USPOULTRY is in the process of updating its poultry economic impact report, which provides a snapshot in time of how the poultry industry is faring economically. From an industry standpoint, we realize we could do better job of communicating the positive aspects of the industry, and the poultry economic impact study helps us do this.

USPOULTRY funded the first study in 2012, and it is updated every other year. When the first survey was conducted in 2012, the poultry industry provided 1.3 million jobs, $63 billion in wages, $23.4 billion in government revenue, and $265.6 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy. So, we have definitely seen the industry grow as apparent from the last study conducted in 2020 that shows the poultry industry providing 2.1 million jobs, $121.1 billion in wages, $41.9 billion in government revenue, and $576.6 billion in economic activity.

The information can be viewed in many ways: by county, state Senate district, state House district, congressional district, by the entire state, or by the industry as a whole. And, we have broken the study into four areas: the entire poultry industry as a whole and then chicken, turkey, and eggs separately.

The poultry economic impact study is important because it allows local, state and governmental officials to understand the role that the poultry industry plays in the U.S. economy. When you think about what the poultry industry contributes at any of these levels, it is rather eye-opening from an economic standpoint. Then, when you also think about what the poultry industry donates each year in terms of food, money, and other initiatives, as well as the employee volunteer efforts that are not always recognized, it really adds up.

Our association works with a group called John Dunham & Associates, who developed the poultry economic impact model based on data provided by Infogroup, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, several national and state poultry trade associations and groups, and various state agriculture departments. The analysis utilizes the Minnesota IMPLAN Group to quantify the economic impact of the poultry industry on the U.S. economy. The model adopts an accounting framework through which the relationships between different inputs and outputs across industries and sectors are computed. It is based on the national income accounts generated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis and can show the impact of a given economic decision on a pre-defined, geographic region.

If anyone would like information about the methodology for the report, this information can be found on any of the economic impact websites: PoultryFeedsAmerica.org, ChickenFeedsAmerica.org, TurkeyFeedsAmerica.org, and EggsFeedAmerica.org.

The next poultry economic impact study should be completed by the end of October, and we look forward to relaying the positive contributions that the U.S. poultry industry has on jobs, wages, federal and state revenue, and the U.S. economy!

Gwen Venable is executive vice president, communications, for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association

gvenable@uspoultry.org.