As Americans get ready for the Super Bowl, the National Farmers Union (NFU) is highlighting economic disparities between family farmers and large corporations in the food supply chain. The organization released its “Farmer’s Share of the Food Dollar: Super Bowl Edition” report, which details how much of consumers’ grocery spending actually reaches family farmers.
“Super Bowl weekend is one of the largest grocery retail events in the country, yet family farmers and ranchers are left out of the profits,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Family farmers and ranchers continue to work harder than ever but take home less. Meanwhile, corporate monopolies in processing, distribution, and retail rake in record profits at the expense of consumers. Farmers deserve a fair share of the food dollar, and consumers deserve a food system that works for everyone, not just a handful of powerful corporations.”
The report compares retail prices with what farmers receive for several popular Super Bowl foods. For example, while chicken wings sell for $13.99 per 48-ounce package at retail, farmers receive only $0.21 from that sale. Ground beef sells for $5.99 per pound with $2.21 going to farmers; salsa retails at $2.49 per jar with $0.55 reaching producers; soda sells for $1.29 per two-liter bottle with just $0.06 to farmers; sliced cheese is priced at $5.79 per eight ounces with a farmer’s share of $0.95; beer costs $16.99 per 12-pack with only $0.11 to those producing raw ingredients; and Tostitos tortilla chips sell for $5.49 per bag while only $0.21 goes to corn growers.
The NFU’s Fairness for Farmers campaign seeks to address these issues by advocating for stronger antitrust enforcement and more transparency in the agricultural sector.
Data used in this report were sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, and other industry sources, using Safeway brand prices from Washington, D.C.
The National Farmers Union was established in 1902 and supports family farmers through education, advocacy and collaboration aimed at improving rural communities across state and local divisions nationwide (official website). The organization promotes member engagement through annual conventions and policy discussions (official website), focusing on policies that enhance economic well-being for family farms (official website). It also emphasizes sustainable agriculture practices and community building initiatives (official website). Rob Larew serves as president of NFU (official website).
