The Resource Requirements of Food Demand (RRFD) data product measures the U.S. food system’s annual, embodied use of natural and human resources. These estimates are generated from a resource multiplier model that relies on both published and estimated data from publicly available sources. RRFD currently measures energy, employment, and water use by the U.S. food system from 2010–23. The data can be further broken out into supply chain stages, food and beverage categories, and marketing channels.
Domestic resources are key inputs into U.S. food production, providing the majority of food and beverages consumed in the United States. RRFD provides insights into how and where resources are being used, from farm-to-fork. For example, one could compare resource use upstream or downstream in the food supply chain or in different time periods. The data offer opportunities for additional research and modeling applications and are expected to be updated annually, subject to availability. With each update, previous RRFD data may be revised, based on updates to the input data.
The Documentation page has additional information on the development of the data, as well as the supporting ERS technical bulletins.