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Sustainable agriculture is future of the industry, ready for next generation's innovation

Sustainable agriculture is farming in such a way to protect the environment, aid and expand natural resources and to make the best use of nonrenewable resources.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bowling Green State University held its 17th annual Sebo Series in Entrepreneurship to highlight growing trends across all business industries.

The expo allows business experts to gather and discuss new ways to be innovative.

Pat Bowe, the CEO of agriculture supply company The Andersons attended this year's expo discussing agriculture.

Agriculture has been around since the stone age but even farmers need to innovate to stay in business. Bowe said sustainability is the newest trend in the industry.

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, sustainable agriculture is farming in such a way to protect the environment, aid and expand natural resources and to make the best use of nonrenewable resources.

"My hope for the future related to my industry is that we can leave behind a better planet with more sustainable solutions in how we produce foods and we how manufacture agricultural products," Bowe said.

Bowe became The Andersons' CEO in 2015 and has worked in agriculture for more than 20 years. He said he believes businesses of the future can reach full sustainability, but it will take new technology and young innovative people.

BGSU students at the event said they have already started on the path of sustainability in agriculture.

"We got an investment our freshman year and then have continued building prototypes," Sean O'Donnell a senior set to graduate from BGSU in two weeks, said.

In college, O'Donnell said developed the AALTO Filter prototype already has partnerships with farms in Ohio.

"We are trying to build agricultural runoff filters that will help run off pollution. So, nitrates and phosphates that get into our bodies of water," said O'Donnell.

While his product is still in the testing phase, O'Donnell said his main goal is to eliminate pollution that causes harmful algae blooms.

Bowe says sustainable innovation is smart for a business because it's what the consumers want. He says it's important that Ohioan's take advantage of the opportunity.

"Agriculture has always been a big part of business in Ohio," Bowe said. "I think it's the unknown business that most people don't talk about, but as you drive by city to city, this is where all the jobs are created and not just in production agriculture meaning farming but also food manufacturing. There's big business that exist right here in Ohio."

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