Sustaining Agriculture & a Healthy Food Supply

As states in the region lose hundreds of acres of farmland each day, the Institute takes a systems approach to farm and food policy by developing policy recommendations that build links between producers and consumers, focusing on sustainable agriculture and water quality protection. Agriculture, the Northeast-Midwest region’s largest single industry, contributes tens of billions of dollars in revenue to our economy each year (and billions more in total economic impact) and it has earned the region a worldwide reputation for quality. With some of the richest farmland in the country, the Northeast-Midwest region offers some of the highest quality agricultural products available worldwide, including: produce, dairy, commodities, meats, nursery products, and hardwood goods. The region has also been a consistent source over the decades of many innovative practices in the areas of agricultural production and marketing, resource conservation, food distribution, and food assistance. The goal of this work is to advance a more equitable and sustainable farm and food sector. Toward that end, the Institute works closely with members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and the Northeast-Midwest Coalitions, as well as staff from federal and state agriculture agencies.