We serve as a convener, advocate and thought leader by creating common ground solutions that move the food and agriculture industry forward.
AgriGrowth’s mission is to advocate for a positive business climate for Minnesota’s food and agriculture sector. We actively represent members’ interests with state legislators, the Governor’s office, and state agency leadership. The agri-food industry is our state’s second largest economic driver. Maintaining the economic viability and competitiveness of our industry ensures Minnesota communities are strong, resilient places to live, work and raise a family.
Workforce recruitment and retention of part-time, full-time, and seasonal employees acutely impacts Minnesota’s food and agriculture industries.
Critical needs include:
▪ Efficient and cost-competitive implementation of H-2A and H-2B visa programs at the state level
▪ Enhanced high school, college, vocational and technical food and agriculture education
▪ Improved access to childcare, healthcare, and housing (including local, county, and state support).
▪ Mitigate impact of labor mandates for community support organizations (e.g., nursing homes, churches, food banks) with existing time-off programs
- Continued investment and access to technology is essential to improved farm productivity and protection of the environment and human health. Federal authority should prevail over local or state ordinances that attempt to:
▪ Regulate registration, labeling, selling, storing, transporting, or use of seeds,
▪ Prohibit crops developed through biotechnology or unnecessarily regulate seed treatment and crop inputs.
- Minnesota’s permitting process must be competitive with neighboring states to ensure investment in value-added agriculture and agri-food marketing revenues. AgriGrowth supports efforts to increase certainty in permitting timelines, reduced costs and efficiently integrating public participation in Minnesota’s permitting process
- Food and agriculture - a key industry supporting clean water, air, and soil – should have access to clean water and other state funds, resources, or incentives.
- We support essential infrastructure projects, including funding for rural broadband, road and bridge projects, ports, wastewater treatment, flood hazard mitigation, affordable housing, and other critical infrastructure projects. Farmers and food producers rely on an extensive transportation system to grow and safely transport food, fiber, and fuels.
- We support a tax environment that provides economic certainty and ensures our industries remain competitive with neighboring states. Keeping Minnesota farmers and agribusiness competitive is essential to strong agri-food contributions to our state’s economy.
- We support an “all of the above” approach to energy policy transition that includes biofuels, oil, natural gas, and other sources. Our industry positively addresses climate change and protects the environment, natural resources, and clean water by using best management practices that reduce emissions, sequester carbon, and improve profitability. As we transition to more carbon-neutral energy sources, policymakers must use science-based solutions while being mindful of economic costs as well as impact on our state’s competitiveness.
