BioCrossroads Begins Food, Agriculture Innovation Initiative

INDIANAPOLISTo bolster and help harness Indianas $16 billion food and agricultural industry, as well as solutions to the challenges of a growing world population and a limited amount of natural resources, BioCrossroads announced the organization of a Food and Agriculture Innovation Initiative, a need identified in the 2012 report "Food and Agricultural Innovation21st Century Opportunities for Indiana."

After nearly two years of in-depth sector research and analysis, expert interviews and the publishing of two reports, BioCrossroads has formalized its efforts by organizing an initiative to focus on the development of collective and long-term strategies. The new initiative has received support from the state of Indiana, corporations and universities to build on the industry's existing strengths in agricultural innovation. 

"Since the inception of BioCrossroads over a decade ago, the food and agriculture sector has been a highly innovative industry due in large part to the remarkable set of resources that exist in our state," said David L. Johnson, President and CEO of BioCrossroads and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. "Today we are moving that focus into action by organizing a forum in which key stakeholders, including the state of Indiana, can work together to capitalize on our strengths to not only benefit our economy, but help to solve global challenges the sector faces."

The initiative will be a project under the umbrella of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, an effort dedicated to the region's continued prosperity and growth that houses BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, TechPoint, and Energy Systems Network, and will be led by Beth Bechdol, Director of Agribusiness Strategies at Ice Miller. The new initiative will work closely with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to build upon existing strengths in the industry. In addition, several key industry stakeholders have already pledged support of the effort, including Beck's Hybrids, Clabber Girl, Dow AgroSciences, Elanco, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, JBS United, Purdue University and Whiteshire Hamroc.

The Food and Agriculture Innovation Initiative's initial plans are to build awareness of the industry's ingenuity and value through branding and targeted promotion of Indiana's food and agriculture innovation landscape, expand collaboration among key stakeholders in strategic areas, such as health and nutrition and agricultural productivity, and support the formation of new innovative companies in Indiana.