Now Introducing

An OSA Call to Action

Priority Initiatives

Full Report
Executive Summary
News Coverage
Statements of Support
50 x '50 Challenge

I. Make Ohio agriculture and the food system a public policy priorty

    • Form and properly resource a Farm, Food, and Health Partners Alliance (a non-governmental group of stakeholders from across the spectrum of food and agriculture).
    • Create an interagency task force to align state agencies toward effective and coordinated food, health, and agricultural programs.
    • Restore state government as a marketer and champion, as well as a regulator, of agricultural goods and services (through such programs as Ohio Proud).

II. Diversify and sustainably intensify the production of food, feed, fiber, and fuel.

    • Integrate commodity with diversified, identity-preserved, value added agricultural production to enhance ecosystem services and public support for Ohio agriculture.
    • Promote workforce development and resources, such as land access, to ensure a strong agricultural economy.
    • Create a strategy to strengthen value-added woodland supply chains and create new markets for residual forestry products.

III. Use institutional buying power to ramp up demand for “Ohio Smart Food.”

    • Jump-start infrastructure development by quantifying demand for and encouraging commitment to local food purchasing by public institutions.
    • Develop an independent “foodsystem finance authority” to pay for development of processing infrastructure.​
    • Develop and pilot a small-scale, mobile meat-processing unit.
    • Regularly evaluate the foodneeds and preferences ofOhioans through surveys.

IV. Implement land-scape-scale, climate-smart agriculture strategies to ensure sustainability and abate agricultural runoff.

    • The state of Ohio and all stakeholders should, by 2020, formulate and oversee the implementation of a new statewater quality strategy that includes current public and private sector response initiatives.
    • Develop and implement a climate-smart action plan for Ohio agriculture to help farmers adapt, improve resilience, and deliver products and services that mitigate climate change impacts.
    • Track and publish statewide progress data to assure and celebrate continuous improvement.