The University of California, Davis has announced that philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners of the Wonderful Company, have pledged $50 million for an agriculture and environmental sustainability center.

The largest gift made by individual donors in the university’s history will establish the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation, a 40,000-square-foot, LEED-certified, state-of-the-art hub, which will house classrooms, research and lab spaces, and student career and advising support near the current plant sciences. In addition, $10 million of the gift will be directed toward annual competitive research grants through the Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund, which will promote cross-collaboration and strengthen the network among research faculty, agricultural producers, food companies, pharmaceutical companies, commodity boards, and other key stakeholders.

To that end, the effort will unite experts from across UC Davis focused on five thematic research areas, including identifying innovative solutions for agricultural byproducts, maximizing water and energy efficiencies, developing next-generation technologies, making crops more resilient and sustainable in the face of a rapidly changing climate, and expanding access to nutritious food. Ultimately, the center will explore new ways of balancing food production with leading sustainability practices while advancing the global agricultural industry with scalable solutions. Design on the Resnick Center is expected to begin in 2022, with construction slated for completion by 2026.

“Protecting and preserving our planet for the future means we must take bold steps and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Stewart Resnick, who is also a member of the UC Davis chancellor’s board of advisors. “UC Davis is at the forefront of tackling climate change, developing groundbreaking technologies and solutions to reduce our collective carbon footprint, and creating a more sustainable agriculture system. This gift aims to help our greatest scientific minds rise to the great challenge of our time—the sustainability of our planet for future generations. Lynda, I, and the Wonderful Company are proud to partner with UC Davis to support this all-important work.”

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