The food and agriculture-related industries experienced an 11.8% growth over the past year, as revealed in the eighth annual Feeding the Economy report. This study, produced by a coalition of 32 food and agriculture groups, discloses that these industries' economic impact amounted to $9.63 trillion in 2023, accounting for 20.01% of total U.S. output.

Feeding the Economy's press release indicates that exports saw a decline of 2.70% since their 2020 report, with a total of $181.36 billion.

The press release further notes that the sector provided employment for 48,665,870 individuals, marking a 19.53% increase from the figures reported in 2020. The wages paid out totaled $2.77 trillion, reflecting a substantial rise of 33.82% since the previous report. The agriculture sector offered 2.49 million jobs while manufacturing agricultural products provided slightly fewer at 2.46 million positions. Direct jobs in food and agriculture witnessed an increment of 800,000 since the last report, signifying a growth rate of 20%.

Feeding the Economy states in its press release: "From the 2020 Feeding the Economy report to now, food and agriculture manufacturing jobs grew at a faster rate than any other job category. As a result, manufacturing of agricultural production now accounts for almost 20% of America’s manufacturing jobs, over twice as many as automobile manufacturing." The press release underscores the crucial role played by food and agriculture sectors in bolstering the U.S economy and aiding public understanding and policy-making regarding these industries' continued contributions.

Among nearly three dozen organizations that contributed to this report were notable entities such as American Bakers Association, American Beverage Association, American Frozen Food Institute, Corn Refiners Association, International Fresh Produce Association, National Grocers Association, National Milk Producers Federation and The Sugar Association, as stated in the press release.