A regional economic development partnership called Greater MSP, based in St. Paul, works to accelerate job growth and capital investment in a 16-county area.

Staff efforts have yielded some solid statistics about food science, manufacturing and marketing in Minnesota.

In its latest brochure, “Follow Your Fork to Minnesota,” and in other website materials, I’ve gleaned the following:

• The Greater MSP region is home to six of the world’s top food and agriculture companies, including industry leaders Cargill, General Mills, CHS, Hormel, Land O’Lakes and Mosaic.

• The region also is home to the headquarters for some of the leading food retailers and distributors in the U.S., such as Target, SuperValu and C.H. Robinson.

• From seed technology and development to food manufacturers and packaging companies, Greater MSP manages the entire food production cycle.

• Greater MSP’s current food and agriculture industry employs nearly 32,000 people and is one of the fastest-growing in the nation, increasing nearly 6% over the past decade. The food scientist sector has grown by 33% over the past 10 years, the fastest of any major metro.

• The region also has the most food scientists in the nation: eight times more than the national average and more than double the next closest region. Roughly 11.5% of the total U.S. food scientist workforce is located in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul region.

• Greater MSP ranks among the fastest-growing metros for microbial agbioscience employment over the past decade, with 6,300 jobs in 2014 — 12% higher than the national average. Microbial agbioscience calls on elements of advanced disciplines — biosecurity, crop protection, genomics, biotechnology, vaccines and diagnostics —to develop solutions that are critical to adequate food production and security.

• Cutting-edge advancements in nutraceuticals, food processing, organics and aquaculture help meet consumer demands. There were approximately 7,900 jobs in food products in processing in the region in 2014, 4% growth from 2004.

• There are more than 130 graduates from University of Minnesota food science or nutrition programs every year.

• Fifty-nine percent of food sector supply chain services — from seed technology to food development, from manufacturing to marketing and retail sales — can be found here, more than anywhere else in the U.S.

• The region ranks first in the nation in the number of grocery co-ops.

• Greater MSP had 12 James Beard Award semifinalists in 2016, including the winner for best chef, Paul Berglund of The Bachelor Farmer restaurant in Minneapolis.

Greater MSP’s 16-county region encompasses the Minnesota counties of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Washington and Wright — plus two Wisconsin counties, Pierce and St. Croix.

Thank you, Minnesota farmers: Because of you all, there is a global food leader in this greater metro region.