Oregon Truffle Feasibility Study
Oregon Culinary Truffles
An Emergent Industry for Forestry and Agriculture
A Feasibility Study by David Pilz, Charles Lefevre, Leslie Scott, and James Julian
30 April 2009
Executive Summary
Of all the world’s culinary delicacies, truffles stand out as the ultimate luxury food. With the advent of technology to control the symbiosis between truffles and the roots of their host trees, truffles have at last entered the realm of agriculture.
As with French wine grapes, Oregon has the climactic conditions required for truffle production. Given high demand, inadequate global supply and established profitability, Oregon has a unique opportunity to become a world leader in the production of this rare, highly-prized commodity.
Annual truffle commerce is expected to exceed $6 billion within the next two decades, rivaling many other agricultural commodities traded worldwide. With adequate support, cultivated and native truffles produced in Oregon could annually exceed $200 million in direct sales income; counting secondary economic benefits, the value of the industry could exceed $1.5 billion. These figures rival the current value of the state’s lucrative wine industry, and could be greater if Oregon pursues truffle production with similar passion and focus.
Download entire Oregon Truffle Feasibility Study here.