Farm establishments received nearly a quarter of each food-at-home dollar in 2023

In 2023, farm establishments received 24.3 cents for each dollar spent on food at home and 5.4 cents for each dollar spent on food away from home. These amounts, called farm shares, highlight the different paths that food takes from farms to consumer points of purchase. Food-at-home dollars include purchases from outlets such as grocery stores, supermarkets, and wholesale clubs of food meant to be prepared at home. Food-away-from-home dollars cover food purchases at restaurants, including delivery and carryout, and other venues where the food is eaten on the premises. The remainder of each food dollar makes up the marketing share, which is the total value of processing, transportation, retailing, and other activities that get food from farm operations to points of purchase for consumers. In 2023, the marketing share was 75.7 cents per food-at-home dollar and 94.6 cents per food-away-from-home dollar. The marketing share can change based on factors such as consumer preferences and the costs of production inputs. The marketing share is higher for food away from home because of the higher costs of preparing and serving meals. The data for this chart are available for 1993 to 2023 in the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) Food Dollar Series, updated November 18, 2024. The recent updates include primary data source revisions reflecting new benchmark data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Primary data source revisions can affect the measurement of food production and distribution costs, including margins paid to wholesale and retail establishments. Find additional information in the ERS Amber Waves article ERS Food Dollar's Three Series Show Distributions of U.S. Food Production Costs, published in December 2023.