The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers met in early October and launched a new regional initiative to advance sustainable agriculture. Photo provided by Craig Clark of Clark Communications.

News Release

QUEBEC CITY – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun recently joined seven governors and two premiers representing the Great Lakes region in signing a resolution to launch an initiative to advance sustainable agriculture practices across the states and provinces.

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers launched the new regional initiative during the 2025 GSGP Leadership Summit held in Quebec City in early October.

The sustainable agriculture initiative will focus its work on five key areas:

– Healthy economy: Supporting producers and promoting sustainable growth and diversification of the regional agricultural economy.

– Healthy people: Supporting the production of healthful food and high-quality crops, farmed livestock and other goods.

– Soil health: Advancing research and practices that maintain and improve soil health across the region’s diverse agricultural landscape.

– Water management: Encouraging sustainable use and conservation of ground and surface water resources.

– Water quality: Continuing programs and policies that incentivize practices that improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff.

“This regional initiative will create more opportunities to collaborate and develop innovative solutions that will shape the future of farming and long-term prosperity of our agricultural economies,” said initiative chair and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring. “In Michigan, agriculture is the state’s second-largest industry, making us uniquely positioned to work with our GSGP partners to ensure this region is a hub for scientific progress that protects our natural resources.”

In the initiative’s first year, state and provincial leaders will develop a regional agenda to guide research that will inform policy and program work. They will also create an action agenda to address challenges facing the region’s agriculture industry and catalyze multi-state and provincial collaboration. Pilot projects will follow in future years. Overall, the collaborative aims to advance a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region.

GSGP unites the chief executives from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec and Wisconsin. The governors and premiers work as equal partners to grow the region’s $9.3 trillion (U.S.) economy and protect the world’s largest system of surface fresh water. The partnership builds upon 40 years of work by the Council of Great Lakes Governors to encourage and facilitate environmentally responsible economic development. For more information, visit the website at gsgp.org.