An in depth look at the effects a simple piece of fruit has on our economy. From the industry in which apples are produced and sold, to imports, exports and genetic engineering. Something so small, taken for granted and overlooked so often is truly something much larger and more influential in the big picture. Next time you take a bite, consider how that small, tasty treat shapes our everyday lives.
Apples, the country’s most popular fruit
Fruit in general is statistically one of the most popular foods consumed in America. More specifically, fruit is currently ranked second (as of 2014 research).
The Industry
The agriculture industry as a whole has one of the largest impacts on our economy today.
An industry worth more than two trillion dollars, sustainability of this industry is, and has always been the goal. Not only is this industry to thank for the food put in front of us on a daily basis keeping us alive physically, it plays a large role in keeping our economy alive as well. Like any successful company and industry, innovation and discovery of new products and methods stimulates new sales and jobs. Employment in this field is up nearly fifty percent in the last ten years and continues to increase. With billions of people working within the industry currently, thousands of new jobs have been created and the value of the industry is rapidly increasing. The agriculture industry is directly related to the success of other industries, including; food service, hospitality, retail, forestry and logging, animal production, fishing (hunting) and many more. (https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag11.htm) Millions of jobs stem from the agriculture industry. In most areas and specific job descriptions within the industry are limited seasonally, though. Some of the most important roles in this industry are also very underpaid, while many make a very comfortable living at the same time. The roles throughout the industry range from agriculture scientists, sales managers, lawyers and the farmers themselves.
History of the apple. Going back to the idea of discovery and innovation, consider the discovery of the apple. Apples were originally brought to America by colonists who planted the first apple orchard in Boston. This is home to the only apple native to North America, the crab apple. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple) As usual, we Americans are always looking for more, for better. The first genetically cross-bred apple was the Honeycrisp, created at the University of Minnesota in 1991. (https://www.chase.com/news/051616-honeycrisp-apple) This apple was more than two times the size of the common apple, and the cost is about four times that of the common apple. Despite the significant difference in price, people loved this new apple and sales increased more than thirty-nine times in less than fifteen years. The Honeycrisp apple proved to farmers and retailers that people were more than willing to spend more for a better, more desirable piece of fruit. Following the success of the genetically edited Honeycrisp came the creation of multiple new breeds of apple.
Sales. As stated earlier, apples are one of the most purchased and consumed fruits in America. Just a few years ago, a study found that the average per-person consumption of all forms of apples increased to nearly twenty-eight pounds, this includes whole, apple sauce, juice and ciders, beers, desserts etc. This increase is credited to many things, including; production expansion, income increase, lifestyle changes and the overall awareness of the importance of fruit to a healthy diet. (https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/apples/commodity-apples).
The demand for apples is not only present in America, as one in every four apples that is grown here in the states is exported. The largest export locations include Mexico, Canada, India, Taiwan and more. As far as imports, though America is the largest producer of apples worldwide, there are some instances in which fresh apples are necessary as there is a lack of production due to out of season demand increases, less than five percent of all apples purchased and consumed in the united states are imported from elsewhere. (https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/apples/commodity-apples)
Research within the Industry. Washington state is one of the largest apple producers and distributors in the world. The Washington Apple Commission conducted a study on the impact their industry has on the economy both locally and nationally. (https://fruitgrowersnews.com/news/washington-releases-apple-industry-economic-impact-study/) The industry in Washington alone
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