(NAFB) – A new study from food and agriculture groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, shows the economic impact of agriculture.

The sixth annual Feeding the Economy Study reveals how the food and agriculture sectors influence the local and broader United States economies. American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Dr. Roger Cryan says the study helps the public understand the impact of agriculture.

“Feeding The Economy is a number of different things. It’s a study and it’s a website, FeedingTheEconomy.com. And it’s a partnership among ag groups. It’s aimed at helping folks better understand the impact of agriculture.”

He says the data drives home that agriculture is the foundation of the U.S. economy.

“For the U.S. as a whole, there were about $3 trillion in output in the agriculture sector. This includes the jobs and wages output directly involved in supplying and producing and delivering through the food and agricultural supply chain. Agriculture is a massive industry. And so again, for the U.S., $3 trillion in output, 21 and a half million jobs, $819 billion in wages.”

Cryan says its all about helping others understand the importance of American agriculture.

“We know that agriculture is important in many different ways. But for those who need more black and white convincing about how important agriculture is this is very helpful. FeedingTheEconomy.com will feed you the numbers for the U.S. and for your state and even for your congressional district. The objective here is to provide absolutely up-to-date information about how important agriculture is. It helps folks understand, as much as we take it for granted, that the food is there when we need it.”

Learn more at feedingtheeconomy.com.