must all have a seat at the table.
Thank you for your interest in the CLEAR Center. We hope you’ll join us on this important journey.
For inquiries, please contact Joe Proudman, associate director for communications, at jproudman@ucdavis.edu. You can find information about digital assets here.