How Pennsylvania’s Food and Agriculture Industry Is Driving Economic Resilience Statewide

Image from Unsplash.com courtesy of Zoe Richardson.

Agriculture is one of the world’s oldest industries. Thousands of years ago, humans discovered farming, enabling us to settle in fertile places, build societies, and create early systems of trade. Today, agricultural production operates within a complex global economy. Food grown in one location is often sold across regional, state, and national borders, while raw agricultural materials pass through multiple businesses as they are transformed into the food products we know and love—from canned tomato sauce and breakfast cereals to artisanal cheeses, wine, and spirits.

This complexity is especially evident in Pennsylvania. Since its founding, food and agricultural production has served as the bedrock of Pennsylvania’s economy, providing food, fuel, fiber, and feedstock for a wide range of critical industries.

Over the past several decades, Pennsylvania’s food and agriculture sector has undergone significant change, shaped by evolving market demands and consumer preferences, technological innovation, and shifting trade relationships. Yet the industry has remained a steadfast economic driver statewide. In 2022 alone, Pennsylvania’s food and agriculture industry generated $22.5 billion in gross regional product (GRP), accounting for more than 20% of total GRP in four counties.

The industry is also a major employer, representing 4.5% of Pennsylvania’s workforce, with job growth projected to continue across most industry clusters through 2034. Today, this storied sector stands at a pivotal moment—poised to lead in a rapidly changing world and extend its economic legacy well into the next decade and beyond.

Image from Unsplash.com courtesy of Louis Hansel.

Turning Strategy into Action

Growth in this sector is already taking shape through Fourth Economy’s work with Food 21 to assess the feasibility of a new Dairy Hub in southwestern Pennsylvania. The proposed hub would aggregate and purchase fluid milk from local farms, serve as a co-packer for artisanal cheeses and other value-added dairy products, demonstrate modern dairy farming practices and agricultural technologies, and produce on-site energy through anaerobic digestion—turning waste into value while conserving natural resources and reducing climate impacts.

We are delighted to partner with leaders across Pennsylvania’s food and agriculture sector—and beyond—to develop new approaches that sustain and grow the economic benefits of this critical industry.

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If your community is exploring how to catalyze economic growth through local food and agriculture development, we would welcome the opportunity to connect. Reach out today!