Cornell Program on Agribusiness and Economic Development

MISSION: To encourage the development, growth, and competitiveness of agribusiness firms by improving the understanding and application of agricultural marketing, business management, and industry development skills and strategies.

SCOPE: While particularly focused on New York State, CPAED has national and international relevance, serving to promote the understanding, linkages, and inter-relationships between agribusiness firm performance, market structure, and economic development policies.

Areas of Specialization	Agribusiness Management Food manufacturing growth, with an emphasis on smaller scale producers and value-added food processors Performance of agricultural cooperative businesses, particularly associated with aggregation of farm production and marketing services Agricultural production responses to environmental policy and sustainability stimuli Ag-based Economic Development Economic impacts in rural communities of local and regional food systems development Ag-based sector development through inter-industry linkages and analysis
Goals	Better understand the linkages between agribusiness firm performance and ag-based industry development activities, and how various firm, spatial, and market factors can influence industry growth. Highlight rural economic development within a regional food and agricultural systems framework considering firm agglomeration and cluster strategies. Produce knowledge and insight that can be applied by agribusiness firms and economic development agents to improve and enhance agricultural and rural economies. Integrate problem-solving research with extension and outreach programming, a circular and supporting relationship.
Key Audiences	Agribusiness executives and management, with particular emphases on agricultural cooperatives and food manufacturing firms. Public policy officials and economic development specialists interested in ag-based industry development.
Expected Outcomes and Impact	Improved knowledge and application of effective agricultural marketing and business management skills to improve agribusiness firm competitiveness. Increased communication, coordination, and collaboration amongst related industry firms along the agriculture and food supply chain. Informed public policymakers on the economic contributions of the agriculture and the interdependencies and linkages across firms and markets. Informed economic development agencies on implementing effective strategies to improve the viability of New York’s agribusinesses and rural communities.