Farm Policy Facts puts useful information about agricultural policy in one centralized place. With news exclusives, information from across heartland, and key facts about America’s farming community in one destination, FarmPolicyFacts.org is a must-read for policymakers, the media, and all interested parties involved in agricultural policy.
Key Facts
- America’s farmers not only produce the world’s safest and most affordable food and fiber supply, but they also fuel the economy.
- Fewer and fewer farmers are being asked to feed more and more hungry mouths, which won’t happen without strong farm policy.
- Nearly 17 million Americans produce, process, or sell food and fiber comprising 9.2% of total U.S. employment.
- U.S. farms and ranches spent $329 billion in local economies to produce $394 billion worth of goods for further processing, consumption, or export in 2012.
- America exported $140.9 billion in farm goods in 2013 with a $37.1 billion trade surplus.
- Americans spend 13 percent of their income on food—the lowest of any country. This includes money spent at restaurants.
- Farm policy and crop insurance account for only 16 percent of farm bill funding. Nutrition programs are 78 percent.
- Traditional farm support only costs Americans pennies per meal, and on average accounts for roughly one quarter of 1 percent of the federal budget.
- If farm policy, including crop insurance were eliminated today, it would take 100 years to offset the 2012 federal budget deficit alone.
- The world population will grow from 7.2 billion to 9.6 billion by 2050. Farmers will need to double food production by 2050 to keep pace.
- Family farms represent nearly 98 percent of all U.S. farms and are responsible for 85 percent of U.S. farm production.
- For every $1 spent on food, farmers receive less than 16 cents for the raw products.
- Net farm income for 2015 is projected to decrease by 32 percent compared to 2014. Despite tough markets, the 2014 Farm Bill savings remain intact.
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