New Growth Industry for Region: Food
Posted by Chris Thompson - 11.22.2010
Any industry that has the promise of creating an estimated 27,000 jobs in Northeast Ohio certainly deserves attention, and that's what the agricultural sector is getting these days.
A new report issued by the partners in NEO Food Web has suggested the creation of a Northeast Ohio Food Authority to lead the effort to shift 25% of the region's food consumption to locally grown agriculture. The report is available online after registering with NEO Food Web. Crain's reporter Kathy Ames Carr highlighted the report's recommendations in this story.
The report notes that in addition to the work done by the NEO Food Web collaboration, the Ag Bio Industry Netowork led by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (and supported by the Fund for Our Economic Future) could be catalysts for a regional Food Authority.
Agriculture already is a huge industry in Northeast Ohio and the market for specialty agriculture and livestock products in the U.S. is estimated at more than $60 billion. So is the time right to create a new entity in Northeast Ohio with the mission of maximizing our region's ability to capture more of that market?
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