While we often take for granted the important role fertilizer plays in food production, the economic impact in terms of jobs provided by the industry has been generally overlooked. Now a study sponsored by The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is shedding light on those numbers at both the state and congressional district levels.

“We are excited to be able to share this first of its kind report as it will serve as a valuable resource not just to those in the industry, but also to lawmakers and regulators here in Washington D.C., and around the country,” said TFI President Chris Jahn.

The study, conducted for TFI by John Dunham and Associates, found that the fertilizer industry contributed over $162 billion and 515,900 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2014. The scope of the study includes the direct contribution, supplier contribution and downstream positive impact of the entire industry value chain – from manufacturers to wholesalers, retailers and goods and services suppliers.

The entire fertilizer industry directly employs nearly 85,000 people who produce over $68 billion in output. The nation’s fertilizer retailers alone support in excess of 43,000 jobs with a total annual payroll of $23 billion. Fertilizer manufacturers and wholesalers combined contribute another 41,000 jobs with a combined annual economic impact of $46 billion.

“We are proud of the economic contribution the fertilizer industry makes to the U.S. economy and the good jobs that it provides,” Jahn said. “The people we employ contribute to the economies of communities across the nation.”

You can learn more about the fertilizer industry’s impact on the economy at: https://www.tfi.org/advocacy/fertilizerjobs.