Key points
1. In the USA, a study found that the food manufacturing sector is influential on the
domestic economy, but not providing the improvements in efficiency and
productivity of other sectors, including the agricultural sector.
2. A study in Greece, at the time when its economy was heavily reliant on
agriculture, found that expansion of the food sector greatly expanded all sectors of
the economy. The analysis also showed that there was a much greater influence on
the non-food sector from stimulating the processed food sector, rather than the raw
material (agricultural) sector.
3. Exports of processed foods as a proportion of total agricultural exports grew
markedly in a wide range of countries up to the mid 1990’s.
4. There was a stronger correlation between growth in manufacturing exports and
processed food exports, than there was between processed food exports and
primary products exports.