Plant-based milk sales rose 60% over the last three years, even as ultra-processed foods still make up 58% of US calories. That shift is landing on an industry that employs 22 million people in the United States. Women account for 47% of the US food manufacturing workforce, linking consumer change to factory-floor demand.
Key Takeaways
- 37% of US adults follow plant-based diets partially in 2023
- 57% of consumers seek sustainable food packaging
- 41% of global consumers prioritize health in food choices
- Food industry employs 22 million in US in 2023
- Global food processing workforce 30 million in 2022
- US farm labor 2.6 million workers in 2023
- 28% of antibiotics used in food animals globally
- US foodborne illnesses 48 million cases yearly
- Obesity rates 42% in US adults 2023
- Global food market size reached $9.5 trillion in 2023
- US food and beverage industry generated $1.2 trillion in revenue in 2022
- Fast food market worldwide valued at $822 billion in 2023
- Global wheat production reached 784 million metric tons in 2022/23
- US corn output 15.1 billion bushels in 2023
- World milk production 881 million tons in 2022
Health driven and sustainability minded shoppers are pushing major growth in plant based, organic, and ethical food.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer Trends15 stats
01
37% of US adults follow plant-based diets partially in 2023
02
57% of consumers seek sustainable food packaging
03
41% of global consumers prioritize health in food choices
04
US millennials eat out 4.5 times weekly on average
05
68% of shoppers buy organic products occasionally
06
Plant-based milk sales grew 60% in last 3 years
07
73% of consumers willing to pay more for ethical food
08
Home cooking increased by 20% post-pandemic
09
45% of Gen Z prefer vegan options when available
10
Online grocery shopping at 13% of total sales in 2023
11
62% avoid products with artificial ingredients
12
Snacking frequency up 25% among young adults
13
50% of consumers influenced by social media food trends
14
Demand for low-sugar products rose 15% in 2023
15
39% prioritize local sourcing in purchases
Interpretation
Consumer Trends Interpretation
Amid a dining landscape where nearly four in ten adults dabble in plant-based eating and millennials eat out as often as they get mail, the modern consumer is a walking paradox: craving sustainable packaging and ethical ingredients while simultaneously scrolling for snack ideas and willing to pay a premium to satisfy a conscience increasingly shaped by social media and home kitchens.
02 · Category
Employment and Labor15 stats
01
Food industry employs 22 million in US in 2023
02
Global food processing workforce 30 million in 2022
03
US farm labor 2.6 million workers in 2023
04
Foodservice industry jobs 15.6 million in US 2023
05
Women comprise 47% of US food manufacturing workforce
06
Global agribusiness employment 1 billion people
07
US grocery retail employs 4.7 million in 2023
08
Food processing sector growth 2.5% annually in jobs
09
25% of US food workers are immigrants
10
Average wage in US food manufacturing $20/hour 2023
11
EU food and drink industry 4.7 million direct jobs
12
Turnover per employee in food industry $300k globally
13
Labor shortages affect 70% of US food processors
14
Youth employment in food service 40% of total
15
Automation reduced manual jobs by 15% in processing
Interpretation
Employment and Labor Interpretation
While our global food chain is woven together by over a billion hands, from farm to factory to fork, the troubling reality is that its immense scale is built on a foundation of undervalued labor, persistent shortages, and a race between human necessity and automation.
03 · Category
Health and Safety14 stats
01
28% of antibiotics used in food animals globally
02
US foodborne illnesses 48 million cases yearly
03
Obesity rates 42% in US adults 2023
04
Added sugars in diet 17% of calories average
05
Sodium intake exceeds WHO limit by 2000mg daily
06
Processed meat classified carcinogenic by WHO
07
Vitamin D deficiency in 40% of US population
08
Food allergies affect 32 million Americans
09
Trans fats cause 500k deaths yearly globally
10
Pesticide residues on 20% of produce
11
Caffeine overconsumption in 25% of energy drinks users
12
Ultra-processed foods 58% of US calories
13
E-coli outbreaks average 200 yearly in US
14
Diabetes linked to sugary drinks consumption
Interpretation
Health and Safety Interpretation
Our food system has engineered a perfect storm, where the convenience of a meal is inversely proportional to our health, and every bite seems to come with its own statistical warning label.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Statistics15 stats
01
Global food market size reached $9.5 trillion in 2023
02
US food and beverage industry generated $1.2 trillion in revenue in 2022
03
Fast food market worldwide valued at $822 billion in 2023
04
Organic food market projected to grow to $437 billion by 2026
05
Plant-based food market expected to reach $162 billion by 2030
06
Global packaged food market size at $2.1 trillion in 2022
07
Dairy market revenue worldwide $837 billion in 2023
08
Confectionery market valued at $220 billion globally in 2023
09
Bakery products market size $496 billion in 2022
10
Meat substitutes market to hit $27.1 billion by 2030
11
Global soft drinks market revenue $496 billion in 2023
12
Snack food market worldwide $503 billion in 2022
13
US grocery retail sales $1.1 trillion in 2023
14
Functional food market projected $275 billion by 2027
15
Global ready meals market $186 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Market Statistics Interpretation
Despite the planet's desperate need for leafy virtue-signaling, the market's unvarnished truth is that we're still a species primarily fueled by packaged snacks, soda, and a trillion-dollar cheeseburger empire.
05 · Category
Production and Manufacturing18 stats
01
Global wheat production reached 784 million metric tons in 2022/23
02
US corn output 15.1 billion bushels in 2023
03
World milk production 881 million tons in 2022
04
Global meat production 368 million tons in 2023
05
Soybean production worldwide 394 million tons 2022/23
06
US poultry production 46 billion pounds in 2023
07
Global rice output 520 million tons in 2023
08
EU sugar beet production 136 million tons in 2022/23
09
Brazil coffee production 66.3 million bags in 2023
10
Global seafood production 186 million tons in 2022
11
US vegetable production value $15.5 billion in 2022
12
World potato production 376 million tons 2022
13
India fruit production 102 million tons in 2022/23
14
Global cocoa production 5.1 million tons 2022/23
15
US processed food output 80% of total food supply
16
Palm oil production 77 million tons globally 2022
17
China pork production 55 million tons 2023
18
Global bakery production value $495 billion 2022
Interpretation
Production and Manufacturing Interpretation
Our planet's relentless agricultural output has scaled to such an absurdly magnificent degree that we are essentially conducting a high-stakes, planet-wide buffet where the sheer tonnage of our wheat, milk, and meat is matched only by the dizzying financial value of turning it all into something we can conveniently, and constantly, consume.
06 · Category
Sustainability16 stats
01
Global food waste 1.3 billion tons annually
02
Food production uses 75% of global freshwater
03
Agriculture contributes 24% of global GHG emissions
04
33% of arable land degraded worldwide
05
Sustainable packaging adopted by 48% of food companies
06
Food loss in supply chain 14% globally
07
Regenerative agriculture on 10% of farmland by 2030 goal
08
Plastic packaging in food 40% of total plastic use
09
Organic farming covers 1.5% of global cropland
10
Methane from livestock 32% of human-caused emissions
11
Water use in food production 70% of global total
12
Biodiversity loss linked to 80% of food production areas
13
Food industry carbon footprint 31% of total emissions
14
Zero-waste initiatives in 25% of large food firms
15
Deforestation for food 80% of total loss
16
Energy use in food processing 10% of manufacturing total
Interpretation
Sustainability Interpretation
We're racing to feed the planet with a system that, in the process, is consuming the very resources—water, land, and a stable climate—it desperately needs to survive.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-industry-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
59 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level