ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES: ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES: INVESTIGATING KEY SUCCESS F

This project will expand previous efforts into two new areas of growth potential. Eco-Entrepreneurship It is clear that environmental and ecological concerns are increasingly important to consumers and the general public. This creates entrepreneurial opportunities. We focus here on two emerging opportunities under the heading "Eco-Entrepreneurship." These illustrate topical areas that have the potential for making significant impacts in such key areas as green-collar jobs, personal well-being, and energy independence. Energy - Penn State has seen the important future for "green" energy and has put considerable resources in this area. A prime example with agriculture and natural resources is the Biomass Energy Center. Finally, sustainable bioenergy systems and biomass conversion technologies are two areas with great potential and in which we have considerable technical expertise. Two of the greatest factors in the diffusion of biomass energy will be the economics of the systems and the entrepreneurial activities devoted to bringing technologies to market. "Green" Buildings - "Green" or "sustainable" buildings are emerging as an important market across the United States as a whole. Sustainable buildings are more efficient in using resources like energy, water, materials, and land than buildings that are simply built to meet regulations. They also contribute to improved occupant health and productivity. Many experts have predicted that as the housing crisis abates the one section of the construction industry that will grow the quickest is ?sustainable? construction. It is therefore critical to understand the challenges and opportunities afforded by the growth of the green building movement. We see policy-related questions for Pennsylvania related to demand for our products made in rural counties, jobs in those industries, and rural forest lands owned by government and individuals. Food Labels: Local, Organic, Sustainable, - According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, Pennsylvania is home to approximately 63,000 farm businesses. These farms produce a wide variety of livestock products as well as fruits and vegetables of all sorts. There are also numerous small- and mid-sized food manufacturers in the state. Combined with this, Pennsylvania is within a day's drive of a large percentage of the U.S. population. The combination of population and the diversity of agricultural and food production creates tremendous entrepreneurial opportunities. Organic foods represent one of the fastest growing segments of food consumption. However, the rate of growth has leveled off some as evidence suggests that other attributes, such as being grown locally, sustainably, naturally, or others is increasingly important. Research and education are needed to better understand these opportunities and how strategies to take advantage of them can be best implemented.