National Farmers Union Serves Up the Farmer’s Share of July 4th Cookout Costs

WASHINGTON- As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day with family gatherings and festive cookouts, National Farmers Union (NFU) released the updated "Farmer's Share of the Food Dollar" for items typically enjoyed during a Fourth of July cookout. These figures reveal how much family farmers earn compared to the amount consumers pay at the grocery store.

NFU President Rob Larew emphasized,

"When consumers stock up on their favorite Independence Day cookout essentials this year, they're likely to notice increased costs for certain products. These increased costs are not reflected in what America's family farmers and ranchers are paid. Decades of mergers and acquisitions have resulted in agriculture and food supply chains that are not only uncompetitive and fragile but also fail to fairly compensate farmers. Corporate monopolies control the vast majority of the processing, distribution, and marketing of our food, and dominate the market for crop inputs, seeds, and farm machinery."

"As we celebrate the Fourth of July along with the hard work of our family farmers and ranchers, we must recognize the challenges they face. Family farmers and ranchers deserve a fair share of the consumer food dollar."

The iconic cheeseburger, a staple of many July 4th celebrations, is a prime example. For each dollar spent at retail on the components of a cheeseburger-beef patty, bun, cheese, onion, lettuce, and tomato-family farmers receive only a small fraction. Similarly, other popular cookout items like potato salad and potato chips also reflect a minimal share for the farmers who produce the raw ingredients.

Included in the 2024 Farmer's Share of July 4th Cookout are:

NFU's Fairness for Farmerscampaign is actively addressing the monopoly crisis in food and agriculture. By advocating for stronger antitrust enforcement and greater transparency, the campaign aims to increase the farmer's share of the food dollar and ensure fairness for both farmers and consumers.

Data for this publication was sourced from USDA NASS and other industry sources.