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Quick Facts

• Population of 278 million people
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$10.0 trillion, making it the largest economy in the world.
• Per capita GDP is US$36,200

During the past decade, the U.S. economy has experienced an unprecedented economic expansion. Despite the recent economic slowdown, this expansion has influenced the attitudes and consumption patterns of Americans in many facets of life including foods and food consumption.

General Characteristics of Market and Culture

• Agriculture equals 2 percent of the nation’s GDP or US$200 billion.
• Nineteen percent of the landmass is arable.
• Poultry production equals 16.0 million metric tons annually.
• Egg production equals 84.4 billion pieces annually.
• Soybean production in the United States equaled 72.2 million metric tons.
• Corn production equaled 23.9 million metric tons.
• Wheat production in the United States equaled 60.5 million metric tons.

Changes in Demand for Food

The U.S. market has experienced a number of changes in food demand that are increasingly creating new opportunities for producers of IP crops. Consumers have a better understanding of diet and nutrition and are purchasing foods providing specific health or nutritional diets.  

Diet

The U.S. is a melting pot of nationalities and diet is a reflection of this including common cuisines such as Italian, Mexican and Chinese. A large amount of fast foods are also consumed reflecting a fast-paced lifestyle.

Americans consume relatively large quantities of meat protein including poultry, beef, and pork.  Per Capita consumption of red meat, poultry and fish in the U.S. has reached a record high level of 235 pounds. Pork consumption has remained fairly stable over the last 20 years; beef consumption has incrementally trended upwards over the past several years; and per capita poultry consumption has increased steadily since 1970 with both chicken and turkey consumption more than doubling (25 to 54 pounds and 6 to 14 pounds per capita, respectively).

Consumer concern about fat and cholesterol has encouraged the production of leaner animals (e.g., 30 percent reduction in retail pork fat content). Health concerns have created demand for other protein food products.  It is estimated that about 4.8 million adults eat no meat, 12 million are semi-vegetarians. Fresh produce is available to U.S. consumers year-round.  Americans have a reputation for consuming relatively large amounts of sweets. New food and food ingredients are easily introduced into the market and Americans are eager consumers of new food.

The above is a summary of the market profile. 
View the Detailed United States Market Profile Here. html | pdf

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