Study Shows How Farming Feeds Alabama’s Economy

By Marlee Jackson

Food and agriculture directly account for 334,548 jobs in Alabama, according to a Feeding the Economy report released on National Ag Day March 19.

The annual study gives credence to the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Farming Feeds Alabama message, said Federation President Jimmy Parnell.

“Farming and farm products provide security for so many American families, not just in the food they eat but in the jobs they’re able to keep,” said Parnell, a Chilton County farmer whose family runs a timber and cattle operation. “We need to remember that and support the folks who keep this country going.”

The Federation is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, which helps sponsor the economic impact report.

Nationally, food and agriculture directly support nearly 24 million jobs, which is 15% of U.S. employment. Those industries are responsible for more than $9.6 trillion of the country’s economic activity. That’s 20% of total U.S. output.

Feeding the Economy’s report accounts for work from nearly 2 million American farmers, plus millions of food scientists, production workers, logistics experts, truck drivers and engineers who work in more than 200,000 manufacturing, processing and storage facilities.