The U.S. meat industry generates 3.2 million jobs and contributes 347.7 billion dollars to the country's economy.

"The meat industry is a crucial and growing part of the U.S. economy, and it is of tremendous importance to rural economies," stated Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute. "Our companies are often the main employers in their rural communities, and their impact goes beyond employment. In addition to the taxes they pay, they invest in their communities with generous donations of food and make irreplaceable financial and other contributions to local infrastructures such as housing, community spaces, schools, and childcare facilities." The direct contributions of the meat industry alone to the U.S. economy in ...