Food, Ag Industries Add $8.6T to U.S. Economy

Food and agriculture industries and their suppliers contribute more than $8 6 trillion to the U S economy, nearly one-fifth of total national output and a 22 percent increase since the 2019 report, according to the seventh annual Feeding the Economy report from 25 food and agriculture groups

Providing data on jobs, wages and economic output, this farmto-fork analysis illustrates the food and agriculture sector’s impact on local and nationwide economic activity The data also underscores this sector’s resilience and reliability amid unprecedented global and domestic crises, including the commodity shock following the war in Ukraine and continued supply chain disruptions

This year ’ s report shows the U S food and agriculture sector directly supports nearly 23 million jobs, provides $927 billion in wages and is particularly vital to rural communities across America Notably, the 2023 report reveals that the manufacturing of agricultural products accounts for nearly one-fifth of total manufac- turing jobs in the U S Overall, more than 46 million jobs are supported across the food and agriculture supply chain, increasing nearly 2 percent since the 2019 report despite the economic challenges and disruptions associated with the global pandemic

All 50 states displayed increased economic output in the 2023 report compared to the 2022 report, largely reflecting a rebound in national economic activity The largest gains in total

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Many studies show that eating the DGA-recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables is good for our general health, but only a few studies have demonstrated the role that vegetable consumption (separate from fruits) has on mental health

A group of scientists at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N D , conducted an eight-week study to evaluate the impact of increasing daily vegetable ser vings to match DGA recommendations on how happy someone perceives themself to be, a key measurement of psychological well-being

The study divided healthy men and women between 18 and 65 years old into two groups

The first group of participants (the vegetable inter vention group) received daily servings of DGA-recommended number and variety of vegetables, including

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FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Dietar y Guidance Statements

The U S Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance that provides food manufacturers with recommendations on how and when to use Dietary Guidance Statements on the label of food products to ensure the label statements promote good nutrition, provide greater consistency in labeling and assist consumers in making informed choices

This guidance is part of the FDA’s overall goal to help reduce the burden of chronic disease and advance health equity through improved nutrition

“Diet-related chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the U S and disproportionately impact communities of color and people living in rural areas, ” said FDA Commissioner Robert M Califf, M D “The FDA is committed to being a part of the solution to improve the health of millions of Americans Today’s action is another step towards helping consumers make informed choices about the foods they eat ”

Today’s eating patterns in the United States do not align with current federal dietar y recommendations, which focus on the entirety of the diet and how foods

and beverages work together to affect health Dietar y Guidance

Statements are statements in food labeling that are based on key recommendations from consensus reports, such as the Dietar y Guidelines for Americans, 20202025, that discuss how a food or food group can be a part of a nutritious dietary pattern The statements may include symbols or pictures that convey to consumers that a food or a food group may contribute to, or help maintain, a nutritious dietary pattern

Examples of Dietary Guidance

Statements include: “Make half your grains whole grain,” and “Eat leafy green vegetables as part of a nutritious dietar y pattern ”

The draft guidance provides the agency’s thinking about the use of such statements, including recommendations that products contain a meaningful amount of the food, or category of foods, that is the subject of the statement, and that they also not exceed certain amounts of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars

The recommendations in the guidance can enhance consistency in the use of such state-

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