American Agriculture
Beef cattle production is the largest segment of American agriculture. In 2002, more farms were classified as beef cattle operations (31 percent) than any other type of farm.1
- The U.S. beef industry is made up of more than 1 million businesses, farms and ranches.2
- In 2006, there were more than 800,000 ranchers and cattle producers in the United States.2
- In 2003, 98 percent of farms in the United States were family farms.4
Beef Demand
- Consumer spending on beef was $71.1 billion in 2006 and has grown $22 billion since 1999.2
Per capita spending for beef in retail and foodservice was about $238 in 2006 — up about
$39 from 2001.2
- In 2006, per capita consumption of beef was 62.9 pounds, compared to 61.4 pounds for chicken. Consumption of beef has remained stable throughout the past decade.2
Beef in Retail
The volume and value of beef sales in grocery stores, as well as its share of overall meat sales, continue to increase.7
The following statistics represent supermarkets with annual sales of $2 million or more. Data does not include club stores, butcher shops or independent grocery stores with annual sales of less than $2 million.
- In 2006, fresh beef sales at retail totaled 4.3 billion pounds and $15.3 billion. 7
- Beef accounts for more than 53 percent of dollars spent on meat at retail and 39.5 percent of the pounds of meat purchased.7
- The average price per pound of beef in the fourth quarter of 2006 was $3.55.7
Beef in Foodservice
Of the total dollar amount spent on food and beverages in 2006, approximately 50 percent went to retail outlets and 50 percent to foodservice establishments. In 2006, Americans spent $506 billion in the foodservice sector, nearly a 5-percent increase from 2005.8
The following statistics measure consumer meals in commercial restaurants, which account for about 60 percent of all consumer spending in foodservice.
-
In 2006, 11.98 billion servings of beef were sold in commercial restaurants, an increase of 1.5 percent from 2005. There were 10.14 billion servings of chicken sold in commercial restaurants in 2006.9
-
Limited Service Restaurants accounted for more than 77 percent of all beef served in commercial restaurants in 2006. Combined, casual dining restaurants and midscale restaurants accounted for more than one-fifth of beef servings. Only 1 percent of beef servings were in fine dining restaurants.9
Today’s Consumer
The demographic make-up of the domestic consumer continues to evolve. The following trends have been identified: a growing and aging population, a decrease in the number of married households with children, an increase in median household income, an increase in two-income families and changing ethnic diversity.10
-
Eight out of 10 individuals consume beef regularly in-home. Beef is part of 22 percent of in-home dinners. In comparison, chicken is present at less than 17 percent of in-home dinners.11
-
Steak is the most popular beef dish for consumers preparing meals in their home. Hamburgers are the second most popular in-home beef item.11
-
During the past two years, in-home beef consumption has increased 3 percent.11
Sources:
1 USDA’s National Agricultural Statistic Service
2 Cattle-Fax, May 2007
3 American Veal Association
4 USDA’s Economic Research Service 5 U.S. Meat Export Federation Trends Service
6 USDA, Department of Commerce and K-State Research and Extension
7 FreshLook Data (IRI Scanner Data) Research
8 U.S. Bureau of the Census; Technomic, Inc.
9 NPD CREST Research
10 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
11 NPD Group’s National Eating