A power shaped by geography

The United States is one of the most powerful agricultural nations in the world.

According to USDA ERS, the agri-food sector as a whole — farms, processing, and distribution — contributed approximately $1,537 billion to U.S. GDP in 2023, representing 5.5%.

More than 22 million jobs were linked to this sector in 2022, accounting for 10.4% of total employment.

This strength is built on a network of highly specialized regions.

Here are the four pillars that structure the country’s agri-food landscape:

• California: the Central Valley alone supplies about half of the nation’s fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
• The Midwest, also known as the “Corn Belt”: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana dominate corn and soybean production, with record yields in 2024.
• The Southeast: Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, and North Carolina form the “Broiler Belt.” The national value of the poultry sector reached $70.2 billion in 2024.
• Texas and the Great Plains: Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa dominate the cattle industry.
  

California: a superpower in specialty crops

With $61.2 billion in agricultural revenue in 2024, California surpassed the $60 billion mark for the first time — an all-time record according to the CDFA.

Top 5 California sectors:

• Dairy: $8.6 billion
• Almonds: $5.7 billion
• Grapes: $5.6 billion
• Cattle: $4.98 billion
• Lettuce: $3.67 billion

In exports, California generated $23.8 billion in 2024 (+6.1% compared to the previous year), driven by almonds, pistachios, and dairy products. Fresno County alone — the leading agricultural county in the country — produced $9.03 billion in 2024.

The Midwest – “Corn Belt”: the backbone of grain production

According to USDA NASS, in 2024, the United States produced approximately 14.9 billion bushels of corn, with a record average yield of 179.3 bushels per acre.

Iowa and Illinois both set historic state records.

Nearly 45% of U.S. corn is processed into ethanol, while a significant share feeds cattle and swine production.

The Southeast: America’s poultry powerhouse

National poultry production totaled $70.2 billion in 2024:

• Broilers: 65% – $45.4 billion
• Eggs: 30% – $21 billion
• Turkeys: 5% – $3.69 billion

Arkansas illustrates the density of this model: $6.7 billion in poultry revenue in 2024 (53% of the state’s agricultural revenue) and more than 170,000 jobs across the state.

Texas and the Plains

Livestock farming and cattle marketing are present across all fifty U.S. states, but with strong regional concentrations.

Texas, California, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa dominate the cattle industry.

Cattle farming is the primary source of value added in Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska.

In short, by structuring their territories around complementary, high value-added specializations, the United States shows that agri-food performance relies as much on production power as on the mastery of regional expertise.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy”. ers.usda.gov
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Crop Production 2024 Summary”. release.nass.usda.gov
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, “USDA releases 2022 Census of Agriculture data”. nass.usda.gov
• California Department of Food and Agriculture, “California Agricultural Production Statistics”. cdfa.ca.gov
• U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, “Economic Data”. uspoultry.org
• The Poultry Federation, “Facts & Figures”. thepoultryfederation.com
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Agricultural Production and Prices”. ers.usda.gov
• Fresno County, “Annual Crop & Livestock Report”. fresnocountyca.gov
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Corn and Other Feed Grains – Feed Grains Sector at a Glance”. ers.usda.gov