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Estimating output value added from the world’s agrifood systems

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Year of publication 2025

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 58 p.

Author Schneider Lecy, K.R.; Yi, J.; Conforti, P.; Boero, V.; Cerilli, S.; Vollaro, M.; Rosero Moncayo, J.; Jiang, S.; Barrett, C.B.;

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

Category Working paper

ISBN 978-92-5-140339-6

Series title FAO Statistics Working Paper Series

Series number 25-51

To cite or share https://doi.org/10.4060/cd7785en

Synopsis (short abstract) Agrifood systems are an essential component of every economy on earth because they provide income, food, fibres, fuels and medicine, among other goods and services. Yet most official statistics are delimited by economic sectors, so existing data do not readily quantify the contribution of multisectoral agrifood systems to national economies or the world. A combination of official statistics and harmonized input-output table data is used to estimate the output value added accruing from agrifood systems between 1995 and 2019. Recent estimates of employment in agrifood systems are then incorporated to develop an indicator of value added per worker in agrifood systems. The results show that agrifood systems in 170 countries contributed nearly USD 13.1 trillion (in current prices) to global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019, which represents 15.5 percent of total GDP. Primary production (agriculture, forestry, fishing) contributes only 26.1 percent (USD 3.4 trillion) of total agrifood system value added while the largest share (53.4 percent; USD 6.8 trillion) comes from wholesale and retail trade, followed far behind by manufacturing of agrifood products (food, beverages, wood, paper, etc.). Further, agrifood systems are increasingly diversified at higher national incomes. The share of value added from agrifood systems per capita excluding primary production follows the same well-known decline with GDP per capita as agriculture.

Statutory body / Meeting title N/A

Cite this content as:

Schneider Lecy, K.R., Yi, J., Conforti, P., Boero, V., Cerilli, S., Vollaro, M., Rosero Moncayo, J., Jiang, S. & Barrett, C.B. 2025. Estimating output value added from the world’s agrifood systems. FAO Statistics Working Paper Series, No. 25-51. Rome, FAO. 

https://doi.org/10.4060/cd7785en

Language English

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