Two reports are highlighting the valuable role U.S. agriculture and, more specifically, the U.S. grain and feed industry, plays in the national economy.
Feeding the Economy
In early March, 35 food and ag groups released the annual “Feeding the Economy” report, which analyzes the direct and indirect economic contributions of the entire agricultural supply chain to U.S. jobs, wages, economic output, and taxes.
According to the report, the ag sector supports nearly 49 million jobs and generates more than $10.4 trillion in economic activity, accounting for nearly 20% of total U.S. output. Other facts outlined in the report include:
- 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.
- U.S. food and agriculture exports totaled more than $177.3 billion, though exports declined by roughly $5.4 billion year-over-year, underscoring the importance of maintaining strong trade agreements and expanding market access for American producers.
- The food and agriculture sector generates $1.35 trillion in tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments, a 7% increase year-over-year.
The report also takes aim at the ag economic impact by state. Total direct economic output in the Evergreen state is more than $40 billion (that number includes agriculture, manufacturing, wholesaling, and retailing), with $2.89 billion coming from just agriculture. The total economic output for the state, both direct and indirect, is more than $98.74 billion.
In Washington state, total number of jobs associated with the ag supply chain tops 1.1 million with more than 553,000 positions directly in ag. Total wages associated with the supply chain are $75.89 billion with direct wages at $26.49 billion. More than $38 billion were paid in business taxes associated with agriculture.
The National Association of Wheat Growers was one of the sponsors of the report. The report can be found at feedingtheeconomy.com.
Grains report
In September 2025, the National Grain and Feed Association released “The Harvest Economy: 2025 Economic Impact of the U.S. Grain and Feed Industry.” According to the report, in 2025, the U.S. grain and feed industry contributed:
- 1.16 million jobs.
- $85.9 billion in wages.
- $32.7 billion is paid in federal, state, and local taxes.
- $401.7 billion in total economic impact.
The study defines the grain and feed industry as any business that engages in services related to the production, processing, distribution, and industrial use of grain and feed products.
In Washington state, the industry directly employs 2,168 people; indirectly, the industry employs more than 18,000. Those workers contribute more than $90 million in state taxes. The direct economic output for the state is more than $1.4 billion with a total output of more than $4.85 billion.
The report is available at ngfa.org/industry-impact/.
