Agriculture Economics: Land O’Lakes Chief Sees 3.3% GDP Gain From Immigration Reform

3.3 percent. That is the potential growth in the United States gross domestic product that Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford attributes to specific immigration reform measures over the next decade. In an interview with Time, Ford presented a case for viewing agricultural policy through the lens of national security and economic investment rather than partisan politics.

Ford, who leads one of the nation's largest farming collectives, stated that the current harvest season is the most expensive in history. She cited rising costs for fertilizer, diesel, and steel as sources of tremendous pressure on American growers. Despite these challenges, she described the rural workforce as a cornerstone of the country's strength.

The executive noted that 19 percent of the U.S. population resides in rural areas, yet these communities comprise 44 percent of the military. She argued that this demographic deserves sustained investment and that food self-sufficiency is a primary asset of the United States. Ford urged urban residents to recognize that rural towns are not fleeing to the coast but are stable centers of economic activity.

Ford addressed the labor force, noting that two-thirds of farm workers are non-citizen immigrants. She described immigration as a lever for economic growth, referencing an analysis showing that reform could add over one trillion dollars to the GDP in ten years. She framed this dynamic as a business-investment discussion essential for maintaining prosperity.

Her path to the top of the agricultural sector was unconventional. Ford listed her early jobs as a tennis instructor, a bean field worker, a house painter, and a janitor. She also served as a night warehouse foreman at a Mobil barge dock in Boston. She recalled managing the dock's human element, including a foreman named Tommy who was frequently late.

On the consumer side, Ford confirmed a rise in dairy consumption. She stated that Americans are eating more butter and more cheese, though the U.S. still trails European nations in cheese intake. She encouraged consumers to increase their consumption of dairy products as part of the agricultural economy.