ONEONTA, N.Y. – On July 28, 2022, the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) and its research partners Cornell University’s Dyson School of Economics and Management, Cornell Small Farms Program, Hartwick College, SUNY Cobleskill’s Institute for Rural Vitality, and faculty of Columbia University are launching the culmination of a 3-year research project, “Vision 2050: A New York State Vision for a Profitable, Regenerative, Equitable, Healthy Food System Future by 2050”.
CADE Executive Director Phoebe Schreiner states, “This is a historic moment for New York State. Vision 2050 is a culmination of a 3 year research project engaging stakeholders across New York to put forward an integrated, comprehensive Food System Vision by 2050–one that is profitable, regenerative, equitable, and healthy. It is intended to educate political leaders on what food system stakeholders want to see for the future and act as a compass for getting us there, including overcoming barriers. We hope the Vision can guide our leaders in developing a long term State strategic plan that is holistic and integrated.”
New York’s leaders are currently considering priorities for a 2023 NYS Farm Bill in the areas of agriculture, nutrition, and the environment.
“We worked with renowned researchers to develop participatory research methods, such as focus groups and surveys, ensuring we had inclusive representation from stakeholders both across the food system and the State of New York”, she said.
The research effort engaged a total of 417 producers, agricultural agencies and associations, fishery experts, funders and investors, supply chain entrepreneurs, buyers, nutritionists, climate experts, equity and racial justice leaders, political leaders, food policy experts, economists, land trust representatives, labor experts, and teenagers–urban and rural–aspiring to become future food system leaders and agribusiness entrepreneurs.
“We intentionally organized focus groups to spark dialogue among these stakeholders who don’t normally talk to each other. We were amazed at how participants were delighted to hear perspectives they hadn’t heard before, despite their being in the same food system family”, said Schreiner.
