Developing a Roadmap for Kentucky Agriculture for the Next 5 Years

Kentucky Agriculture Leaders Developing Roadmap for Sustainable Development Goals

Kentucky agriculture leaders are actively shaping the future of the industry through a collaborative effort known as the Strategic Roadmap for Kentucky Agriculture: 2025-2030. Spearheaded by the Kentucky Agricultural Council, this initiative involves nine working groups comprising over 200 leaders from various sectors of Kentucky agriculture. The roadmap, which will be unveiled in November, has received significant investments from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky State University, highlighting the importance of their collective vision.

Themes Identified for Sustainable Development Goals

1. Help protect farm transitions and sustain Kentucky farmlands.
2. Prioritize workforce development.
3. Engage agriculture in Kentucky’s economic development discussions.
4. Foster more supply chain coordination to improve market access.
5. Continue diversification and innovation across farm, food, fuel, & fiber.
6. Develop agriculture partnerships in the food and health space.
7. Create more value-added markets across the Commonwealth.
8. Grow collaboration, coordination, and communications within Kentucky agriculture.
9. Build understanding around farming and food amongst all Kentuckians.

The Kentucky Agricultural Council (KAC), representing Kentucky’s agricultural community, is facilitating discussions to develop the membership of the council. Working groups are meeting to create measurable and actionable tactics that will guide the future of agriculture across the Commonwealth. These discussions will continue through August, with KAC stakeholders meeting in person on June 5 in Lexington to further refine the developed tactics and identify partners involved in each strategy.

Dr. Tony Brannon, KAC chair and administrator of the WAVE River Counties Ag Initiative, emphasized the importance of strategic planning for Kentucky agriculture. He stated, “The current ‘Strategic Roadmap’ being developed by leaders in Kentucky agriculture is a great effort to plan a route to continue building our industry. The effort is to help us fully uncover our needs and options and set priorities for them through tactics and actions. As I’ve always said, ‘Plan your Work, then Work your Plan.’ Let’s get to work, Kentucky Agriculture!”

Michele Payn of Cause Matters, Corp., is facilitating the strategic roadmap with assistance from Dr. Kristie Guffey of Murray State University Hutson School of Agriculture. Payn has engaged diverse stakeholders, including farmers, agribusiness professionals, nutritionists, and processors, to identify what is missing from Kentucky agriculture and how to leverage assets for success in the next ten years.

Participants in this process have expressed their gratitude for the support and participation of the agriculture community. Tod Griffin, executive director of the Agribusiness Association of Kentucky and KAC treasurer, stated, “Kentucky’s agricultural and rural communities are a vital economic engine for the commonwealth. The strategic roadmap sets the direction for the continued growth and success of one of Kentucky’s most important sectors in our economy.” Dr. Will Snell, University of Kentucky agricultural economist, added, “Our farm economy and rural communities face a lot of headwinds in the coming years, but this plan will help keep our momentum moving forward.”

Any Kentucky agriculture stakeholder interested in joining the work can contact KAC executive secretary Jennifer Elwell at 855-921-2625 or kyagcouncil@gmail.com.

About the Kentucky Agricultural Council

Established in the late 1970s, the Kentucky Agricultural Council is a collaborative group of organizations that promotes, educates, and grows agriculture in the Commonwealth. In response to Governor Ernie Fletcher’s call in 2006, the council assumed a leadership role in planning to increase net farm income and improve the quality of life in rural Kentucky. This led to the publication of two strategic plans: A Pathway for Kentucky’s Agriculture and its Rural Communities: 2007 to 2012 Strategic Plan and Connecting Strategies to Better Kentucky’s Agricultural Economy and Rural Communities: 2013-2018.

– Kentucky Agricultural Council

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty reduction, hunger eradication, health and well-being, education, gender equality, economic growth, innovation, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, and partnerships for achieving the goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
• Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, particularly women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers.
• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
• Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
• Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources in accordance with national laws.
• Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation.
• Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product.
• Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated, and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

The article’s content aligns with specific targets under the SDGs mentioned above. These targets focus on poverty reduction, agricultural productivity, health coverage, skills development, gender equality, economic productivity, industrialization, sustainable urbanization, responsible resource management, and global partnerships.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators for measuring progress towards the identified targets. However, indicators such as poverty rates, agricultural productivity measures, health coverage rates, skills development indicators, gender equality indices, economic growth rates, industrial employment shares, urban planning indicators, resource efficiency metrics, and partnership engagement measures can be used to assess progress towards the identified targets.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators