ERS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Media Resources
ERS anticipates trends and emerging issues in agriculture and food in order to conduct high-quality, objective economic research to inform and enhance public and private decision making. The following information provides links to the latest available data supporting the analysis of potential effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on U.S. commodity markets, including supply chain disruptions and global demand for agricultural products. Additional links provide background information on a variety of farm and food topics.
We will update the page as more information becomes available. Find the latest on COVID-19 directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.coronavirus.gov.
USDA COVID-19 Resources
- USDA COVID-19 FAQs provides answers to questions frequently asked by USDA customers, stakeholders, and the general public. See FAQ’s related to ERS under “Reports and Research.”
Recent ERS Reports and Data
- COVID-19 Economic Implications for Agriculture, Food, and Rural America provides the latest available data and analysis of potential effects of COVID-19 on U.S. commodity markets, including supply chain disruptions and global demand for agricultural products.
- ERS Commodity Outlook Reports will account for, and discuss, the economic implications of COVID-19 on the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Latest reports:
- Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade is released quarterly (November, February, May, August) to provide information on USDA’s forecasts for U.S. agricultural trade in Fiscal Year 2023 and 2024.
- ERS Food Price Outlook provides monthly food price forecasts, including for both food purchased for consumption at home and away from home.
Charts of Note Highlights
- Food-at-home spending drops close to pre-COVID levels, while food-away-from-home spending remains high
- SNAP participation varied across States in fiscal year 2022
- Pork exports to China surged as African swine fever curtailed China’s pork output
- In rural areas, population gains from net migration have exceeded losses from natural decrease
- Paycheck Protection Program loans provided $5.8 billion to U.S. farm sector in 2020
- Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) disbursed $23.5 billion to U.S. farmers and ranchers in 2020
- USDA’s National School Lunch Program has served about 229 billion meals since 1971
- Global food security improves in 2023 with higher incomes, lower vegetable oil prices
- Prevalence of U.S. household food insecurity increased in 2022
Data Useful for Background Information
- ERS State Fact Sheets includes data by state on population, income, poverty, food security, education, employment/unemployment, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, top commodities, and agricultural exports.
- Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials provides 70 charts and maps highlighting the basics on food, farming, and rural America.
- Farm Income and Wealth Statistics includes forecasts and estimates of farm sector income for the U.S. (1910-2023F) and for States (1949-2022). The next release is scheduled for February 2024, and will update the U.S. sector and household well-being estimates and forecasts.
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- Farm Income and Wealth Statistics Visualizations include Charts and Maps About Your State, Charts and Maps of U.S. Farm Balance Sheet Data and Charts and Maps of U.S. Farm Income Statement Data
- ERS Food Expenditure Series is a comprehensive data set that measures the value of food acquired in the United States by type of product, outlet, and purchaser.
- Household Food Security in the United States in 2021 an annual report released in September 2022, shows that an estimated 10.2 percent of U.S. households were food insecure at least some time during the year in 2021, meaning they lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.
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- State-level estimates are available in tables 4 and 5 of the report.
- Household Food Security media resources
- Prevalence of U.S. Food Insecurity Is Related to Changes in Unemployment, Inflation, and the Price of Food. This 2014 report examined the extent to which year-to-year changes in the prevalence of U.S. household food insecurity could be explained by changes in the national unemployment rate, inflation, and the price of food relative to other goods and services.
- Related Amber Waves article: Inflation and Higher Food Prices Kept Food Insecurity Rates Relatively High After the 2007-09 Recession
- Rural America at a Glance: 2021 Edition focuses on aspects affecting the resiliency and recovery of rural communities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including population and employment change, intensity of infection and vaccination rates, and internet availability and adoption.
- Data for Rural Analysis includes a number of ERS county- and sub-county-level data sets that are used by policymakers and researchers to identify and describe rural and urban areas.
- USDA Agricultural Projections to 2032 cover major agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the U.S. farm sector, such as farm income.
ERS Interactive Tools
- Food Access Research Atlas presents a spatial overview of food access indicators for low-income and other census tracts using different measures of supermarket accessibility.
- Food Environment Atlas assembles statistics on over 275 food environment indicators at the county or State level that can influence food choices and diet quality.
- Atlas of Rural and Small Town America provides county-level statistics by broad categories of socioeconomic factors, including demographic and economic data and county classifications.
Additional Resources
FEMA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response
Frequently Asked Questions from the CDC