OARDC to Conduct Research Study on Bio-Agriculture Industry Cluster

About 40 percent of land in Northeast Ohio is used for agriculture. This makes the growth and development of the agriculture industry essential to Advancing Northeast Ohio.

To further explore ways to expand the agricultural industry in the region, a new research study is being conducted by the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC) and partially funded by the Fund for Our Economic Future.

The OARDC, which is based in Wooster, will work with agricultural interests from across Northeast Ohio to identify opportunities to grow the region’s 2,200 farms and $8.2 billion agricultural industry. Much of the region’s agricultural output is limited to commodity products, and every year more agricultural land is lost to residential and commercial development. Expanding the region’s specialty agriculture production – ranging from locally grown foods to renewable energy crops – would result in higher incomes and job growth, and would also preserve the region’s natural assets.

The OARDC anticipates completing its work within one year and the Fund would then consider proposals to support recommendations that emerge from the work.

Download a summary of the research study below (you must login to download the report. If you have not yet registered an ANEO account, you can do so here).