Team Pennsylvania Releases “The Pennsylvania Agriculture Economic Analysis 2025” on National Agriculture Day, Highlighting Strengths and Growth Opportunities for PA’s Agriculture Sector
HARRISBURG – March 18, 2025 – Today — National Agriculture Day — Team Pennsylvania Foundation released The Pennsylvania Agriculture Economic Analysis 2025, an in-depth report of Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Sector from 2012-2022. The report’s findings underscore agriculture’s crucial role in the state and national economy, analyzing on-farm production, processing, and manufacturing clusters to assess their efficiency, competitiveness, and growth opportunities.
“Today, on National Agriculture Day, Pennsylvania is celebrating our progress and the investments we are making to shape our future,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “This study gives us critical information we need as state government to make sure we are investing in where we are going in Pennsylvania agriculture, not in where we’ve been. This is a springboard for a deeper dive into the trends, challenges, and opportunities that will inform our economic development strategy in the coming months and years.”
The report highlights key trends, such as job declines in clusters like crop and forestry
processing, alongside gross state product (GSP) growth in food and alcohol processing
clusters, stressing the need to understand the specific forces driving these shifts. It also
identifies intra-state supply chain gaps, underscoring opportunities to strengthen in-state
sourcing. With strong domestic and international trade ties, Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector is well-positioned for future growth—provided it continues advancing efficiency, infrastructure, and market expansion.
“Pennsylvania Agriculture is a complex and critical component of our economy, and this report reaffirms Pennsylvania’s leadership in the sector while providing insights to ensure continued growth,” said Abby Smith, President & CEO of Team Pennsylvania. “As the state’s nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to accelerating economic growth, Team Pennsylvania is committed to transforming these insights into action through public-private collaboration.”
Building on previous studies commissioned by Team Pennsylvania in partnership with the
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, this report offers a deeper analysis of Pennsylvania’s agriculture and agriculture-related manufacturing subsectors, highlighting key supply chain strengths and vulnerabilities while benchmarking against peer states. This report equips stakeholders with the information needed to catalyze action. Team Pennsylvania calls on stakeholders to leverage these insights to drive investment, innovation, and policy advancements aimed at advancing Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Sector for generations to come.
“As co-founder of Painterland Sisters, a Pennsylvania Preferred Organic™ business rooted in
agriculture, I know firsthand that farming isn’t just a job—it’s a way of life. This report is like a fertilizer boost for our industry, packed with insights to help farmers, food brands, and businesses in our food supply chain grow, tell their stories, and keep Pennsylvania agriculture moo-ving forward. With strong data, we can ensure our fields stay green, our barns stay bustling, the health of our animals stays a priority, and our options for nutrient-dense foods stay diverse, while our ag community thrives for generations to come!” said Hayley Painter, Co-Founder of Painterland Sisters and Team Pennsylvania Board Director.
The Pennsylvania Agriculture Economic Analysis 2025 was funded in part by a competitive
research grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and developed with extensive input from industry leaders, public sector leaders, academia, and nonprofit organizations on Team Pennsylvania’s Advanced Agriculture Collaborative.
Team Pennsylvania will host a series of public webinars on the report, the first of which will be on April 16 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Registration is required, please register here.
Access Team Pennsylvania’s Executive Summary and the Full Report here.
Learn more about Team Pennsylvania’s Advanced Agriculture Collaborative by emailing
agriculture@teampa.com.