America's food and agriculture industries generated more than $10.4 trillion in economic value in 2026, supporting 48.7 million jobs across the economy, according to the 10th annual Feeding the Economy report released Sunday by 35 food and agriculture groups.
The sector represents nearly 20% of the national economy, marking an increase of nearly $894 billion year over year. The growth occurred despite ongoing inflation pressures, a challenging farm economy and an uncertain global trade environment.
The farm-to-fork study analyzes direct and indirect economic contributions of the entire agricultural supply chain to U.S. jobs, wages, economic output and taxes.
The sector supports nearly 24.3 million direct jobs in farming, manufacturing, processing, distribution, retail and foodservice. Direct employment has grown 6.5% over the past decade, though job growth slowed in the past year as parts of the sector faced economic pressures.
Food and agriculture generate more than $3 trillion in wages for American workers, with wages rising 4% year over year and 13% over the past decade, generally outpacing inflation.
Food manufacturing remains the largest manufacturing sector in the U.S., employing more than 2.28 million workers. The industry begins on nearly 2 million farms and ranches spanning two out of every five American acres, then expands through nearly 200,000 food manufacturing, processing and storage facilities.
The journey continues through more than 1 million restaurant and foodservice establishments and roughly 200,000 retail food stores, anchoring local economies and driving consumer spending in communities nationwide.
U.S. food and agriculture exports totaled more than $177.3 billion, though exports declined by roughly $5.4 billion year over year. The decline underscores the importance of maintaining strong trade agreements and expanding market access for American producers.
The sector generates $1.35 trillion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments, a 7% increase year over year.
Direct employment in production agriculture and food manufacturing remained largely flat year over year, reflecting pressures on farmers, producers and rural communities. Export values have also declined in inflation-adjusted terms over the past decade, demonstrating the importance of stable and reliable international markets for U.S. agriculture.
