As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day with family gatherings and festive cookouts, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has released the updated "Farmer’s Share of the Food Dollar" for items typically enjoyed during a Fourth of July cookout. These figures reveal how much family farmers earn compared to the amount consumers pay at the grocery store.

NFU President Rob Larew emphasized, "When consumers stock up on their favorite Independence Day cookout essentials this year, they’re likely to notice increased costs for certain products. These increased costs are not reflected in what America’s family farmers and ranchers are paid. Decades of mergers and acquisitions have resulted in agriculture and food supply chains that are not only uncompetitive and fragile but also fail to fairly compensate farmers. Corporate monopolies control the vast majority of the processing, distribution, and marketing of our food, and dominate the market for crop inputs, seeds, and farm machinery."

Included in the 2024 Farmer’s Share of July 4th Cookout are:

NFU’s Fairness for Farmers campaign is actively addressing the monopoly crisis in food and agriculture. By advocating for stronger antitrust enforcement and greater transparency, the campaign aims to increase the farmer’s share of the food dollar and ensure fairness for both farmers and consumers.

Data for this publication was sourced from USDA NASS and other industry sources.