AMES, Iowa -- Iowa agriculture puts healthy, affordable food
choices on the table of today's consumers and it boosts county and
state economies, according to a recently-completed economic
analysis sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers
(CSIF). As harvest takes place it is appropriate to note
agriculture's impact not only on the landscape, but on the state's
economy.
Production agriculture and ag-related industries directly and
indirectly employ one of every six Iowans (or 17 percent of the
state's workforce), based on 2007 Census of Agriculture data. They
also are responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state's
economy, or 27 percent of the state's total. This represents a 2
percent increase over a previous analysis using 2002 Census of
Agriculture data.
"What impresses me," said Dan Otto, Iowa State University
Extension economist who helped prepare the study, "is that when you
consider the growth and diversification of Iowa's economy over
recent years, agriculture is still a very dominant player. For
certain counties, it is the primary industry."
Otto points out that agriculture related jobs account for more
than 50 percent of employment in 20 Iowa counties. Jobs associated
with meat production and meat processing make up over 30 percent of
the ag-related workforce in 30 Iowa counties.
