The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences and Nationwide are launching an AgTech Innovation Hub. What exactly does this mean? Here are the ag-citing insights.

The Ohio State University president Kristina Johnson attended the annual Farm Science Review on Tuesday and announced the partnership for the hub. Before we understand what the hub is, it’s crucial to understand the why behind it. As cited at the FSR, farmers across Ohio have experienced climate change challenges — hotter, dryer growing seasons with destructive storms — when growing food.

OSU + Nationwide, who donated $2 million to kickstart the hub, are committed to addressing this problem and working towards protecting the manufacturing of food in Ohio. While the changes won’t be immediate, the hub will ensure innovative and long-term solutions are forming right here in Columbus to support farmers across the state.

The hub is expected to promote applied research and encourage innovation of agricultural technology by providing tools, resources, and funding to continue to minimize climate risk.

When speaking on Tuesday, President Johnson stated, “The Innovation Hub will offer fertile ground for programs and ideas that contribute to agricultural resiliency, food security, and the economic security of farmers and food producers.”

The partnership with Nationwide is also a crucial component, as COO of Nationwide Property and Casualty Mark Bervin says it “creates opportunities for collaborations across institutions and industries, developing new solutions to help the supply chain for other challenges.”