AGRICULTURE
Since the commonwealth’s founding, agriculture has played a critical role in its development, not only as a defining feature of our state’s culture, but as a pillar of our economy. Today, our agriculture industries generate $132.5B in annual economic impact and support 1 out of every 10 jobs in the state. By many measures, Pennsylvania is a leader in food and agriculture.
Team Pennsylvania’s work in public-private partnership accelerates economic growth for agriculture by convening a Cross-Sector Collaborative of business leaders and policymakers, with support from academic, non-profits, and labor. In partnership with the PA Department of Agriculture, we work to ensure that agriculture is a priority for state-level investment and economic growth.
Pennsylvania can and should be a regional, national, and global leader in agriculture so it remains a vibrant part of our state’s economy for generations to come.
Agriculture Economic Impact Studies
In 2018, we released the “Pennsylvania Agriculture: A Look at the Economic Impact and Future Trends” report – a first-of-its-kind analysis that provided a state-level working definition of ‘agriculture’, quantified economic and workforce impacts, and outlined policy and industry recommendations for a thriving future.
The analysis was updated in 2021 to benchmark trends for industry subsectors, as well as examine the impact of programs from the Pennsylvania Farm Bill and the COVID-19 pandemic. This version of the report provided leaders with recommendations on critical next steps for economic recovery.
This type of third-party, nonpartisan data advances Pennsylvania’s economy by identifying high-growth economic opportunities for the state and informing long-term systems change. As such, we will continue to assess the economic impact of agriculture to benchmark industry progress and identify areas primed for public-private partnership.
The Agriculture Cross-Sector Collaborative
In spring 2023, Team Pennsylvania will convene future-focused, state-level-minded leaders from public, private, and non-governmental organizations who are committed to an abundant, safe, and sustainable food supply for all Pennsylvanians while unlocking global, long-term solutions.
Interested in learning more about our agriculture work or getting involved?
Contact Kelly Kundratic, Agriculture Policy Director at agriculture@teampa.com.