The mission of the Agriculture Economic Development initiative is to work with both public and private sectors to be the leading resource for Agriculture Economic Development activity in the region to enhance value to all segments of farm and agri-business community through innovative economic development approaches.
REDDI's Agriculture Economic Development Initiative will: 1. Link Agriculture with Team PA - Business Calling Program and to include farmers in their survey programs. 2. Create a database for issues and concerns of the agriculture industry. 3. Facilitate the development of strategic data and begin to set policies as it relates to agriculture economic development for farmers in Pennsylvania.
COMMITTEES:
Agriculture Economic Development Committee
Regional Broadband Initiative
What is broadband? Broadband is a general term used to describe high-speed networking services. Connection speed is measured in kbps (kilobits per second) and megabits per second (mbps). Broadband is defined as networks with speeds of more than 384 kilobits per second, current generation broadband as two megabits and above, and next generation broadband as ten megabits and above. The Federal government indicates that it is expected that, wherever possible, consumers, industry, and the public sector will all move towards higher-speed connectivity to deliver entertainment, education, commerce, and public services.
Regional vs Individual Approach: Approaching the initiative on a local level may allow a community to control the process and speed by which a broadband project is accomplished, but approaching the initiative on a regional basis will allow for possible reduced costs of the initiative. Joint planning could lead to better synergies in connectivity and compatibility thus enhancing the economic development mission.
Economic development and the digital divide go hand-in-hand for many reasons. Regions with the tools and skills to compete in the digital economy are at a distinct advantage over regions that do not. In many ways, the situation in a given region can build upon itself, for better or for worse. A region with a well-educated, technology-literate population is more likely to attract and sustain new businesses, a these new businesses in turn attract more well-educated, technology-literate people into the area. Conversely, a region that lacks reliable access to technoogy and the skills to use it is less likely to attract and sustain new businesses that could potentially serve as a catalyst to economic prosperity. Simply put, if regions are to remain competitive in attracting, retaining and developing businesses in today's economy, they must develop modern telecommunications facilities and cultivate a well-trained workforce to stay viable.
COMMITTEES:
Broadband Committee
CEDS Development
The CEDS Development Committee was organized on 12/13/05 to revive the REDDI CEDS document and process. In accordance with EDA guidelines, the REDDI CEDS Committee represents a diverse set of interests and core competencies from throughout the region. Among its members are representatives and advocates of local governments and economic development organizations. The committee intends to meet quarterly following the submission of the CEDS 2006 document (June 30, 2006), in order to maintain an ongoing economic development process for the region.
The Committee's Role and Responsibilities: 1. Refine the region's economic development VISION 2. Review background material on the region's economic development condition and ensure that it captures the most important economic development issues, challenges, and opportunities. 3. Review the various economic development initiatives underway across the region and evaluate their contribution in moving the region towards the agreed-upon vision. 4. Review whether the needs of all segments of the region's population are being represented and met, including existing underserved income, or racial and ethnic groups, or new immigrant groups. 5. Establish clear regional priorities by prioritizing the proposed projects and initiatives, both for EDA funding and for implementation through other means. 6. Establish a reasonable mechanism for measuring progress towards improving the regional economy. 7. Maintain on ongoing involvement with the CEDS process to ensure continuous discussion and coordination of regional economic priorities and projects
