The food industry

In developing countries, many families produce their own food or buy food from local farmers. In developed countries, however, most people depend on the food industry. This section describes the food industry in the United States. However, much of the information also applies to the food industries in Canada and other developed countries.

The food industry consists of all the activities involved in producing food and getting it to consumers. The main branches of the industry include production, processing, packaging, transportation and marketing. Government regulations cover each branch and help assure consumers of safe, good-quality products. In addition, food companies and other organizations conduct research to increase the food supply and to improve food products.

The food industry is one of the largest industries in the United States. About 3 million Americans, including self-employed farmers, work on farms to produce basic foods. Food-processing plants employ more than one and a half million workers to prepare and package foods for the market. Millions of other workers are involved in the transporting and marketing of food.

Each branch of the food industry contributes to the prices of foods in the market place. The prices reflect the cost of producing the basic food as well as the processing, packaging, transportation and marketing costs. All these costs, plus the profits of each branch of the industry, are paid by consumers.

Food production.

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American farmers use modern equipment and scientific methods to produce the enormous quantities of raw materials used by food processors. The great majority of farmers specialize in raising one kind of crop or one kind of livestock.

Most US farmers who specialize in crops raise a field crop. Field crops require a fairly large amount of land to be profitable. The chief field crops are grains, especially corn and wheat, peanuts, potatoes, soybeans and sugar beet. Some farmers grow such produce as celery, green beans, lettuce, onions or tomatoes. Others raise berries, grapes, nuts or such free fruits as apples, cherries, oranges, peaches and pears.

Livestock farmers who raise beef cattle, hogs, and sheep produce most of the nation’s meat. Many other livestock farmers keep dairy cattle or raise poultry. Some farmers raise bees, fish, goat or rabbits.

The production of basic foods also includes the activities of commercial fishing fleets. These fleets catch huge quantities of fish and shellfish. In addition, about 10 per cent of the world’s annual fish harvest comes from fish farms, enclosures built on land, or areas in natural bodies of water.