INDUSTRY

From farm to fork, the Minnesota retail food industry supports local communities, provides careers, and meets the needs of consumers throughout the state.  Here is some information about the important role the grocery industry plays in our state and nation.

  • Minnesota Ranks 6th in the Nation in Agricultural Receipts.
  • Minnesota is home to over 81,000 farms.
  • In 2009, Minnesota had record production in corn and in 2008 we set records for hogs and pigs, turkeys, eggs per chicken, and milk per cow.
  • Minnesota is home to 718 Organic Food Farmers.
  • Minnesota is 5th in the nation for total organic acres. When compared to our population, which is less than 2% of the US population, we are a major organics state.
  • Minnesota has 8 exclusively organic food production companies.  This is aside from companies that produce both organic and non organic products.

Minnesota Manufacturers

  • Minnesota is home to 156 food manufacturing companies. 
  • These companies employ over 31,000 Minnesotans.
  • Manufactured food made up 9% of Minnesota’s global exports in the 4th quarter of 2009.
  • Yearly, Minnesota food manufacturers export over a billion dollars in products.

Minnesota Muscle

  • Minnesota has 18 food companies with over $500 million in sales.
  • Those companies total almost $315 billion in sales.
  • They employ nearly 60,000 Minnesotans and nearly 850,000 Americans.
  • 5 of these companies are on the Fortune 500 list.

Community Employer

  • The Food Retail Industry employs over 121,000 Minnesotans, with 42,000 in food manufacturing, over 15,000 in animal slaughtering, over 42,000 in grocery stores, and over 21,000 at convenience stores.
  • 1.6% of Minnesota’s workforce is an employee of a grocery store.
  • Minnesota Grocers pay over a billion dollars in wages every year!

Dollars and Cents

  • Minnesotans spent $1,663,975,203 at the state’s 2,357 food companies in 2007.
  • The average household spends $98.40 per week on groceries.
  • American’s make 2 trips weekly to their local super market.
  • Consumers redeemed nearly 3.2 billion coupons in 2009, a 23% increase over 2009, saving nearly 3.5 billion.


Contact the MGA