As a member of the Illinois Livestock Development Group, we understand the contribution that livestock plays in overall corn usage. More than that, we care about the agriculture ecosystem and want to ensure that Illinois ag is thriving. Below you can find out just how important animal ag is to agricultural and to local, state, and national economies:

The Illinois Livestock Development Group (ILDG) contracted with Dr. Peter Goldsmith, UIUC  to conduct economic contribution studies for our state’s animal agriculture sector. Dr. Goldsmith’s research was conducted in 2001, 2004, and then again in 2010. Trend data from these studies show Illinois has a growing animal agriculture sector. A new contractor has developed data for Illinois’ animal ag sector, with similar results.  The latest study, conducted in 2015, show a sector that is making a significant contribution to the state’s economy. Here's a snapshot:

The 2015 Illinois Agriculture Economic Contribution study was completed by Decision Innovation Solutions to show the overall economic contribution of agriculture to Illinois’ economy. This contribution was calculated for the state as a whole, each county, and for the Illinois Congressional Districts. The results showed that agriculture in Illinois is responsible for one in every 17 jobs and $120.9 billion in total output. In addition to showing the major agricultural sectors, the report provides a comparison to other major industries in Illinois, such as manufacturing, financial, and construction.

Illinois county-level data can be accessed by accessing the DIS website here.

Copies of the full report can be downloaded here.