The Feeding the Economy report highlights the economic impact of the food and ag sector and now, it includes data from the county level.
“The most surprising thing the study reveals is that actually the ten largest counties impacted by agriculture and their associated businesses are some of the largest counties in the United States. For example, Los Angeles County, Cook County, Illinois, which are home to Los Angeles and Chicago, are the two largest counties in the United States impacted by agriculture. So, it really drives home the fact that all industries are linked to one another,” AFBF economist Veronica Nigh said.
Nigh says the data is just another tool for advocates to use when promoting agriculture, especially when working with lawmakers.
“I think this is certainly an excellent tool for agriculture. When we think about legislation that’s being considered in 2023, certainly when your legislator comes back into your district and wants to talk about things like the Farm Bill, it’s important to let them know how important agriculture is in every part of the United States. So, it certainly highlights the farm to fork nature of agriculture and that our reach is well beyond our fence rows,” Nigh said.
Some highlights from the report show food and ag industries account for 46 million jobs, over half a trillion dollars in wages, and a total output of over eight trillion dollars.
