Thanksgiving by the Numbers: Families Pay More While Farmers Earn Less

Farmers earn small returns on staple Thanksgiving foods according to this year’s Thanksgiving Farmer’s Share report. The agricultural economy is fragile and uncompetitive after decades of corporate consolidation. Monopolies now dominate everything from food processing and distribution to the markets for seeds and farm equipment, leaving family farmers at a steep disadvantage while consumers face fewer choices and higher prices.

“Even in a season of gratitude, we must acknowledge the continuous inequality in our food system and agriculture industry,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Family farmers and ranchers work year-round for historically low profits across all sectors of the industry, while consumers are still paying unsustainably high prices at grocery stores. Fairness for farmers is also fairness for consumers – when rural America does well, we all benefit.”

“Every Thanksgiving, the numbers tell the same story: farmers aren’t asking for a bigger slice of pie, just a fair one,” Larew added. “It’s long past time to fix a food system that works for corporations but not for the families who grow and consume our food.”

Data for this publication were sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and other industry sources. Retail prices are based on the Safeway (SE) brand in the Washington, D.C. area.