In conjunction with the National Ag Day celebrations this week, 36 food and agriculture groups released the ninth annual Feeding the Economy report, a farm-to-fork study of the entire agricultural supply chain that analyzes the economic contributions of one of America’s most essential industries to U.S. jobs, wages, economic output, and taxes.

The 2025 report confirms the agriculture industry is at the heart of the U.S. economy, generating more than $9.5 trillion in economic value, which amounts to 18.7% of the overall national economy. While these findings highlight the enormous impact of the agriculture industry, this is a modest decrease compared to 2024, when agriculture contributed more than $9.6 trillion to the economy, about 20% of total economic output.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture was one of the many organizations that support the annual report. “The annual Feeding the Economy report alongside National Ag Day illuminates the essential contributions of farmers, ranchers and all food producers, driving economic growth and stability for the entire nation,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said.  

McKinney was at the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Summit in Washington D.C. this week where we got a brief interview with him.
Ted McKinney, NASDA 3:33